The Birth of the Modern British Post
The Mythical Penny Black
Kirkcudbright cover
Sent to Kirkcudbright, Scotland, on May 6, 1840, this cover bears the largest-known multiple of Penny Blacks used on the day the stamp became valid for postage. The second-largest first day multiple consists of a pair. The piece is not a true cover, but rather a wrapper that enclosed legal documents.
