Episode 3 of 3
Issuance of the Penny Black
- When
- 1 May 1840 to 6 May 1840
- Where
- United Kingdom
The Penny Black was first issued in the United Kingdom on 1 May 1840, becoming valid for use on 6 May.
The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system. It was first issued in the United Kingdom on 1 May 1840 but was not valid for use until 6 May. Some offices, such as those in Bath, sold the stamps unofficially before the official date.
Sources
- Penny Black Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-20
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.