The Stamps and Postal History of Great Britain

Great Britain stamps are one of the world's most popular collecting fields, individually, and also collections. Appreciated and collected the world over, due to their historical background, in addition, to the story of their origin. Rowland Hill's reform, introduced in 1839–1840 changed communications forever. The significant contribution is a uniform postage rate applying to all parts of the kingdom. Also, increments of cost being dependent on the weight of the item, rather than the distance travelled with payment being made by the sender. This led to the introduction of a brilliantly simple device, the world’s first postage stamp, the Penny Black issued 6th May 1840. 

To this day Britain doesn't put the name of the country on her stamps. A portrait of the current monarch is seen as enough, as the issuers of the first postage stamp, this is, therefore, an accepted international convention.

Popular Stamps

Collectors collect the entire period from 1840 onwards, with comprehensive and popular albums being the specially-printed ‘Windsor Series’. Philatelists also collect their favourite reigns, including Queen Victoria 1837–1901; King Edward VII 1901–1910; King George V 1910–1936 also King Edward VIII 1936. Similarly, King George VI from 1936–1952 or Queen Elizabeth II from 1952 to the present day. The most popular include the Queen Victoria Penny Reds, the Edward VII and George V definitive issues in their myriad shades, the superbly engraved 'Seahorses', the 1929 PUC £1 and even the long-running QEII Machin issues, in use for over 50 years.

Collectors subscribe to the Post Office's new issues service, whilst continuing to obtain older stamps. There are areas of great specialization with outstanding books and catalogues to aid the philatelist collector. These contain the sum of years of diligent research by generations of philatelists.

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Great Britain Stamps