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The world’s first adhesive postage stamp was the Penny Black, printed for the British postal service by an American named Jacob Perkins on May 6, 1840. Two days later, a blue two-penny or “Tuppeny blue” stamp came off the Perkins, Bacon & Co. press. Both stamps featured an engraved portrait of Queen Victoria, as would the Penny Red, which replaced the Penny Black in 1841.
Now you might think the Penny Black would be worth a small fortune, but more than 68 million imperforate versions of the stamp were printed, and it’s estimated some 21 billion Penny Reds were produced, none of which were perforated before 1854. If you want rare, go for the Tuppeny blue—only six-and-a-half million of those beauties were printed.
Thanks to their ubiquity, Penny Blacks and Reds are relatively affordable. Less attainable are stamps such as the 1918 Inverted Jenny, a 24-cent U.S. stamp depicting a Curtiss JN...
For many philatelists, these stamps are impossible Holy Grails. More attainable are the countless pieces of postage from the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Australia, and China. Each piece of postage produced by these nations tells a story about their unique histories.
Collectors of U.S. stamps might try for commemorative and special issue stamps, such as a set of all four horizontal Zeppelin stamps, printed between 1930 and 1933, or the set of 10 National Park stamps issued in 1934. Definitives, or regular issue stamps, are also popular—many bear portraits of presidents from Washington to Kennedy, while others depict the likenesses of scientists (Albert Einstein), architects (Frank Lloyd Wright), and playwrights (Eugene O’Neill).
Formal portraits of royalty grace most British stamps, but the imagery gets more picturesque as one moves away from the country’s main islands to current territories such as Gibraltar and former ones like Malta. The rise and fall of the Third Reich can be followed on German stamps, which are littered with swastikas before and during World War II. French stamps frequently honor intellectuals and art expositions, such as the one in 1925 that gave rise to the term Art Deco, while Australian stamps naturally feature numerous depictions of indigenous animals such as the kangaroo and platypus.
Chinese stamps are also steeped in their country’s history. Pre-Mao-era stamps reveal the hyperinflation of the early 1930s, as seen in the 500-yuan stamps of that period. During the Mao era itself, the chairman’s smiling face, as well as compositions celebrating the country’s military might, were common, but there were also stamps meant to encourage exercise, such as the series of 40 stamps printed in 1952, when millions listened to, and exercised along with, a daily radio program promoting fitness.
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by Interviews & Articles
Stamp Collector Bob Allen on Stamp Design and Production Techniques
Like many collectors, I collected when I was a child, and then I became interested again in the ‘90s. I think eBay and other Inter… [more]
In Postal History, Every Stamp Tells a Story
I have a stamp collection, but I don’t consider myself a collector. I have a collection of my initials on stamps from Great Britai… [more]
Cheryl Ganz of the National Postal Museum on Inverted Jennys and Burning Zeppelins
I’ve been a lifelong collector, even as a kid. There are just certain people for whom collecting seems to be part of their nature.… [more]
John Hotchner Exposes Philatelic Errors, Freaks, and Oddities
My father was a stamp collector, and I just took to it. He was perfectly happy to mentor me, so I began collecting at the age of f… [more]
Essays, The Stamp Designs That Also Ran
It was a shock to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing when a critic pointed out that the view of "Gatun Locks," which it had engr… [more]
Postally Used Works of Art
Paintings and sculpture galore have been reproduced on postage stamps, sort of an Everyman's art gallery. But this, of course, doe… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
Alphabetilately
First shown in 2008 to celebrate the Smithsonian National Postal Museum's 15th anniversary, Alphabetilately is esse… [read review or visit site]
Top eBay Auctions
1962 Pr China Mei Lanfang Theatre Block-8 C94m Mnh** Og With Photo Expertise
Great Britain 1882 Victorian 
1967 Pr China W7 Mao's Poems Complete Set Mnh** Po Fresh With Photo Certificate
1962 Pr China C94b Mei Lanfang Imperf Set Mnh** Po Fresh With Photo Certificate
1840 Penny Black Plate 6, Block Of (4) On Piece (royal Cert.) Rare! (m1719)
Us 5c Imperf, 1856 Scott 12 Ogh. Cat Value $30000.
1968 Pr China W10 Mao's Directives Strip Of 5 Mnh** Po Fresh Photo Certificate
1967 Pr China Mao's Theses Complete Set Of 2 Strip Of Five Og. Unused Mnh** Luxu
1968 Prc China Instructions Of Mao W13 Block Of 20 Mint Never Hinged ** Unique
Us $2 Trans-mississippi, 1898 Scott 293 Ognh. Cat Value $6000.
1962 Pr China C94 Mei Lanfang Complete Set Mnh** Po Fresh With Photo Certificate
1964 Pr China Block-9 Peonies Block Mnh** Vf Luxury With Photo Certficate
Switzerland Zu#1s Used Zurich Certificate Cv Chf 20,000 ($21,000) Red Cancel
China Old Republic Junk Stamps Collection Unused Original Gum 1913 !!
1848 Canton Stampless Letter By Dr. William Speer 1st Presby Missionary In China
1979 Pr China T41m Study Science Bl-19 Unusud Mnh** Extra Fine Photo Certificate
Us 90c Perf 15, 1857-61 Scott 39 Ogh. Cat Value $3000.
Taiwan China Old Stamps Book With High Value 1952 !!
Us $3 Columbian, 1893 Scott 243 Oglh. Cat Value $1600.
Us $5 Columbian, 1893 Scott 245 Oglh. Cat Value $2500.
Great 1858 Russia Sc# 2, 10 Kopecks Mint Hinged, Top Rarity, Cv $18000.00
Us 10c Type Ii, 1851-57 Scott 14 Oglh. Cat Value $5000.
Us 30c Pictorial, 1875 Scott 131 Og. Cat Value $2500. With Cert.
Germany States Groschen Error Stamps Very Rare Se Scan $$$$$$
Us 10c Imperf, 1847 Scott 2 Used. Cat Value $1050.
1891 China To Gb Shanghai Cancel France 1 Franc Sg 240 Stamp, Tientsin Cancel
Us 1c E. Grill, 1867 Scott 86 Oglh. Cat Value $3250.
Denmark 1851 2 Rbs Blue Thiele Print (1) Vfu $2000
Pr China Stamp1967 W2 Set 
1961 Pr China Table Tennis Championship Block-7 86m Mnh** With Photo Certificate
Us 5c Imperf, 1906-08 Scott 315 Ognh. Cat Value $900.
Us 24c Pictorial, 1875 Scott 130 Oglh. Cat Value $2100.
Gb 1913 
Pr China Stamp 1968 W5 1 Set Complete 
Ryukyu Islands, Complete Second Revenue Set, Scott R9-16, Mint, No Gum As Issued
China First Stamps 1878 Large Dragon Thin Paper 1c 3c Mnh
Denmark 1938 Air Mail Rothe & Co 50 Ore Air Stamp Perfin +superb Telegram Slogan
Germany Reich 1933-1945 Complete Collection Signed
1840 2d Blue Pair Plate 1 Lettered Na-nb (sg 5) Very Fine Used With Orange/red
1913 
1980 Pr China Gu Dong Booklet Michel-mn-1 Sb1 Mnh** With Photo Certificate Lxur
Russia Stamp1934-vasenko-sc#c51a -perf.14-size 33*36mm-cv-$3,500 (kazan Stamped)
Wurttemberg 1857 9kr Car Rose (sc17) Mlh $1275
Pr China Stamp1967 W3 Set Rare Favorites 
Peoples Republic Of China 1626-1627 Mnh Sheets Of 12, Scarce Item.
Us 10c Panama-pacific, 1914-15 Scott 404 Ognh. Cat Value $1750.
1907 Russia Offices In China 5r Inverted Overprint,mlh, Sc# 21a, Cv $2600.00
China Prc 1972 1973 1974 Mnh Stamp Collection Lot 11 Photos
The Living Treasures Of Asia 23 Karat Gold Stamp Collection Complete 30 Stamps
China - Gate Of Heavenly Peace 200,000
Sg121, Scarce 2s Brown, Good Used. Cat 
1880 Rare 2/- Brown Sg121 Fine Used Sg Cat 
China 1980 Monkey Stamp Used
Dealer's Stock Page Of Columbians, Mostly Nh To $5 Scott 245. Cat $14,760
Queen Victoria 10p Embossed Pair 1848 Sg 57 Scott 6 Rare Uk Great Britain
China 1915 First Peking Print Hall Of Classics $5 O.g Fine 
Nystamps Us Stamp Scott 101 Mint With Gum $14500
Us/ww, Excellent Selection Of Stamps, Seals, Labels, & Others In Stockpages
1978 Pr China Galloping Horses Block-12 T28m Mnh** With Photo Certificate
Recent News: Stamps
Source: Google News
Stamp collecting big business in Asia
BBC News, May 20thStamp collecting may be an age old hobby, but at the elite end of the market it is big business. And it is getting bigger in the Asian region as more investors look for alternative places to preserve their wealth. Rare stamp experts, the UK-based...Read more
Stamped a collector: John's love of philately offers him an education into the ...
Sunraysia Daily, May 20th“I found early interest in reading about stamps and stamp collecting; I learnt about famous people, geography, history, nations of the world and their currencies, flags – it was an interesting subject for a child,” the 70-year-old stamp and coin...Read more
Size: 9¼ x 10½
Quill & Quire (blog), May 13thWith The Stamp Collector, illustrated by François Thisdale, Lanthier has succeeded in overcoming these challenges. In measured, precise prose, Lanthier tells the story of a Chinese boy who discovers a discarded postage stamp and realizes he is...Read more
'Stamp out Hunger' drive on track to collect 26000 pounds of food in Northern ...
North Adams Transcript, May 12thNORTH ADAMS -- True to their motto, Northern Berkshire letter carriers would not stop for Saturday's rainy weather, and the area's residents showed their generosity as the 22nd annual "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive gathered more than 23,000 pounds of...Read more
Lucas Johnny a collector as rare as his stamps from pen pal days
The Borneo Post, May 12thMIRI: It was the trend of pen pal letter-writing in yesteryears that gave local antique collector Lucas Johnny a boost to continue with his hobby of collecting stamps since his childhood days. He started on stamps since he was seven years old in 1953...Read more
Letters carriers collect food for Stamp Out Hunger
WLBZ-TV, May 11thPORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- People here in Maine donated generously to the nation's largest single-day food drive. It was the 21st annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive. Letter carriers collected non-perishable food items left on doorsteps across...Read more
Stanley Gibbons boosted by rise in stamp collecting
Financial Times, May 1stStanley Gibbons, the stamp and rare coin dealer formed in 1856, has reported a 12 per cent rise in first-quarter revenues as more people across the world have turned to stamp collecting. The group, whose shares are traded on the Alternative Investment...Read more
Shocking US government leaflet tells Mexican immigrants they can collect food ...
Daily Mail, April 26thA Spanish-language leaflet that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided to the Mexican Embassy in Washington advises border-crossing Mexicans that they can collect taxpayer-funded food stamp benefits for their children without admitting that...Read more