Commemorating the first adhesive postage stamp

One-hundred and eighty years ago (in 1840), the very first adhesive postage stamp was introduced in Great Britain (now known as the United Kingdom). It cost one penny and was printed with copious amounts of black ink (to make the background dark), so it was called the "Penny Black" stamp. The concept of prepaid postage was a very innovative thing at the time and simplified the postal system tremendously. The idea was the brainchild of Sir Rowland Hill and he championed the project until its inception.

The stamp was a work of art and was laboriously chosen from approximately 2,600 submissions! Since Queen Victoria was the reining monarch at the time, her portrait was featured on the stamp. Across the top, the word "POSTAGE" appeared (to distinguish it from other revenue stamps (such as "tax stamps") that were in-use at the time. Across the bottom was the stamp's denomination of "ONE PENNY" and lovely artistic details could be seen all around Her Majesty's portrait.

Oddly (at least in my mind), the name of the country was not included anywhere on the stamp. In fact, here is a tidbit that trivia buffs are sure to enjoy:

The UK remains the only country in the world to omit its name on postage stamps; the monarch's image signifies the UK as the country of origin. ^[2]

How confusing it would be if all the world followed suit! Unless one knew what the Queen of Doohickeystan ^_(@snook) looked like, one would never know from whence the stamp originated... 😂 I suppose in this case, however, most of the world was aware of the far-reaches of the British Empire from their colonial period, onward, so most of their monarchs might be easily recognized. Or, are they...?

ANSWER QUICKLY — what is the name of the monarch depicted in the photo to the right...?

The gentleman in the photo is none other than Albert Edward, who reigned for nine years as King Edward VII after the death of his mother Queen Victoria. Would he be as easily-recognized as she was, or as the present Queen is recognized? I think not, but enough of this tangent —apologies to His Majesty for dragging him into this — and back to the coin at hand... 😜

Jolly good, those British, for inventing the adhesive postage stamp and making life simpler for all of us today! 🙌

One-hundred and fifty years later, the government of Gibraltar (which is a British Overseas Territory) issued a 50 pence coin to commemorate the anniversary of this iconic stamp. The Pobjoy Mint was commissioned to strike the coin. The current monarch of the United Kingdom, Her Majesty Elizabeth II, is depicted on the obverse. Around her portrait is "ELIZABETH II, D.G. REGINA, GIBRALTAR" followed by the date of minting. The coin was quite popular among collectors, and has been re-issued in 2020 to mark the 180^th anniversary of the stamp's release. This 2020 minting is the coin that I just added to my collection.

For those who like geography as I do, the following screenshot from BING Maps shows the location of the British territory of Gibraltar. It lies at the southern tip of Spain and across the Straight of Gibraltar from Morocco.

^{screenshot from BING Maps}

The reverse side of the coin has an image of the stamp with Queen Victoria's portrait. Around the outside is lettered: "PENNY BLACK 180^th ANNIVERSARY" and "50 PENCE" at the bottom.

Since the stamp which the coin commemorates was mostly black (with white lettering & graphics), the coin was produced with a special effect called "Pearl Black" finish which makes it appear darker than most coins. All versions of the coin — Cupro Nickel Diamond Finish, Proof Sterling Silver, and Proof Silver Piedfort — were all given this "Pearl Black" treatment.

The coin is mounted in a special card that is imprinted with an enlarged image of the stamp which the coin commemorates, along with additional information. I tried to get a decent photo so those interested could read it if they wish.

The card is made with a cut-out that allows both sides of the coin to the visible! And there is more writing on the back:

Here is a closeup detail of Queen Victoria's portrait as it appeared on the stamp:

Those who wish to know more, or wish to purchase the coin, can visit the blog of the Pobjoy Mint on their website.

By the way, I frequently include a "SOURCES" section at the bottom of my posts, both to substantiate what I say as well as to provide additional reading for anyone who might be interested (or bored! LOL). There is often a wealth of exciting info there on the subjects of people, places, and things, so peek at some of them! You just might learn something that will let you win the next game of Trivial Pursuit!