This is a collection of the first postage stamps from approximately 200 territories (former states, colonies, occupied areas, and currently existing countries) on covers from genuine correspondence. The exhibit reflects the period from the introduction of the first postage stamp in 1840, through the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874, to the end of the nineteenth century. Some covers extend into the period of the First World War, which marked major changes in the political structure of the world.
The collection presents half a century of world history from a philatelic perspective. It documents the end of the era of kingdoms and their overseas colonial possessions.
The covers are arranged alphabetically within each continent. Where former states have merged into a unified state, they are presented under the name of that unified state.
This collection has been exhibited only once, in September 2025, at the Royal Philatelic Society London. It is now available on its own website, where interested visitors can access high-resolution images and additional information.
Number one in the postal history of the world
Europe – Great Britain
Great Britain 1840. First stamp of the world on cover.
Great Britain 1840. “Mulready”: first prepaid envelope