Who Invented Stamps?

Rowland Hill

There is a hidden fact behind the word "postage" stamp. It goes back to the earlier days when packages and letters were carried by men in relay basis across the country. In the stations the messenger handed on the mail to the next messenger and were called "posts". So the word postage meant the charge for carrying the mail. The word "stamp" came from the way the letters were sealed. A splotch of wax was put on the letter and earlier than it became hard, the design of a seal or ring was stamped into that.
The idea of using stamps instead of wrappers or other devices for mail was first suggested by an Englishman, Rowland Hill in the year 1830. He thought that by using postage stamps there would be an increase in the use of the mail and thus the government would get more revenue. Before 1830 the cost of sending a letter was dependent on two things; the number of sheets in the letter and the distance it was to travel. As per Hill's suggestions there should be a standard rate for sending letters, depending only on the weight. The distance would make no difference.

The first nation that used postage stamps was Great Britain in 1840. From there the idea spread the whole world quite quickly.

Rowland Hill, an English schoolmaster and civil servant, is said to be the first person who floated the idea for adhesive postage stamps in 1837.Hill derived his theme from similar labels that had been issued almost a century ago in parts of Europe as a mode of collecting a tax on newspapers. In a treatise on post office reform, Hill suggested the government develop a system for delivery of mail.

He also proposed that charges be based on weight instead of the number of pages being sent, and that the rates be affordable to ordinary citizens. Mill succeeded in getting his ideas implemented and on May 6, 1840, Britain released the world's first officially issued adhesive postage stamp, a one-penny denomination known as the Penny Black. Hill was later conferred on knighthood for his efforts.

Brazil followed suit to become the second country to use adhesive postage stamps in 1843. The United States introduced them in 1847. By 1860 most nations had adopted this system. Early designs copied those of Britain. Monarchies and their territories issued stamps containing portraits of their kings or queens. The United States displayed George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, two great statesmen, on its first stamps, while other countries used national symbols.