The first stamped envelope was auctioned for £1.9 million, but no one bought the Penny Black…
- A letter sheet with the famous Penny Black stamp was auctioned
- The document is the first document ever sent with a postage stamp in 1840
- However, despite much publicity, the envelope did not find a buyer
The very first envelope sent with a postage stamp was auctioned for almost £2 million, but no one bought it.
The 1840 envelope was mailed with the famous Penny Black stamp, the first of its kind.
The envelope was sent by Willian Blenkinsop, manager of the ironworks, to Dalston Cumbria on 2 May 1840.
The Penny Black was introduced on May 1, 1840, meaning the envelope that came up for auction was mailed the next day. Strictly speaking, the envelope is not an envelope at all, but a letter sheet.
Approval stamp: The very first letter with a stamp went under the hammer in vain
Letter sheets were prepaid pieces of paper – in this case with a Penny Black image to indicate that postage had been paid – that could be written on and then folded up to be sent by post.
This example has nothing written on it other than the recipient’s address and the text explaining the terms and conditions.
The letter sheet was designed by artist William Mulready and features Britannia, a shield, a reclining lion and images of Asia and North America.
The public was not enthusiastic about Mulready’s artwork, which was mocked in several satirical cartoons of the day.
But the concept behind prepaid shipping persisted and has been adopted around the world.
Doubling: When folded, the letter sheet actually becomes an envelope
The letter sheet was auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York on Friday, February 2, with a guide price of $1.5 million to $2 million (£1.18 million to £1.9 million).
The news captured the imagination of many and the modest envelope received a lot of attention.
But despite the hype, a Sotheby’s spokesperson told This is Money that the letter sheet ‘found no buyer’.
The Penny Black was part of a worldwide lot titled ‘The One’. It was described by Sotherby’s as “an auction that showcases an unprecedented selection of the finest products of human achievement in history, which together tell a story of excellence in craft, artistry and effort.”
Included in this auction were six pairs of sneakers worn by basketball icon Michael Jordan are six NBA championships – these sold for a record-breaking $8 million.
About face: The Penny Black stamp features a profile of the young Queen Victoria
Before the invention of postage stamps, someone who received a letter had to pay when it arrived.
This posed a problem for the postal service if recipients could not pay or otherwise refused.
It also meant that messengers had to carry money, putting them at risk of being robbed.
The solution to the problem was the Penny Black stamp, which featured a portrait of the young Queen Victoria along with the words ‘Postage One Penny’.
This stamp allowed a letter weighing less than half an ounce to be sent anywhere in the United Kingdom.