UK Royal Mail Group re-release Penny Black
The most famous stamp in the world, the Penny Black, will appear again on letters 163 years after its original issue.
Royal Mail will issue a complete image of the stamp when it celebrates the 250th anniversary of the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) on 10 August.
The world’s first postage stamp, issued between 1840 and 1841, will be shown on the 1st Class stamp, one of six issued to mark two and a half centuries of the RSA’s unrivalled contribution to innovation and creativity.
The RSA was founded by the drawing master and social activist William Shipley in 1754 and today its projects, programmes and ideas continue to have a profound effect on the UK and the rest of the world.
Always ahead of its time, but uncannily relevant to today’s problems, the Society instigated the planting of over 60 million trees to compensate for widespread deforestation in 1757, and a little later offered awards for reducing smoke emissions.
Over the last 250 years the RSA has initiated numerous explorations, campaigns and awards. But it’s not only this heritage that makes the RSA an ideal choice for Royal Mail to celebrate with this stamp issue. Sir Rowland Hill was awarded the RSA’s first Albert Award for his postal reforms and introduction of the Penny Post – the Penny Black – in 1840. The stamp was circulated until 1901 when the image of Queen Victoria was replaced by her successor, King Edward VII after her death.
Hill’s reforms created an efficient and universal service reaching all parts of the country at a uniform price. A service which Royal Mail’s postmen and women are proud to continue to deliver to every address across the UK today.
Fittingly, the RSA Commemorative stamps were designed for Royal Mail by Derek Birdsall, himself an RSA Royal Designer for Industry (RDI).
