Penny Black

[Nick Halliwell]

Yes, that's right. It was a black stamp with the head of Queen Victoria
printed on it in white and, er, it cost a penny. As Jeff quite correctly
states, it was first issued in the UK on 1st May 1840 and went into general
use a few days later. I rather think that back then you could send a letter
and, if it wasn't going too far, it might even arrive on the same day.
Nowadays, of course, with modern technology and the privatisation of
every-bleeding-thing we've come on in leaps and bounds and... oh hang on,
the very best you get is next-day delivery for first class. And that's if
you're very lucky and it doesn't get hoarded by some bonkers postal worker
convinced that every 11th letter that goes through his hands contains the
seals of the Apocalypse or something (showing him or her to be a little weak
on maths, as well as bonkers). Still, in the UK we don't have an armed Post
Office as I think you do in the US, don't you? Or is that something else
I've misunderstood?

I digress (sorry, I do that a lot, I know). Over here when you're a
youngster and dabble with the idea of starting a stamp collection, the Penny
Black is the philatelic Holy Grail (the Holy Mail?); you dream of coming
across one on an old letter in your parents' attic. You never do, of course,
because your parents also had stamp collections for about a week when they
were your age, as did THEIR parents before them, etc. etc. (well, going back
through most mid to late 20th century generations, anyway, the earlier ones
were too busy and of course it takes time for something to acquire that
mythical status) so if there'd been anything of that kind up there they'd've
found it. But you can and indeed do dream. Then you realise that collecting
football or cricket cards is a hell of a lot less hassle and that generally
speaking you get something with them (frequently chewing gum, a highly
prized commodity amongst the youth of my day). Never underestimate the
appeal of sugar. 

Nick

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On Behalf
Of Jeffrey Meikle
Sent: 19 January 2007 14:47
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject: Penny Black

Don't know if this has been mentioned, but "penny black" is the nickname of
the
first adhesive postage stamp--issued by Great Britain in 1840.

Jeff