INTERESTING FACTS ON STAMPS

Stamp collecting is an educational and fun hobby enjoyed all over the world.

In fact, there are more adult stamp collectors than kids stamp collectors. Collection of stamps is not limited to kids at all. Postage stamps have been in existence for over one hundred and fifty years but still more and more individuals are drawn to stamp collecting.

To give you more information on postage stamp collecting, we came up with a collection of facts and other interesting details about postage stamps.

• It was in 1973 when postage stamps that seemed like music records were issued in Bhutan. Interesting enough, if you place the postage stamp on a record player, these would actually play the Bhutanese national anthem.
• Banana-shaped postage stamps were once issued in the Pacific Island of Tonga.
• In 1863, the smallest postage stamps were issued by the Columbian state of Bolivar.
• Postage stamps are miniature works of art.
• The Penny Black stamp were the first postage stamps issued in England in 1840. The postage stamp were named Penny Black stamps because they cost a penny and the stamps were in black. Queen Victoria’s image was on the postage stamps.
• The first postage stamps collector was John Bourke. He was the Receiver-General of Stamp Duties in Ireland in 1774.
• The world’s largest postage stamps were issued in the 1900’s in China. These postage stamps were used on express mail deliveries.
• It was only in February 1964 when the first self-adhesive stamps were issued by Sierra Leone.
• The first individual to be depicted on postage stamps other than royalty figures was playwright William Shakespeare.
• Postage stamps are currently produced by 200 countries worldwide.
• Australia issued postage stamps that look like just gems. Special technology was used to produce the look of real opals on the postage stamp issued on 1995. Another set of postage stamps that look like real diamonds were issued in 1996.
• The 1c British Guiana postage stamps of 1856 are the world’s rarest and most valuable stamps. These postage stamps are now estimated to value over £1 million.
• The French Government in 1849 made a law making it illegal to wash or clean used French postage stamps. This odd law was made to counter the practice of re-using the stamps. Almost 15,000 individuals were charged under this law within six years from its implementation.