The first postage stamp was issued in 1840 in Great Britain and Ireland at the initiative of Rowland Hill as part of a reform of the postal system. Its official use began in May of the same year.
The very first stamp, the "One Penny Black" was a black and white stamp featuring a portrait of the young Queen Victoria in profile view.
Following the introduction of this reform, the postage price now depended on the weight of the letter, in contrast to the previous model in which the cost was calculated according to the number of sheets or the distance covered. With this new system, everyone could finally send a letter to the other side of the country for the modest price of one penny
Additionally, this stamp enabled the sender to pay for the carriage of the letter in advance rather than leave to the recipient to pick up this expense. This made it possible to avoid the inevitable returns when a recipient refused to pay or simply could not pay.
68 million of these stamps were sold in 1840.
With this very pure image design, the designer of this stamp issued by Post Philately in honour of the Penny Black is referring to the place where the first Luxembourgish postage stamps ever issued are now kept, including the "Schwaarze Kapp". They are well protected in collectors’ albums, generally in the plastic wallet of a black collection sheet. The choice of gold as the second colour gives the first Luxembourgish postage stamp a particular shine
