Penny Black and a Postage Reform

It was a Friday, 1 May 1840, London. The weather was likely cold and windy — much like Kyiv today. On that day, the first postage stamps went on sale: small black adhesive labels bearing the profile of a young Queen Victoria.

The one-penny stamp — known as the Penny Black — showed that postage had been prepaid by the sender and covered the delivery of a letter weighing up to half an ounce within the uniform rate. Within days, a two-penny blue version — the Penny Blue — followed, and the first stamped letters entered circulation on 6 May.

There were no ceremonies or communication campaigns marking the change, yet it introduced a new model for postal services: prepayment and a uniform tariff. Before that, the Royal Mail was neither efficient nor accessible to most people. Rates varied depending on distance, routes, and even the number of sheets in a letter. The main costs lay not in transport but in administration—letters had to be weighed, counted, rated, recorded, and paid for upon delivery, turning postmen into cash collectors.

Payment could technically be made by the sender, but it was usually charged to the recipient, who often refused to pay, leaving the postal service to absorb the cost. Some people found ways around the system altogether, exchanging unpaid letters marked with signs that conveyed messages without being opened. Newspapers were delivered free of charge, and members of Parliament and the aristocracy could “frank” letters — sending them without payment — often extending this privilege to private correspondence.

This system was closely examined by Rowland Hill, a teacher and reformer who, in 1837, published a pamphlet proposing a uniform penny rate and compulsory prepayment. In the end of 1839, universal tariff and prepayment were implemented, and then in May 1840, two alternative forms of prepayment were introduced: adhesive stamps and pre-printed envelopes. The illustrated Mulready envelopes depicted Britannia sending messages across the world, but their elaborate design made them unpopular and widely ridiculed in caricatures.

The stamp, however, proved effective. Its design was selected through a public competition and based on a profile of Queen Victoria adapted from a medal engraved by William Wyon. The black colour of the first issue made cancellation marks difficult to see, so it was soon replaced by a red version where postmarks were clearer.

With prepayment established, postage became both universal and more affordable. Letter volumes grew rapidly, and the postal service turned into a regular, widely used system. Since then, one distinctive feature has remained: the United Kingdom is the only country that does not include its name on postage stamps, as the monarch’s profile alone serves as a sufficient mark of origin.

In Ukraine, stamps are labeled Ukraine and feature a wide variety of designs, while the most common denomination is U—a standard domestic letter without declared value.

At Ukrposhta Market, you can find everything: postage stamps and sheets, artistic and standard envelopes, mailing bags for documents and parcels in various sizes, cardboard boxes, as well as albums and frames for stamp collecting. You can even order your own personalized stamp that can be used to send a real letter—and it will be delivered! Shop now→

Penny Black and a Postage Reform

Related articles: