Penny Blue facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Penny Blue
Country of production	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Location of production	London
Date of production	1840
Nature of rarity	Colour trial
No. in existence	Unknown
Face value	1-Penny £sd

The Penny Blue is a special kind of print that looks like a postage stamp from Britain. It's often confused with a real stamp. However, it's actually a "proof impression." This means it was a test print.

These tests were made in 1840. A man named Rowland Hill was working on new colors for stamps. He wanted to replace the famous Penny Black and the original 1840 Two pence Blue stamps.

Why Change Stamp Colors?

The decision was made to change the black one-penny stamp to red. At the same time, the ink used to cancel stamps (mark them as used) was also changed. It went from red to black.

The New Two Pence Blue

Even though the two-pence stamp would stay blue, it would use a different blue ink. To make sure people could tell the new blue stamp from the old one, white lines were added. These lines appeared above and below the words on the stamp. This made it easy to see the difference right away.

Testing New Stamp Colors

In December 1840, Rowland Hill wanted to see how the new stamps would look. He asked for examples of the one-penny stamp in the new red-brown color. He also asked for two sheets in blue. This was because he hadn't chosen the exact shade of blue yet.

Choosing the Right Blue

The two blue colors used for these test prints were "full deep blue" and "prussian blue." For all these test sheets, a printing plate called "plate 8" was used. This was the same plate used to make the original Penny Black stamps. Rowland Hill eventually chose the "full deep blue" for the two-pence stamp.

The Red-Brown Mystery

If any of the red-brown test prints were ever used as actual postage, it would be very hard to tell. They would look exactly like the regular red-brown stamps printed later in 1841. This makes them quite a puzzle for stamp collectors!

What Are Stamp Proofs?

Proofs are like test runs for stamps. They have been a common part of making stamps since the very first ones. These proofs are never meant to be used for postage. So, they are not really "postage stamps." Instead, they are samples.

Why Make Proofs?

Proofs are made for many reasons. They help test how different inks look. They also show how the ink reacts on different types of paper. Proofs also help check if the stamp image itself looks good. This was very important when stamps were first made. Back then, metal plates were used for printing. Some inks could wear down these plates too quickly. Proofs helped make sure the printing process was safe for the plates.