How a penny stamp changed the world
Before 1840, sending a letter was expensive, complicated, and often refused. The cost was calculated by distance and number of sheets — and it was the recipient, not the sender, who paid.
Then came Rowland Hill, a schoolteacher and social reformer. In 1837 he proposed something radical: a uniform flat rate of one penny, paid in advance by the sender, using a small adhesive label. Critics called it "wild and visionary."
"A bit of paper just large enough to bear the stamp, and covered at the back with a glutinous wash."— Rowland Hill, 1837
On May 6, 1840, the Penny Black went on sale. Two days later came the Two Penny Blue, printed in deep blue ink. Within a year, British mail volume more than doubled.
Seven years later, America followed with a 5-cent stamp featuring Benjamin Franklin.
PostBlue is the Two Penny Blue, reimagined for 2026. We believe physical mail still carries a meaning that digital messages never will.