The world's first prepaid adhesive postage stamp was The Penny Black on Wednesday 6th May 1840 and the Two-penny blue on Friday 8th May 1840 during the reign of Queen Victoria, who was Queen from 1837 to 1901. Her image is on the stamp. The portrait on the penny black is by William Wyon, made in 1834 when Princess Victoria was only 15. There is no country name, a tradition continued with all the stamps of Great Britain, there is just the monarch's head which always faces to the left. The postal rate of one penny was for letters under half an ounce in weight which could be sent all over the United Kingdom. The stamp showed that the postage had been paid. Before the stamp the receiver paid the postage rather than the sender.
A system for the King's Post had been in place since 1510 . In London in 1710, The General Post Office started. Before the stamps introduced in 10th January 1840 the price depended on the distance and the size of the letter. It was quite expensive, in 1812 the rate for single letter was 4d. for a distance of not more than fifteen miles. A letter from London to Scotland cost 1s 1½d which was a days salary then. Also, the postage was paid by the receiver and it was often difficult for the Post Office to collect the money. With stamps this difficulty was finished.
