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Article 140: UK The 1840 Penny Black
Here are two specimens of the first stamp, issued in 1840 by England (now U.K.). The penny black, along with the two pence blue stamp, was issued May 8, 1840, although there is an instance of postal use on May 6. The use of stamps became such an important innovation for England that, within 20 years, most countries had adopted the use of stamps (for example: Brazil in 1843, the United States in 1847, France in 1849, Spain in 1850). Quick links: main page / FB specimen / KL specimen / attempt at plating / design highlights