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THE STORY OF THE FIRST POSTAGE STAMP
Postage stamps can reveal more than the history of a letter. They can reveal the history of
a nation. A recently published book A History of Britain in Thirty-Six Postage Stamps by Chris
West tells the story of the postage stamp. And of Britain.
West inherited a collection that included a “Penny Black” – the first stamp issued in Britain and,
indeed, anywhere in the world. 5.1. _____ Much earlier, in 1680, an entrepreneur William
Dockwra had started a public service that guaranteed the quick delivery of a letter anywhere
in London. The service was quickly nationalized, with Dockwra in charge. 5.2. _____ Worse
still, recipients were also expected to pay!
Then, about 50 years later, a schoolmaster called Rowland Hill thought he could do better. He
argued for abolishing the postal tariffs and replacing them with a single national rate of one
penny, which would be paid by the sender. 5.3. _____ The Postmaster General found people’s
response encouraging and decided to discuss postal reform with Hill. During their subsequent
meetings, the two men came up with an idea of an adhesive label that could be attached to
envelopes to indicate payment.
The idea eventually earned enough support to convince Parliament to implement changes.
5.4. _____ When the design was ready, it was printed and went on sale on May 1, 1840.
“Penny Black” was an immediate hit.

adapted from http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com

A. The system was far from perfect, as it was unreasonably expensive to send a letter.
B. Although many officials ignored this revolutionary idea, it attracted a lot of public attention.
C. The idea was well received and remained in the minds of the people for many years to
come until the portrait of the Queen appeared on the stamp.
D. It shows the image of Queen Victoria, which might suggest that postal services started in
England in the 19th century, but that’s not true.
E. Therefore, in 1839, a competition was held to design a stamp. The entry that was selected
depicted the young Queen’s profile.