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 that, the recipient usually paid for the mail, which was expensive and often led to refusal. In 1840, Britain issued the first adhesive stamp, the Penny Black, featuring Queen Victoria's profile. This made prepayment possible and encouraged people to send more letters. Interestingly, the stamp's design was based on a sculpture, not a painting, and it was printed in sheets of 240, with each row containing 20 stamps. The color black was chosen partly because it was difficult to counterfeit, but it also had a drawback: postal workers often missed canceling marks on dark stamps, leading to reuse. To solve this, the stamp was later reissued in red.
❓ Почему «Чёрный пенни» изначально был напечатан чёрным цветом?