• A Royal Collection
  • George V, "Collector King"
    • Frame II
    • Frame III
  • George VI
    • Frame IV
  • Elizabeth II
    • Frame V
    • Frame VI
  • Modern Treasures
    • Frame VII
    • Frame VIII
    • Frame IX
    • Frame X

• The Birth of the Modern British Post
  • Rowland Hill
    • Frame 1
  • An Outpouring of Creativity
    • Frame 2
    • Frame 3
    • Frame 4
    • Frame 5
  • The Mythical Penny Black
    • Frame 6
    • Frame 7
    • Frame 8
    • Frame 9
    • Frame 10
    • Frame 11
    • Frame 12
    • Frame 13
  • Colours and Obliterations
    • Frame 14
    • Frame 15
    • Frame 16
    • Frame 17
  • Long Live the Penny Red!
    • Frame 18
  • The Mulreadys
    • Frame 19
    • Frame 20
    • Frame 21
    • Frame 22
    • Frame 23
    • Frame 24

• Canada Gains its Postal Autonomy
  • Canada Breaks New Ground
    • Frame 25
    • Frame 26
  • The Earliest Issues
    • Frame 27
    • Frame 28
    • Frame 29
    • Frame 30
    • Frame 31

• Canadian Treasures
  • A Philatelic Mystery
    • Frame 32
  • A Tribute to His Father
    • Frame 33
  • A Scandal in New Brunswick
    • Frame 34
  • Conquering the North Atlantic
    • Frame 35
    • Frame 36
    • Frame 37
    • Frame 38
    • Frame 39
    • Frame 40

• share your collection

The first Penny Blacks were a huge success, but soon problems became apparent.

Rowland Hill noted in his journal that some people managed to erase the cancel and reuse the stamp. The black ink of the Penny Black proved more resistant and more durable than the red ink of the cancel.

To find the ideal ink for the stamp and the cancel, trials were done in various colours. The extremely rare pieces displayed here show some of the tests done to improve the Penny Black.

= Additional information