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History of the Postage Stamp

The first postage stamp was made by Britain in 1840. It was called the One Penny Black and cost 1 penny just like the name. The picture was of Queen Victoria. The Penny Black, and many of the original stamps, did not come with perforations, so people would have to use scissors to cut each stamp from a page of stamps.

The idea of the postage stamp was invented by James Chalmers and it was the first time that people could pre-pay for mailing a letter. The concept of the postage stamp took off and became very popular. By the 1860's, the number of countries that used postage stamps as a way to prepay for postage was well over 70.

In 1874 the Universal Postal Union was formed. This allowed countries that were members to send mail more easily between each other as long as they abided by certain terms and rules. It allowed the senders to use just one form of stamp rather than having to affix the stamp of the country they were sending the letter.

Stamp collecting was somewhat popular from the start, but collecting stamps became a very popular hobby in the 1920's when the value of stamps started to soar. This continued into the 1930's, but, with the value of stamps starting to fall, the growth of stamp collecting slowed. However, stamp collecting is still a very popular hobby today. The variety of stamps and the history, culture, and story they tell still draws people from all walks of life to take up their tongs, get a stamp album, and start collecting.

 


Fun Facts about Stamps

Great Britain was the first nation to issue postage stamps, and it is the only country not to include its own name on the stamps.

The first stamp was the Penny Black, a British stamp featuring Queen Victoria, which was issued in 1840.

The first postage stamps did not come with a sticky back. People used their own glue or paste or figured out other ways to keep the stamp on the envelope.

The most popular US postage stamp sold over 120 million copies. It was a 1993 stamp of rock singer Elvis Presley.

In 1918 a number of stamps of an airplane were accidentally printed upside down. They are called the Inverted Jenny stamps today. Since only about 100 of these were found, they are very valuable.

An estimated 20 million people collect stamps in the United States.

Some countries print stamps mostly for collectors. Selling stamps to collectors is actually a major way these countries make money.

Stamp Quiz

1. What origin is the word philately?

French American Greek

 

2. What year were the first stamps issued in the United States?

1807 1817 1847

 

3. Who was the first non-monarch to appear on a British stamp?

Robert Burns William Shakespeare Charles Darwin

 

4. Which animal appeared on the first stamps of Australia?

Swan Kangaroo Duck-billed Platypus

 

5. Who was the first person depicted on an Australian stamp?

Queen Victoria King George V King Edward VII

 

6. Which animal featured on the very first Canadian stamp issued in 1851?



Caribou Beaver Newfoundland Dog

 

7. Many early USA stamps featured a portrait of George Washington. Who else was depicted on the very first USA general issue in 1847?

Thomas Jefferson John Adams Benjamin Franklin

 

8. In which country was issued the first stamp where the shape of stamp was not rectangular?

USA UK Australia


Answers:

1 Greek

The word philately is Greek in origin. Philately means the study of postage stamps. A philatelist is someone who studies stamps and a philatelomaniac is a person who takes stamp collecting to a mania.

2. 1847

On July 1, 1847, the first stamps to be issued in the United States were sent to New York City. From there, the stamps were issued to other states.

3. William Shakespeare

From the first stamp issued in 1840 until 1963, the only person whose image appeared on British stamps was the reigning monarch. That trend ended with the 1964 4-stamp issue to commemorate the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's birth.

4. Kangaroo

The first Australian stamps, issued in 1913, showed a kangaroo on a map of the continent.

5. King George V

A set of stamps with the head of King George V were issued in 1914.

6. Beaver

This first Canadian stamp depicted the beaver.

7. Benjamin Franklin

8. USA

The United States issued its first circular stamp in 2000 as a hologram of the earth.

By Tatyana Makhrina

http://stamps.org


Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1026


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