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Postage stamp may also refer to a formatting artifact in the display of film or video: Windowbox . 

The main components of a stamp:

1. Image 

2. Perforations 

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3. Denomination 

4. Country name

A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of  mail as

evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are printed on special custom-made paper , 

show a national designation and a denomination (value) on the front, and have a gum adhesiveon the back. Postage stamps are purchased from a  postal administration or other authorized

vendor, and are used to pay for the costs involved in moving mail, as well as other businessnecessities such as insurance and registration. They are sometimes a source of net profit to the

issuing agency, especially when sold to collectors who will not actually use them for postage.

Stamps are usually rectangular, but triangles or other shapes are occasionally used. The stamp is

affixed to an envelope or other postal cover (e.g., packet, box, mailing cylinder) the customer

wishes to send. The item is then processed by the postal system, where a  postmark , sometimes

known as a cancellation mark, is usually applied in overlapping manner to stamp and cover. This procedure marks the stamp as used to prevent its reuse. In modern usage, postmarks generally

indicate the date and point of origin of the mailing. The mailed item is then delivered to theaddress the customer has applied to the envelope or parcel.

Postage stamps have facilitated the delivery of mail since the 1840s. Before then, ink and hand-

stamps (hence the word 'stamp'), usually made from wood or cork, were often used to frank themail and confirm the payment of postage. The first adhesive postage stamp, commonly referred

to as the Penny Black , was issued in the United Kingdom in 1840. The invention of the stamp

was part of an attempt to reform and improve the postal system in the United Kingdom of GreatBritain and Ireland,[1] which, in the early 19th century, was in disarray and rife with corruption.[2] 

There are varying accounts of the inventor or inventors of the stamp.[3] 

Before the introduction of postage stamps, mail in the UK was paid for by the recipient, a systemthat was associated with an irresolvable problem: the costs of delivering mail were not

recoverable by the postal service when recipients were unable or unwilling to pay for delivered

items, and senders had no incentive to restrict the number, size, or weight of items sent, whetheror not they would ultimately be paid for .[4] The postage stamp resolved this issue in a simple and

elegant manner, with the additional benefit of room for an element of beauty to be introduced.

Concurrently with the first stamps, the UK offered wrappers for mail. Later related inventionsinclude  postal stationery such as prepaid-postage envelopes,  post cards, lettercards, 

aerogrammes,  postage meters, and, more recently, specialty boxes and envelopes provided free

to the customer by the U.S. postal service for priority or express mailing.

The postage stamp afforded convenience for both the mailer and postal officials, moreeffectively recovered costs for the postal service, and ultimately resulted in a better, faster postalsystem. With the conveniences stamps offered, their use resulted in greatly increased mailings

during the 19th and 20th centuries.[5] Postage stamps during this era were the most popular way

of paying for mail; however, by the end of the 20th century were rapidly being eclipsed by theuse of metered postage and bulk mailing by businesses.[6][7] 

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As postage stamps with their engraved imagery began to appear on a widespread basis, historians

and collectors began to take notice.[8] The study of postage stamps and their use is referred to as

 philately. Stamp collecting can be both a hobby and a form of historical study and reference, asgovernment-issued postage stamps and their mailing systems have always been involved with the

history of nations.[9][10] 

Contents

[hide] 

  1 Invention 

  2 History 

  3 Design 

o 

3.1 Perforations 

o 

3.2 Shapes and materials 

o 

3.3 Graphic characteristics 

 

4 Types   5 First day covers 

  6 Souvenir or miniature sheets 

  7 Stamp collecting 

  8 Famous stamps 

  9 See also 

  10 References 

  11 External links 

Invention[edit] 

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A photograph of Rowland Hill and a facsimile of his signature.

Throughout modern history, various innovations were used to apply or indicate that postage has

 been paid on a mailed item, hence the invention of the postage stamp has been accredited toseveral different people.

William Dockwra

In 1680 William Dockwra, an English merchant in London, and his partner  Robert Murray 

established the London Penny Post, a mail system that delivered letters and small parcels insidethe city of London for the sum of one penny. The postage for the mailed item was prepaid by the

use of a hand- stamp to frank the mailed item, confirming payment of postage. Though this

'stamp' was applied to a letter instead of a separate piece of paper it is considered by many

historians as the world's first postage stamp.[11] 

Lovrenc Košir 

In 1835, the Slovene civil servant Lovrenc Košir  from Ljubljana in Austria-Hungary (now

Slovenia), suggested the use of "artificially affixed postal tax stamps"[12] using "gepresste papieroblate" which translates as "pressed paper wafers" but although the suggestion was looked

at in detail, it was not adopted.[13][14] 

Rowland Hill

The Englishman Sir Rowland Hill  began interest in postal reform in 1835.[15] In 1836, a Member

of Parliament, Robert Wallace, provided Hill with numerous books and documents, which Hill

described as a "half  hundred weight of material".[16] Hill commenced a detailed study of these

documents, leading him to the 1837 publication of a pamphlet entitled "Post Office Reform itsImportance and Practicability". He submitted a copy of this to the Chancellor of the Exchequer , 

Thomas Spring-Rice, on 4 January 1837.[17] This first edition was marked "private and

confidential," and was not released to the general public. The Chancellor summoned Hill to ameeting during which the Chancellor suggested improvements and changes to be presented in a

supplement, which Hill duly produced and supplied on 28 January 1837.[18] 

Rowland Hill then received a summons to give evidence before the Commission for Post Office

Enquiry on 13 February 1837. During his evidence, he read from the letter he wrote to the

Chancellor, including a statement the notation of paid postage could be created "...by using a bit

of paper just large enough to bear the stamp, and covered at the back with a glutinous

wash...".[19][20]

 This is the first publication of an unambiguous description of a modern adhesive postage stamp (though the term "postage stamp" did not yet exist at that time). Shortly afterward,

the second edition of Hill’s booklet, dated 22 February 1837, was published, and made availableto the general public. This booklet, containing some 28,000 words, incorporated the supplement

given to the Chancellor, and statements he made to the Commission.

Hansard records that on 15 December 1837, Benjamin Hawes inquired to the Chancellor of the

Exchequer "whether it was the intention of the Government to give effect to the recommendation

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of the Commissioners of the Post-office, contained in their ninth report relating to the reduction

of the rates of postage, and the issuing of penny stamps?"[21] 

Hill’s ideas for postage stamps and charging paid-postage based upon weight soon took hold,

and were adopted in many countries throughout the world. With the new policy of charging by

weight, using envelopes for mailing documents became the norm. Hill’s brother Edwin Hillinvented a prototype envelope-making machine that folded paper into envelopes quickly enough

to match the pace of the growing demand for postage stamps.[22] 

Rowland Hill and the postal reforms he introduced to the UK postal system are commemorated

on several commemorative postage issues of the United Kingdom.[22] 

James Chalmers

Scotsman Patrick Chalmers asserted the claim that his father, James Chalmers, was the inventor

of the first postage stamp in the 1881 publication "The Penny Postage Scheme of 1837."[23] In this

 book, the son claims James Chalmers first produced an essay describing and advocating a stampin August 1834; however, no evidence for this is provided in the book. Until his death in 1891,

Patrick Chalmers campaigned to gain recognition for his father as the inventor of the postagestamp.

The first independent evidence for Chalmers' claim is the essay and proposal he submitted foradhesive postage stamps to the General Post Office, dated 8 February 1838 and received by the

Post Office on 17 February 1838.[24] In this approximately 800-word document concerning

methods of indication letters postage- paid he states, "Therefore, of Mr Hill’s plan of a uniform

rate of postage ... I conceive that the most simple and economical mode ... would be by Slips ...in the hope that Mr Hill’s plan may soon be carried into operation I would suggest that sheets of

Stamped Slips should be prepared ... then be rubbed over on the back with a strong solution ofgum ...". Chalmers' original document is now in the UK's National Postal Museum.

Given the postage denominations stated in James Chalmers' essay mirrored those proposed byRowland Hill in February 1837, it is clear Chalmers was aware of Hill’s proposals. It is unknown

whether Chalmers obtained a copy of Hill’s booklet, or simply read about it in The Times 

newspaper that on two occasions - 25 March 1837,[25] 20 December 1837[26] - reported in greatdetail Hill’s proposals. Neither of Hill's articles mention of "a bit of paper just large enough to bear the stamp," hence available information at the time via the Times' article could not have

made Chalmers aware Hill previously made such a proposal. This suggests either Chalmers

 previously read Hill's booklet and was merely expounding on Hill's idea, or he concurrently and

independently developed the idea of the modern postage stamp.

James Chalmers organized petitions "for a low and uniform rate of postage". The first such

 petition was presented in the House of Commons on 4 December 1837 (from Montrose).[27] Further petitions organised by him were presented on 1 May 1838 (from Dunbar and Cupar), 14

May 1838 (from the county of Forfar), and 12 June 1839. In this period of time, other groups

organized petitions and presented them to Parliament. All petitions for consumer-oriented, low-cost, volume based postal rates following the disclosure of Hill's proposals.

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Other claimants

Other claimants include or have included[28] 

  Dr John Gray of the British Museum

 

Samuel Forrester, a Scottish tax official  Charles Whiting, a London stationer

  Samuel Roberts of Llanbrynmair, Wales

  Francis Worrell Stevens, schoolmaster at Loughton

  Ferdinand Egarter of Spittal, Austria

  Curry Gabriel Treffenberg from Sweden

History[edit]

The Penny Black, the world’s first postage stamp.

Although a number of people laid claim to the concept of the postage stamp, it is welldocumented that stamps were first introduced in the United Kingdom on 1 May 1840 as a part of

 postal reforms promoted by Sir Rowland Hill. With its introduction, the postage fee was then to

 be paid by the sender and not the recipient, though it was still possible to send mail without prepaying. Postmarks have been applied over stamps, "obliterating" them from further usage,since the first postage stamps came into use.[29][30] 

The first stamp, the  penny black , became available for purchase 1 May 1840, to be valid as of 6May 1840. Two days later, 8 May 1840, the two pence blue was introduced. Both stamps exhibit

an engraving of the young Queen Victoria, neither bearing perforations, as the first stamps were

separated from their sheets by cutting mechanisms (e.g. scissors). At the time of issuance, givenno need for indication of origin, no country name was included on the postage stamps. The UK

remains the only country to omit itself by name on postal stamps,[31][32] using the reigning

monarch’s head as implicit identification. Following the introduction of the postage stamp in theUK, the use of this prepaid postage innovation drastically accelerated the number of postal-sent.

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Prior to 1839, the number of letters sent was 76 million. By 1850 this volume increased five-fold

to 350 million, continuing to grow rapidly thereafter ,[5] until the end of the 20th century when

newer methods of indicating postage-paid drastically reduced the use of delivery systemsrequiring stamps.

Other countries soon followed in example the United Kingdom with their own stamps. TheCanton of Zürich in Switzerland issued the Zurich 4 and 6 rappen on 1 March 1843. Although

the Penny Black could be used to send a letter less than half an ounce anywhere within the

United Kingdom, the Swiss did not initially adopt that system, instead continuing to calculatemail rates based on distance to be delivered. Brazil issued the Bull’s Eye stamp on 1 August

1843. Using the same printer as for the Penny Black , Brazil opted for an abstract design instead

of portrait of Emperor  Pedro II, so his image would be not be disfigured by a  postmark . In 1845

some  postmasters in the United States issued their own stamps, but it was not until 1847 that thefirst official U.S. stamps were created: 5 and 10 cent issues depicting Benjamin Franklin and

George Washington. A few other countries issued stamps in the late 1840s. Many others, such as

India, initiated their use in the 1850s, and by the 1860s most countries issued stamps.

Perforation of postage stamps began January 1854.[33] The first officially perforated stamps were

issued in February 1854. Stamps from Henry Archer's perforation trials were issued the last fewmonths of 1850; during the 1851 parliamentary session[33] at the House of Commons, and finally

in 1853/54 after the government paid Mr. Archer £4,000 for his machine and the patent.[33] 

Design[edit]

Main article: Postage stamp design 

When the first postage stamps were issued in the 1840s, they followed an almost identical

standard in shape, size and general subject matter. They were rectangular in shape. They bore theimages of Queens, Presidents and other political figures. They also depicted the denomination of

the postage-paid, and with the exception of the United Kingdom,[34] depicted the name of thecountry from which issued.[35]  Nearly all early postage stamps depict images of national leaders

only. Soon after the introduction of the postage stamp, other subjects and designs began to

appear. Some designs were welcome, others widely criticized. For example, in 1869, the U.S.

Post Office broke tradition of depicting presidents or other famous historical figures, insteadusing other subjects including a train, and horse. (See: 1869 Pictorial Issue.) The change was

greeted with general disapproval, and sometimes harsh criticism from the American public.[36][37] 

Perforations[edit] 

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Rows of perforations in a sheet of postage stamps.

Perforations are small holes made between individual postage stamps on a sheet of stamps,

facilitating separation of a desired number of stamps. The resulting frame-like, rippled edge

surrounding the separated stamp defines a characteristic meme for the appearance of a postagestamp.

In the first decade of postage stamps' existence (depending on the country), stamps were issued

without perforations. Scissors or other cutting mechanisms were required to separate a desired

number of stamps from a full sheet. If cutting tools were not used, individual stamps were tornoff. This is evidenced by the ragged edges of surviving examples. Mechanically separating

stamps from a sheet proved an inconvenience for postal clerks and businesses, both dealing with

large numbers of individual stamps on a daily basis. By 1850, methods such as rouletting wheels

were being devised in efforts of making stamp separation more convenient, and less timeconsuming.[38] 

The Penny Red, 1854 issue. The first officially perforated postage stamp.

The United Kingdom was the first country to issue postage stamps with perforations. The first

machine specifically designed to perforate sheets of postage stamps was invented in London by

Henry Archer , an Irish landowner and railroad man from Dublin, Ireland.[39] The 1850 Penny

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Red.[38][40][41] was the first stamp to be perforated during trial course of Archer's perforating

machine. After a period of trial and error and modifications of Archer's invention, new machines

 based on the principles pioneered by Archer were purchased and in 1854 the U.K. postalauthorities started continuously issuing perforated postage stamps in the Penny Red and all

subsequent designs.

The first officially perforated United States stamp (1857).

The United States government and the Post Office were quick to follow the lead of the U.K. In

the U.S., the use of postage stamps caught on quickly and became more widespread when on

March 3, 1851, the last day of its legislative session, Congress passed the Act of March 3, 1851 

( An Act to reduce and modify the Rates of Postage in the United States).

[42]

 Similarly introducedon the last day of the Congressional session four years later, the Act of March 3, 1855 required

the prepayment of postage on all mailings. Thereafter, postage stamp use in the U.S. quickly

doubled, and by 1861 had quadrupled.[38] In 1856, under the direction of  Postmaster General

James Campbell, Toppan and Carpenter, (commissioned by the U.S. government to print U.S. postage stamps through the 1850s) purchased a rotary machine designed to separate stamps,

 patented in England in 1854 by William and Henry Bemrose, who were printers in Derby,

England.[43] The original machine cut slits into the paper rather than punching holes, but themachine was soon modified.[40] The first stamp issue to be officially perforated, the 3-cent George

Washington, was issued by the U.S. Post Office on February 24, 1857. Between 1857 and 1861

all stamps originally issued between 1851 to 1856 were reissued with perforations. Initial

capacity was insufficient to perforate all stamps printed, thus perforated issues used betweenFebruary and July 1857 are scarce and quite valuable.[44][45] 

Shapes and materials[edit] 

In addition to the most common rectangular shape, stamps have been issued in geometric

(circular, triangular and pentagonal) and irregular shapes. The United States issued its firstcircular stamp in 2000 as a hologram of the earth.[46][47] Sierra Leone and Tonga have issued

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stamps in the shapes of fruit. Stamps that are printed on sheets are generally separated by

 perforations, though, more recently, with the advent of gummed stamps that do not have to be

moistened prior to affixing them, designs can incorporate smooth edges (although a purelydecorative perforated edge is often present).

Stamps are most commonly made from paper designed specifically for them, and are printed insheets, rolls, or small booklets. Less commonly, postage stamps are made of materials other than

 paper, such as embossed foil (sometimes of  gold). Switzerland made a stamp that contained a bit

of lace and one of wood. The United States produced one of plastic. East Germany issued astamp of synthetic chemicals. In the Netherlands a stamp was made of silver foil. Bhutan issued

one with its national anthem on a playable record.[48] 

Graphic characteristics[edit] 

The subjects found on the face of postage stamps are generally what defines a particular stamp

issue to the public and are often a reason why they are saved by collectors or history enthusiasts.

Graphical subjects found on postage stamps have ranged from the early portrayals of kings,queens and presidents to later depictions of ships, birds and satellites,[37] famous people,[49] 

historical events, comics, dinosaurs, hobbies (knitting, stamp collecting), sports, holiday themes,

and a wealth of other subjects too numerous to list.

Artists, designers, engravers and administrative officials are involved with the choice of subjectmatter and the method of printing stamps. Early stamp images were almost always produced

from engravings  —  a design etched into a steel die, which was then hardened and whose

impression was transferred to a printing plate. Using an engraved  image was deemed a more

secure way of printing stamps as it was nearly impossible to counterfeit a finely detailed imagewith raised lines unless you were a master engraver. In the mid-20th century, stamp issues

 produced by other forms of printing began to emerge, such as lithography,  photogravure, intaglio and web offset printing. These later printing methods were less expensive and typically produced

images of lesser quality.