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Great Britain
Development and Use of the First Issues

Alan Holyoake

1 March 2008

Introduction

Uniform Penny Postage was introduced on 10 January 1840 and Rowland Hill's scheme for the prepayment of cheap postage became a reality. The scheme was an overnight success. It is reported that 112,000 letters were posted on the first day and the former single window for receiving letters at St Martin's-le-Grand was increased to seven with two receivers at each in order to cope with the demand.

The most famous date in philately is of course 6 May 1840 when Rowland Hill's two revolutionary prepayment postal concepts - the Mulready stationery and adhesive stamp - were introduced.

This display centres upon the concept, design, introduction and use of the very first issues available from 6 May 1840. These first issues consisted of both the 1d and 2d Mulready envelope and letter sheet stationery together with the adhesive 1d black stamp printed from plates 1a and 2 together with the 2d blue stamp from plate 1.

The subsequent development and use of these first plates as plate 1b and later as the red printings from both black plates 1b and 2 are also included together with the Official VR stamp which was prepared for use in April 1840 but never issued. Though these two concepts are seldom seen together they do form the most important philatelic event ever to have taken place, resulting from years of hard campaigning, which involved many people, in particular Robert Wallace and Henry Cole who I believe deserve far greater recognition than exists. Of course all of this is well documented and so it is certainly not for me to do anything other than provide a brief guide to the events that took place and highlight some of the more notable items that are included.

I hope that you enjoy this display and that it demonstrates to you the historical importance of the events.

Postal Reform

The Beginning

The need for good communication is central to any society for both its security and prosperity. This fact was known and applied by royalty and merchants alike who devised remarkably swift and secure delivery systems, often at a surprisingly low delivery cost. But these systems were restricted for their own use.

It was only with the issue by Charles I of a proclamation in 1635 for the setting up of the 'Letter Office' that private letters could be legally carried. The carrying of mail became a commercial activity and was expensive. The act of 1635 requiring 2d up to 80 miles, 4d to 140 miles and 6d elsewhere, except Scotland at 8d and Ireland at 9d, for a single sheet of paper resulted in the cry for reform. So postal reform is an old issue.

Perhaps the first attempt at providing prepaid 1d postage was that introduced in 1680 by William Murray and later continued by William Dockwra, known as the London Penny Post which operated within the Bills of Mortality. Rare examples of both Murray and original Dockwra letters clearly showing the famous 'Penny Post' handstamp are included. Are these examples of the very first penny postage stamp?

Uniform Postage

The Uniform Postage Act received the Royal Assent on 17 August 1839.

The campaign for postal reform was led by Robert Wallace. It can be traced back to the Reform Bill of 1831 and Act of 1832. Through Wallace's ongoing parliamentary campaign a Commission of Inquiry was elected and formed in 1835.

At this time Rowland Hill was Secretary to the Commission for the Colonisation of South Australia (1835-39) and had been involved in the attempted repeal of the newspaper tax which had also generated his interest in postal reform. On being introduced to Wallace in 1836 Hill's interest increased resulting in his first pamphlet, Post Office Reform: Its Importance and Practicability, printed in early January 1837.

By November 1837, a Parliamentary Select Committee was appointed headed by Wallace to consider postal rate charges. At the same time the continuing drive for reform, particularly by commerce, resulted in the formation of the Mercantile Committee. Rowland Hill prevailed upon Joshua Bates of Barings to be the Chairman but more importantly upon Henry Cole to become Secretary. Cole carried out a propaganda campaign that flooded Parliament and with the issue of Wallace's Parliamentary Committee's final report in March 1839 led to the Royal assent being given and the introduction of cheap prepaid postage.

The new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Francis Baring, appointed Rowland Hill to the Treasury to oversee the implementation of postal reform. Hill immediately appointed Henry Cole as his assistant and over the next few years working together they revolutionised the postal service but strangely never really liked one another.

The Concept and Treasury Competition

Hill's first pamphlet and important ninth report of the Parliamentary Commissioners were issued in 1837. The first examples of prepaid stationery had been submitted by John Dickinson, a paper maker, and recommended in this Commissioners report. Both the 'London District Post' 1d envelope and 1d and 2d letter sheets submitted and printed on security paper having silk threads running through it are shown. The development of what was later to become the Mulready stationery had therefore begun.

Also included, however, are examples of both a prepaid letter sheet and envelope introduced for local use within Sydney, New South Wales, in 1838. These possibly represent the first examples of prepaid postal stationery and certainly seem to have adopted the recommendations made by Hill.

During 1839 the Mercantile Committee posted a number of letter sheets demonstrating their recommendations and concept for the prepayment of postage as part of its campaign. Known as the 'Post Office Permit Letter Sheet' they were printed by Whiting and one of the three known examples posted on 26 May 1839 is included.

The Treasury Competition was announced on 23 August 1839 for ideas and designs for a workable format for the prepayment of postage to be set at the uniform rate of 1d per ½ oz for any distance. Hill and his assistant Cole estimated that over 2,600 entries were received of which only a very few have survived. After deliberation, and having announced four winners, the Treasury did not adopt any of the essays submitted, but instructed Hill to continue to develop four varieties of 'stamp'; namely, 'stamped covers/stamped envelopes/adhesive stamps/stamps struck on paper'.

A number of examples submitted are included both for prepaid stationery and the adhesive stamp or 'slip'. The most contentious were those submitted by James Chalmers who claimed that he was the first to come up with the idea of a 'label' which has resulted in an ongoing debate between the Chalmers and Hill families.

Without doubt the most attractive submission is the hand- painted letter sheet originating from the personal files of Francis Baring and forming part of the 'Northbrook Papers'.

John Dickinson's 'London District' essay for a 2d letter sheet in green for the prepayment of post as submitted and recommended by the Commissioners of Post Office Inquiry in July 1837.	John Dickinson's 'London District Post' essay for a prepaid 1d letter sheet in yellow-buff as submitted and recommended by the Commissioners of Post Office Inquiry in July 1837 and having silk threads running through the paper for protection against forgery.	Whiting's "POST OFFICE PERMIT" essay in lilac for a prepaid uniform penny letter sheet. Letter sheet sent from London to Manchester on 26 May 1839 by John Fort to 'The Secy of the Chamber of Commerce, Manchester'. Postally used letter sheet essays are of the greatest rarity and it is believed that only three other examples exist.
James Chalmers red circular 2d essay, affixed by a seal to the reverse of a sample entire and tied by black "DUNDEE/SEPT. 30, 39" datestamp, endorsed with Treasury number "22290/39".	LEFT - Charles Whiting Treasury essay for the prepayment of 1d postage using an embossed method of printing to produce an oval 'VR' 1d essay in rose with a colourless relief on wove paper. RIGHT - Charles Whiting Treasury essay for the prepayment of 1d postage using the Congreve method of printing on wove paper in two colours of black and red.	LEFT - Charles Whiting embossed oval "POSTAGE ONE PENNY" intermediate essay in black in the uncleared state with lettering on a solid background on white card. RIGHT - Charles Whiting embossed essay for stamping paper of the Queen's embossed head with ornamental surround in green and inscribed "POSTAGE 1D: HALF OZ".

Introduction of Uniform Penny Postage

Uniform Penny Postage was introduced on 10 January 1840 as a prepaid rate of 1d per ½oz or as a double 2d charge if not prepaid. At this time Hill and Cole had yet to finalise not only their recommendations but printing and production arrangements for the intended 'new stamp'. So, in the meantime, all postage had to be endorsed either in manuscript or with a handstamp of a simple figure '1' in red if prepaid or double rate, '2' in black to denote postage due. Two examples of first day covers are shown together with a copy of the first announcement.

The Mulready

Mulready letter sheets and envelopes for 1d and 2d postage were the revolutionary postal stationery items central to the introduction of Uniform Penny Postage by Rowland Hill. The principal concept of a workable format for the prepayment of postage in the minds of all the 'reformers' was centred upon 'stamped covers and envelopes'.

Whilst Hill was very much the driving force behind the implementation of the reforms and the political meetings and discus- sions taking place it was his assistant Henry Cole that masterminded much of the work undertaken for the design and imple- mentation of the Mulready Stationery.

Hill's brief to Cole was for a pictorial composition 'depicting the benefits to all Countrymen from the introduction of the reformed Post Office by which British Industry and Commerce were to be extended all over the World and ensure the education of the masses in writing and reading'. Cole commissioned William Mulready on 13 December 1839 to produce a design which was accepted on 4 January 1840 as a 'highly poetic design'. John Thompson, the foremost wood engraver at this time, was then commissioned to create the first wood engraving from which to produce a mould and from this the brass die.

Various proofs were submitted for approval, usually printed on India paper, detailing the changes made to the engraving over the three months taken to produce the final engraving approved on 1 April 1840. Three main proof stages are generally recognised, but more numerous progressive variations exist. All three stages are shown, each example originating from the files of one of the four principal men responsible for the Mulready together with both 1d and 2d proofs from the Robert Wallace archive which are believed to be the only known securely dated examples.

Clowes & Son undertook the printing, which required stereotype casts to be moulded from the original brass die producing a complete printing forme made up of 12 of these stereotypes. The stereotype numbers were inserted individually into each cast, and were therefore changeable. Surprisingly, no effort was made to maintain any kind of numerical order for each forme printed. On 14 April 1840, the printing of complete letter sheet and envelope formes commenced using Dickinson 'silk' thread paper which was chosen as a security measure against forgery.

The numerical composition of stereotypes for each forme are known in most cases but not all. Various stereos were replaced due to wear, creating various displaced and replaced stereos and a further number of stereotypes cannot be identified to a forme, creating additional unallocated stereotypes. A second series of 1d envelopes, formes 5 and 6, consisting of stereotypes A276 to A323, also exist, but have not yet been reconstructed. In most cases only a single example exists and so are extremely rare.

Examples of all the formes are shown together with various stereotypes including unallocated and unique proofs and extremely scarce postally used examples from formes 5 and 6.

Printed and Hand-painted essay for a Prepaid Letter Sheet from the Northbrook Papers. The 'Northbrook Find' came to public attention in 1996, having been unrecorded for over 150 years. Francis Baring, later Baron Northbrook, was the Chancellor of the Exchequer responsible for the Treasury Competition.	Charles Whiting "HARWOODS ENVELOPES" original Treasury essay for the prepayment of postage in pink on double sized wove paper watermarked "WHATMAN/1839" and endorsed 'Env 1336' in black ink as the Treasury Number plus handwritten notation at the top 'Submitted by Mr C. Whiting'.	Whiting's "POST OFFICE PERMIT" essay in lilac for a prepaid uniform penny letter sheet. Letter sheet sent from London to Manchester on 26 May 1839 by John Fort to 'The Secy of the Chamber of Commerce, Manchester'. Postally used letter sheet essays are of the greatest rarity and it is believed that only three other examples exist.

The Various Usages

As the Mulready was available for sale on 1 May 1840 a number were posted prior to 6 May, which required a full postal charge to be paid and are endorsed in manuscript for this postage. Examples of pre- 6 May usage include a 1d letter sheet dated 5 May which is the first known usage to Jersey and also the first usage outside of the British mainland are shown.

Two pence letter sheet stereo a91 inscribed 'Proof' from the Robert Wallace archive and annotated by him 'Completed penny postage Stamp Cover, presented to Mr. Wallace by the Right Hon. Francis Thornhill Baring, April 15th 1840'. This is the only securely dated manuscript proof known to exist.	1d letter sheet A34, sent from London to Jersey on 5 May 1840.	1d envelope A153, sent by Henry Cole to himself, from Ramsgate to London on 6 May 1840, the first official day of use.

Various early May dates are shown but perhaps the most important examples are the two 6 May 1d envelopes sent by Henry Cole; one to himself in London, the other to his wife in Ramsgate, to 'test' the postal system. As the primary person responsible for the Mulready these test examples are unique and used to ratify the introduction of Uniform Penny Postage. It is interesting to note that no examples of a first day Mulready from Rowland Hill are known and perhaps demonstrates that Hill was more involved in the politics whilst Cole was more interested in the implementation.

Another important development with the introduction of the Mulready and with it the prepayment of postage was the need for a suitable obliterator and method of obliteration. The Maltese Cross was introduced for this purpose with the need to obliterate 'Britannia' at the centre of the Mulready in a suitable fashion. This also required a suitable ink to be mixed and used by each post master. Clearly these two important items could and did produce variations in both design and colour that form one of the most interesting and beautiful array of collectable items. Some of the most famous examples are displayed including Stonehaven, Wotton-under-Edge, Market Street Purple and Newcastle Blue.

From an early date cancellation and ink experiments and tests were being carried out due to the level of fraud that Hill perceived was taking place. The unique example of such a test carried out by Hill on a Mulready is shown together with Hill's handwritten endorsements.

Mulready stationery was the first to be used for advertising and circular preprinted letters and notices. This new opportunity was quickly recognised and attracted an extremely wide range of commercial uses. Often sold to the public at a discount to the post office price, they were sent all over the country achieving a much wider distribution than the usual circulars or newspapers. Over 400 different examples have so far been recorded. Shown are examples of a 'railway timetable' and a Rowland Hill pre-printed Chancellor of the Exchequer's Office, Downing Street, registration of 'Births and Deaths'. The vast majority of advertisements were on 1d letter sheets but seldom on 1d envelopes or 2d letter sheets or envelopes. The examples shown for both overprinted and advertisements are extremely rare if not unique. As preprinted Mulready stationery was limited to postage rates of 1d up to ½oz and 2d up to 1 oz any additional postage to cover weight or re-direction had to be paid either in cash or by using postage stamps. One way to prepay for weight was to use a pair of joined Mulreadys. Included are two of the three known examples. The use of stamps for various combinations of uprated postal rates are well represented in the display and provide a very interesting insight to the use made of the postal system at this time. They include a 1d letter sheet from Waterford to Guernsey uprated to 4d by the use of a strip of three plate 10 Penny Blacks and the exceptional example of a 2d letter sheet used to wrap around a small box resulting in both uprating by stamps for weight and then manuscript 'more to pay' and 'postage due' endorsements.

Overseas usages include those to Canada, New South Wales and Tobago which must be one of the finest examples of overseas usage known. Also shown is the well known and unique example posted from Mexico via New York to Liverpool.

2d letter sheet a92, sent from London to Staffordshire on Wednesday 6 May 1840, the first official day of use.	1d envelope A163, sent from Stonehaven to Wolverhampton with the distinctive Stonehaven double-lined Maltese Cross.	2d letter sheet sent from Manchester to Lancaster on 11 May 1840.
1d letter sheet A54 with a superb strike of the distinctive Leeds (Special) Maltese Cross	2d envelope a197 from London to Tobago addressed to Kaye Dowland, a magistrate and Inspector of Prisons. It is interesting that there are no inward or receiving postal markings as a formal Post Office did not exist in Tobago at this time.	2d envelope a198, sent from Carlisle to Lancaster on 13 June 1841, endorsed 'Registered 746' and 'P1/- Registered'
1d letter sheet A26, with the 'waterbound' bright purple Maltese Cross of Market Street.	1d letter sheet A4 cancelled by two strikes of the distinctive Manchester 'fishtail' Maltese Cross.	1d letter sheet uprated to 4d. for a package up to 2 oz by the addition of 1d plate 10 strip of three, sent from Waterford to Guernsey on 26 June 1841.
2d letter sheet a105, uprated to 4d for weight up to 2 oz by the addition of 1841 1d red-brown plate 67 pair, sent from Crawley to Reigate on 17 July 1846. (This cover was originally wrapped around a small box and was underpaid by 2d, being endorsed 'More to pay' and '2' (deleted), and further endorsed 'd4' in black denoting double postage due.)	Master Die Proof of the Accepted Die for the One Penny Black with all four corners blank, produced in March 1840 in black on India paper on soft card. It is believed that only two exist in private hands.	Imprimatur TL corner marginal state 2 (after hardening) of the 1840 'VR' Official 1d black showing plate letter 'A' and marginal inscription.

The First Postage Stamp

Rowland Hill initially directed his efforts towards postal stationery, then considered the concept of the adhesive stamp and its production. A line engraved or 'intaglio' process by Perkins, Bacon & Petch was accepted by Hill and the first imprimatur sheets were registered on 15 April 1840.

The original design for the Queen's head is attributed to William Wyon from his design used for the City Medal of 1837. Henry Corbould, who had previously prepared drawings used by Perkins Bacon for their banknote design, was commissioned to draw the Queen's head and was paid £12.

The first die produced was engraved by Charles Heath, or rather by his son Frederick because Charles's eyesight was poor. The Queen's head was used against an engine turned background following a number of background trials and the only known 'specimen' proof of this background design held in private hands is shown.

In February, a series of essays to decide the top and bottom labels were produced and by March the final design was approved for the issued stamp and a Master Die produced with blank corners. Only two proofs taken from this Master Die for the 1d black are believed to exist in private hands, each printed on India paper on soft card. One of these is included in this display.

Printed in sheets of 240 impressions the 1d black plates 1a and 2 were the world's first postage stamp made available to the public on 1 May 1840 for use from 6 May. Though the printers had problems in gumming the 2d blue stamp sheets a total of 619 sheets of the 2d blue stamp were delivered to the Commissioners of Stamps and Taxes either on the evening of 5 May or morning of 6 May. Plate 1 of the 2d blue stamp is therefore the third stamp to be issued and became the world's first 2d postage stamp.

An Official One Penny stamp with the letters 'VR' instead of stars in the upper corners was produced at this time but never issued. It is interesting to note that this plate had the letter 'A' engraved in all four corners instead of a plate number and an extremely scarce imprimatur corner copy showing the letter 'A' is included together with one of the largest known reconstructed unused blocks of this stamp.

The display includes both the London and more common Edinburgh Postal Notices issued to all postmasters in April.

1840(c.) proof, incorporating in the central panel the engine- turned background finally selected for the 1840-79 line-engraved issues, in black on India paper, affixed to soft card and overprinted large type "SPECIMEN" in black.	TA-TD plate 1a unused corner marginal strip of four showing plate number 1 and marginal inscription.	FF-FI plate 1a used strip of four showing crisp early impression in an intense shade from an early printing of this plate.
FA-FF plate 1a used strip of six on piece in a distinctive grey-black shade showing plate wear, particularly above the "ONE PENNY" value tablets.	6 May 1840, 'Sandeman Port' letter and invoice from Sandeman, Forster & Co., sent from Lombard Street to Norwich bearing a 1d black plate 1a QJ, tied by a complete red Maltese Cross on the first day of issue, and with Lombard Street Maltese Cross type "6 MY 6/1840" datestamp on reverse.	1d plate 1a MH-NJ block of six on 9 May 1840, fourth official day of use entire to Chester.

One Penny Black Usages

A selection of imprimaturs including matched pairs are shown for both plate 1a and 2 both before and after hardening. It was quickly found that the original unhardend soft plate wore rapidly and plate 1a provides the best examples of the grey impressions resulting from this.

Examples of 6 May first day covers includes the 'Sandeman Port' cover regarded as the finest single stamp cover and the unique 'Protestant Dissenters' commercial cover, which is the first known legal document to be sent by post bearing adhesive stamps as well as the only known first day cover bearing a pair of Penny Blacks. Other early May dates include plate 1a blocks of six stamps used on the 7 and 9 May.

1d plate 1a block of four showing plate wear, on piece with "TROWBRIDGE" c.ds. for 23 May 1840.	1d plate 1a two strips of five in grey-black showing extreme wear, paying 10d postage up to 5 oz on 18 July 1841 cover from Stone to London, HA-HE and IG-IK, a late use of this plate, and almost certainly the largest known multiples of this plate cancelled in black.	GG-HI plate 1b used block of six demonstrating the restoration of the plate impressions.
OK-PL plate 1a used reconstructed block of four comprising OK-OL and PK-PL pairs in grey black with extremely worn impressions from a very late printing and clearly demonstrating the need for repair to the plate.	LC-LH plate 1b multiple of six on cover paying a rate for weight up to 3 oz. This strip clearly shows the poor alignment of LC-LE.	LG-LL plate 1b multiple of six on cover paying for up to 3 oz in weight and cancelled by black Maltese Crosses of Prestonkirk.

It is strange that very few, if any, unused blocks or strips of plate 1a consisting of more than four stamps exist and that there are only a handful of examples consisting of four stamps known. Two unused marginal 'TA' corner copies with the marginal plate '1' are shown, one being in a strip of four. As stated, plate 1a provides marvellous examples of both 'intense' and 'extreme grey' worn colour shades. I have always enjoyed these variations and so have shown both unused and used examples, of which a cover from Stone to London requiring 10d postage, and a reconstructed block of four comprising OK-PL are my favourites.

The black plate 2 is well represented and includes a unique sequence of the marginal 'TL' corner copy with plate number as an imprimatur, unused and used state together with the largest but also the prettiest unused block in private hands.

The extreme wear of plate 1a resulted in the plate being withdrawn for extensive repair. This could only be carried out by a complete re-entry as a restoration of every one of the plates 240 impressions. It is likely that the transfer roller used for laying down plate 2 was used for this re-entering of the worn plate resulting in a great number of the new impressions resembling those from plate 2. This repaired plate became plate 1b.

The largest surviving mint block of the 1d black stamp in private hands comes from plate 1b, as a block of 18 stamps with full selvedge. This, together with a horizontal strip of six, which was originally part of this block, forms a block of 24 stamps, making it the largest known reconstructed block of 1d black stamps. This reconstructed mint block is shown, together with an entire sent from Manchester to London bearing a block of 14 plate 1b stamps, the largest multiple of the 1d black used on cover. Various other used examples include the recently discovered earliest postal use and a registered cover which is probably the only example bearing a plate 1b stamp.

LEFT - TL plate 2 unused corner marginal with plate number. RIGHT - TL 1d plate 2, ex Seymour.	FA-HB plate 2 unused marginal block of six with marginal inscription. FA and GA show the 7 o'clock ray flaw; the other impressions are without this plate flaw. Recognised as the finest unused block of this plate in private hands.	NE-OI plate 2 used block of 10 for payment of a package of up to 5 oz in weight.

The One Penny Red Stamp

Though it was decided to change the colour of the black 1d stamp to red as early as August 1840 the printing of the red stamp from the first plate 1b only commenced on 30 December with the stamps coming into use on 10 February 1841. Known as the 'Second Repair' to plate 1 in fact only 45 impressions of the black plate 1b were repaired forming a 'State 3' impression and it is believed that the plate was not hardened following these repairs resulting in rapid wear and the need for a 'Third' and eventual 'Forth Repair' of this plate. Sometime in 1841 a 'Second Repair' was also carried out of plate 2 from which red stamps were then printed.

Unused examples of either of these red plates are extremely rare and I believe that there is only one pair of each of these plates in private hands, and that these represent the two largest unused multiples available. Incredible but I believe true. I have included a number of unused examples from each plate and what I believe is the sole example of the unused pair from plate 2.

From the above it can be seen that the various plate 1b states are a feature of this red plate. I therefore refer you to a remarkable block of four 'RK-SL' showing three states of this red stamp.

The Two Pence Plate 1 Blue Stamp

Plate 1 was completed on 1 May 1840 and registered the next day but the imprimatur sheet is missing. As with the black 1a plate, the 2d blue plate was immediately used for printing without first being hardened and, as a result, the engraved surface of this plate wore rapidly, producing worn impressions of the stamp. An attempt to repair the plate was made and notably the impression lettered 'DJ' was re-entered and examples of this are shown.

The exact date of the first usage of this stamp has generated considerable interest and represents one of the most important philatelic issues. It is extraordinary that the first usage of one of the world's first adhesive stamps remains a question of debate. But that is the case and whilst the 8 May 1840 is acknowledged by some as the first date, the display also includes the only known usage on the 7 May. Known as the 'Mackay Cover' it is clearly dated and the stamp clearly tied. It is also verified by its contents and was first referred to in 1909. One of the three known examples for the 8 May is also shown.

In my opinion the combination of a red Maltese Cross and blue stamp make one of the prettiest formats available in philately. The two blocks of this stamp shown together with a number of others I hope prove my point.

As this stamp was the highest denomination available its use for overseas mail provides some of the great rarities. Examples of its use to a number of overseas destinations are shown including those from the famous Lady Louis correspondence and largest known franking to New York.

As registered mail was only introduced on 6 January 1841 examples using either of the first plates are extremely rare. I include the earliest known example using a 2d blue stamp which happens to be a pair 'CB-CC' from plate 1.

Finally I would draw your attention to an important example shown of the usage of all three of the revolutionary prepayment postage forms introduced by Rowland Hill with the introduction of Uniform Penny Postage namely the Mulready + One Penny Black stamp + Two Penny Blue stamp.

2d. plate 1 KC-KL strip of ten in a blue shade (tinge of green and showing traces of plate wear), divided into two strips of five and arranged as a block of ten on piece.	30 October 1840 letter sheet sent from Dumfries to Annan with Scottish Provident advertisement in blue uprated to 4d for weight up to 2 oz with both 1840 1d black plate 6 and 2d blue plate 1. A scarce example of a mixed franking having all three 1840 first issues.	15 November 1840 envelope from Hot Wells, Bristol, to Lady Louis in Malta, via Falmouth, bearing 2d blue plate 1 PA-PF strip of six paying the prepaid 1/- rate on a letter up to ½oz.

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