History
Great Britain was the first nation to issue postage stamps, and it is the only country not to include its own name on the stamps. The first stamps appeared on May 1, 1840 and were known as Penny Blacks. The United States Congress approved the use of stamps in 1836, but the first American versions didn't appear until 1842, the same year the U.S. Post Office was founded.
Subjects
Between 1840 and 1900, the British government mandated that the only image that could appear on British postage was the face of Queen Victoria. The first national stamps from the U.S. Post Office featured George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. American stamps eventually started featuring series of celebrities. Hollywood legends like James Dean, Jimmy Stewart and Marilyn Monroe, as well as pop culture figures like The Simpsons and classic Disney characters have had their own stamps.
Great Britain was the first nation to issue postage stamps, and it is the only country not to include its own name on the stamps. The first stamps appeared on May 1, 1840 and were known as Penny Blacks. The United States Congress approved the use of stamps in 1836, but the first American versions didn't appear until 1842, the same year the U.S. Post Office was founded.
Subjects
Between 1840 and 1900, the British government mandated that the only image that could appear on British postage was the face of Queen Victoria. The first national stamps from the U.S. Post Office featured George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. American stamps eventually started featuring series of celebrities. Hollywood legends like James Dean, Jimmy Stewart and Marilyn Monroe, as well as pop culture figures like The Simpsons and classic Disney characters have had their own stamps.
The Elvis Stamp
The all-time most popular stamp was a 1993 U.S. First Class stamp featuring an image of Elvis Presley. In an effort to draw attention to stamp collecting, the U.S. Post Office allowed the general public to vote for one of two different Elvis likenesses: one of the singer has a young, viral man and the other in his heavier, later years. Millions voted and the so-called "young Elvis" stamp won by a substantial margin.
Stamp Production
Early stamps had no adhesive. Users had to use paste or staple the stamp to the envelope. Some American stamps also featured advertisements on their backs. In 1969, the Apollo 11 astronauts pulled a die for a stamp on the moon, which was later printed on Earth. In 1973, Bhutan issued stamps that were actually small vinyl records that played a native folk song.
Collecting
According to the American Philatelic Society, an estimated 20 million Americans are stamp collectors. The hobby is a key reason postal services around the world produce so many different types of stamps. One of the most prized stamps is known as the Inverted Jenny. The 1918 stamp features an image of an airplane that was mistakenly printed upside down. Only six mint condition Jennys were known to exist as of 2010; one sold for $825,000 in 2008.
The all-time most popular stamp was a 1993 U.S. First Class stamp featuring an image of Elvis Presley. In an effort to draw attention to stamp collecting, the U.S. Post Office allowed the general public to vote for one of two different Elvis likenesses: one of the singer has a young, viral man and the other in his heavier, later years. Millions voted and the so-called "young Elvis" stamp won by a substantial margin.
Stamp Production
Early stamps had no adhesive. Users had to use paste or staple the stamp to the envelope. Some American stamps also featured advertisements on their backs. In 1969, the Apollo 11 astronauts pulled a die for a stamp on the moon, which was later printed on Earth. In 1973, Bhutan issued stamps that were actually small vinyl records that played a native folk song.
Collecting
According to the American Philatelic Society, an estimated 20 million Americans are stamp collectors. The hobby is a key reason postal services around the world produce so many different types of stamps. One of the most prized stamps is known as the Inverted Jenny. The 1918 stamp features an image of an airplane that was mistakenly printed upside down. Only six mint condition Jennys were known to exist as of 2010; one sold for $825,000 in 2008.
