First day of issue: Difference between revisions

Prior to 1840, postage costs were very high and they were usually paid by the person who received the mail. The cost was measured by how many sheets were in the letter and how far the letter had to go. Sometimes this amounted to a very considerable sum. [[Sir Rowland Hill]] calculated that the cost to the Post Office was far less than what some people were paying to send/receive their mail; this figure was just a fraction of [[Penny (British pre-decimal coin)|1d]]. Hill believed that sending mail should be affordable to all so proposed that postage should be pre-paid, based on the weight rather than the number of sheets and the cost should be drastically reduced. On 10 January 1840 a Uniform 1d postmark was released which allowed a universal penny postage rate, this was a postmark that was paid and was applied when the letter was sent. It was later decided that an adhesive label should be used to prevent forgeries and mis-use of the postal service and the [[Penny Black]] stamp was born.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Muir|first1=Douglas|title=Rowland Hill & the Penny Black|url=https://postalheritage.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/rowland-hill-the-penny-black/|website=The Postal Museum|date=2011-12-12}}</ref> It was officially released for sale on 6 May 1840; however, several post offices that received the stamps prior to that date released the stamps early.<ref name="Buckingham">Buckingham, Tony; ''Essential Guide to British First Day Covers'', Stanley Gibbons/Benham Publications, London (1999)</ref> The City of Bath is known for releasing the stamps on 2 May 1840. Here began the very first First Day Covers.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Milne|first1=Gordon|title=In the Spotlight|url=http://www.gbstamps.com/gbcc/gbcc_bath_postal_mus.html|website=GB Stamps}}</ref>