First day covers explained: the story on every envelope
Every first day cover is really three records in one: a stamp, a postmark proving exactly when it entered use, and often an illustrated cachet explaining why. This guide traces the practice from the Penny Black’s first days in May 1840 to what actually separates a keepsake worth a few pounds from a certified rarity that has sold at auction for £44,000.
2026-09-04
One day 185 years ago two stamps became Penny Black history
On the first day of the world’s first universal national postal service, a single letter was sent with two of the pioneering Penny Blacks affixed to the envelope. Now, the […]
