On this day in 1840, the UK licked a postal problem by issuing the Penny Black, the world’s first adhesive postage stamp. It featured a profile of Queen Victoria, who was only 21 at the time, but had been queen for almost three years. The stamp was the brainchild of Sir Rowland Hill, who was also an educational reformer.
Penny Blacks are not particularly rare and one in poor condition can be purchased for twenty dollars. Mint condition Penny Blacks, however, can go for as much as twenty four hundred dollars, and some rare versions have sold for considerably more.