Today, we're going to discuss the history of the postal service. In the 19th century, the introduction of the postage stamp revolutionized communication. Before stamps, the recipient, not the sender, paid for the mail, which often led to refused deliveries. The first adhesive stamp, the Penny Black, was issued in Britain in 1840. Interestingly, it featured a profile of Queen Victoria and was printed in black, hence its name. The idea quickly spread, and by the 1850s, many countries had adopted similar systems. However, one common misconception is that stamps were invented solely to speed up delivery. In fact, the primary goal was to shift the cost burden to the sender and reduce administrative inefficiencies.