Britain is the only country not required to name itself on its postage stamps. This is because Britain was the first country to issue stamps. A profile of the reigning monarch is all that is required for identification of Britain’s stamps.
When the first stamps were issued on May 1st, 1840, Britain’s stamp featured a young Queen Victoria. The first stamp was referred to as the “Penny Black”. The UK’s postal service had no way to collect the money if the recipient couldn’t pay. Mail service in the UK increased dramatically after the postage stamp was introduced. In 1841, Britain issued a new stamp called the “Penny Red”. A new and improved black cancellation mark was to see on the red stamp, and made it harder for people to reuse stamps. Before long many other countries began using pre-paid postage stamps for mail delivery. Today, commemorative and pictorial stamps are common in many countries, including Britain. On British stamps, the monarch’s head is always present, though often only in silhouette in the corner of the stamp.
Picture Credit : Google