| > | | | | scribbles a few light signs on the letter and by looking |
| This article delves into the history of the first stamps | | | | at them, she knows the global situation of her |
| and early postal history. The very first stamp, the | | | | fiancé. |
| penny black, was issued on May 6, 1840 in Great | | | | Hill wants to do the following to reform the postal |
| Britain. The invention of the postage stamp is | | | | system: |
| attributed to Sir Rowland Hill. The idea of a stamp as | | | | · Make the sender pay for sending mail. |
| a prepaid method for sending mail is actually older | | | | · Lower the cost for sending letters to |
| than that: Cavallini" were used as soon as 1819 by | | | | promote their use. |
| the Sardinian post. | | | | · Simplify prices. A single price to be paid for |
| Before 1840, the recipient had to bear the cost of | | | | sending letter in the country. |
| postage: the recipient was thus showing he/she | | | | The first measure enables makes it so that the post |
| valued the letter sent to him or her. Transportation | | | | is always paid for its service. The second also has for |
| was likely not very reliable as well for somebody | | | | purpose to stimulate commerce. The last measure is |
| willing to agree to pay upfront for shipping. Calculation | | | | necessary if we want the sender to know easily the |
| of the cost of postage was complicated: weight was | | | | amount to be paid. |
| taken into account of course, so was the precise | | | | All this prompted the creation of the postage stamp : |
| distance between sender and receiver. | | | | a convenient way to prepay a letter without having |
| It is said that Rowland Hill witnessed the following | | | | to go each time to the post office. On May 6 1840, |
| scene : a servant receives a letter from her lover, | | | | the public had the choice between the Penny Black |
| the postman gives it to her but after inspecting it for | | | | Stamp and the "Mulready" prepaid envelope. The |
| a few seconds she refuses to pay the tax. Mr Hill | | | | stamp is preferred by the public, envelopes being still |
| then offers to pay for the letter but she refuses. | | | | foreign to people at the time as the common |
| The servant lets Mr Hill on her little secret: her lover | | | | practice was to fold the letters and seal them. |