Topical Stamp Collecting
Expanding Horizons

Postage Stamps

We all think of the lowly potage stamp we wee on today’s incoming mail as the basis of a collection. But, there is more … much more. Even the “postage stamp” itself covers a broader range than is popularly considered.

The world’s first stamp was Great Britain’s Penny Black in 1840. Three years lager Brazil and the Swiss canton of Zurich followed. The United States issued its first nationally valid postage stamp in 1847. All of these had some commonality:

• They prepaid postage, where previously the recipient of mail was charged
• The stamps themselves are classified as “definitives” or regular issues, and remained in use for many years.

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