Every so often we get reminded just how deep this hobby goes, and the Penny Black is one of those reminders. Issued in Britain on May 6, 1840, it was the world’s first adhesive, pre-paid postage stamp, a simple black square with Queen Victoria’s profile that changed how the entire world sends mail. It turns 186 this year, and surviving examples, especially ones still on their original cover, are some of the most sought-after pieces in philately.
A stamp that old obviously needs careful handling, but the same principle protects anything you’re hoping to hold onto for the next generation: keep it out of direct light, away from humidity, and off of acidic paper or cheap plastic. Good stock pages and archival mounts do for a stamp from this decade exactly what a museum case does for a Penny Black.
We never get tired of this stuff. What’s the oldest piece in your collection? Tell us about it below, we genuinely want to know.