How did postage stamps appear?

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Today we will explore not only the development of traditional British postal services, but also the emergence of the world’s first postage stamps as a way to prepay for a service that people needed.

Sending a letter used to be not an easy task. At first, letters were a privilege of the royal court, important merchants, and universities. In 1680, the merchant William Dockwra established the first private postal service — the Penny Post — which lasted only two years because it was declared illegal by the government. But it highlighted the need for postal services in general, and soon the state-run ones were established throughout the country to serve the surrounding areas. The cost of the service depended on the distance to the location and the number of sheets sent. Sometimes people resorted to tricks to avoid paying. Since payment was due upon receipt of the letter, some refused delivery, as the mere fact that they had received a message from their loved one was enough to reassure them that he or she was well. And to save on paper, the letter was folded to serve as its own envelope, because a separate one meant a higher price. A whole page was written on, then it was rotated 90 degrees and the writing continued across the text. Sometimes, if the thought wasn’t finished, there was even a third text written diagonally across the page.

Over time, post offices were established which collected letters from entire regions. These were transported by stagecoaches, after which postmen delivered them to the recipients on foot or by horseback. But letters were so often not paid for upon delivery that this became a problem, and the need for reform of the postal service grew.

The change was introduced by a teacher from Birmingham named Rowland Hill. Initially a teacher at the private school founded by his father, he rose to become chairman of the London and Brighton Railway, where he implemented many improvements. His interests also extended to postal services, and he began to consider how they could be made more beneficial, both for the people and for the state treasury. After doing the math, Rowland Hill concluded that if the price were reduced and a flat rate were set for each letter, regardless of how far it was sent, the collection of revenue would increase. At the same time, he turned the situation around — the letter was to be paid for not upon receiving, but upon sending it. The price would be one penny for a letter weighing up to one ounce. But how can one indicate that a letter in transit has been prepaid by the sender? Once again, Rowland Hill came up with the idea of marking it with a government-printed piece of paper that had a gum adhesive on the back, so it could be easily affixed. In 1839, the newly introduced stamp cost 4 pence. The following year, the price was reduced to 1 pence per half ounce. The service, organized in this way, was so successful that it soon became widespread throughout the world.

The postal reformer was knighted by the Crown in 1860 for his contributions to public administration, and when he died in 1879, Sir Rowland Hill was buried at Westminster Abbey.

Since then, postage stamps have undergone a visible evolution; their aesthetics have come to play a major role, and they have even become the subject of keen stamp collecting.

Are you a stamp collector yourself.

Author: Iveta Radeva