british stamps

In the 12th century with Henry I, who appointed messengers to carry letters for the government. It is estimated that between 1100 and 1135, 4,500 letters were carried by these messengers. During this time, private individuals had to make their own arrangements. Henry III provided uniforms for the messengers, and Edward I instituted posting houses where the messengers could change horses. The reign of Edward II saw the first postal marking; handwritten notations saying Haste,post haste. The Penny Black was the world’s first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system, issued in the United Kingdom on 1 May 1840