Feb. 20, 2009 -- The world's first adhesive postage stamp of a public postal system, the "penny black," along with the world's second issued stamp, the "two-penny blue," have just surfaced in a Sotheby's auction that will feature other rare and valuable stamps belonging to renowned collector David Barton, who died last year.
The first two issued stamps, released in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, both feature the profile of a 15-year-old princess who became Queen Victoria, the U.K.'s longest reigning monarch. The stamps provide a glimpse of mail service history, right down to early glitches.
The "penny black," which paid for letters weighing up to half one-once, and the "two-penny blue," which was for letters over half one-ounce and up to an ounce, were supposed to have been issued on the same day, May 1, 1840. Problems with the adhesive delayed the two-penny blue's release five additional days.
"The adhesive used by the printers Perkins, Bacon and Petch was potato starch," Sotheby's Philatelic Consultant, Richard Ashton, told Discovery News. "As this was mixed and prepared 'as required' the consistency varies greatly."
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He added, "Production problems had clearly existed from early on as the engraved legend in the sheet margins reads, in part, 'In Wetting the Back be careful not to remove the Cement.'"
Eager customers were licking off all of the potato starch glue.
While the mint condition of Barton's penny stamps is rare, later issued stamps tend to be even more valuable, due to the envelope's growing popularity.
"When postage stamps were first in use, the envelope as we know it was rarely used," Ashton explained. "Letters were written on single or multiple sheets of paper, folded and addressed on the outside and the stamp placed in the upper-right corner. Hence, on arrival the letter was read, retained in the family or business archive with the stamp still attached."
"Later, letters were placed in envelopes, which were often discarded after receipt," he said.
Other rare stamps that will be sold at the March 6 auction in London include early American designs known for their iconic beauty and detail. A one-dollar stamp commemorating the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition, for example, depicts a moving scene of western cattle bracing themselves against a winter storm.
The collection also includes rare Canadian stamps, a particular favorite of Mr. Barton's because they are notoriously difficult to locate in perfect condition since the designs were often so complicated.
Proceeds from the sale will go to benefit the Shaare Zedek Medical Center and the Weizmann Institute of Science, both in Israel.
"The proceeds of this sale will significantly help the Weizmann Institute enable our scientists to continue their pursuit of answers to the basic questions at the forefront of science and their quest to make the world a better place," said Daniel Zajfman, president of Weizmann.
Stamps have helped to do just that, according to Ashton, who explained that they resulted in an "educational revolution," still taking place.
"Prior to 1840, the costs of sending letters precluded all but the wealthiest families and businesses from writing to family and friends," he said.
The affordable penny stamps meant that almost anyone could send letters, so there was a great incentive to learn to read and write.
"Many village schools have a dedication stone dated in the late 1840's and early 1850's," said Ashton, who added that this, in turn, fueled participation in developing industrial and white collar jobs, helping to lead to today's "great cities" and modern society as we know it.
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