180 years ago, the Penny Black became the world’s first pre-paid adhesive postage stamp, revolutionising the United Kingdom’s postal service. It was issued on 1 May 1840 but not valid until 6 May. This anniversary is marked by a superb Royal Mail Special Stamp Sheet issued on 6 May 2020 containing 25 First Class Penny Black gummed stamps, first issued in 2015, with the date of the anniversary printed in the top margin, a paraphrase of the original instructions in the left-hand margin and the date on which the sheet was printed in the right hand margin.
The cover combines 10 stamps from the 2020 Special Stamp Sheet with the 1990 Penny Black 150th Anniversary £1 Miniature Sheet both cancelled by the Kidderminster Maltese Cross pictorial handstamp together with a handnumbered confirmatory cachet.