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Though there is some debate among experts and collectors, it is generally agreed that the first postage stamp was issued in England in 1840. Until that time, the recipient of a letter paid the postage directly to the postman. Sir Roland Hill, a schoolmaster who would later be called "the father of the modern post office," introduced the idea of pre-paid postage; he proposed a charge of one penny per letter. And so, the first postage stamp was issued by the British Treasury, and it bore the image of a woman. The profile of Queen Victoria graced the stamp, called a Penny Black. Hill himself suggested the
design, based on a portrait of Queen Victoria as an 18-year-old princess. Approximately 72 million Penny Blacks were issued, and they remained in use until 1841. In 1893, the first American stamp featuring a woman was introduced. Part of a series commemorating the 400th anniversary of Columbus's discovery of the new world, the stamp pictured Columbus soliciting funds for his voyage from Queen Isabella of Spain. The first American woman commemorated by a stamp was none other than the first First Lady -- Martha Washington. This stamp was introduced in 1902. Want to nominate a notable American woman to be commemorated on a postage stamp? The National Women¿s
History Project urges you to send your best suggestions to the Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee.
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