1 Crown - Elizabeth II 175th Anniversary Penny Red

(en) The Penny Red was a British postage stamp first issued in 1841, making 2016 the 175th Anniversary of its release. The colour was changed from black to red because of the difficulty in being able to see a cancellation mark on the Penny Black – the red made this mark much more visible. It was essentially introduced to combat fraud but, consistently, it continued to be the main type of postage stamp in the UK from its release until 1879.

The statistics surrounding the stamp are not short of highlights. It was printed in a quantity exceeding 21 billion, over a period of more than 38 years, and was the world’s most used stamp in the early classic period. It was also Britain’s longest-running stamp issue in everyday use, and remains possibly it’s most collected and best studied.

To celebrate this milestone anniversary, the Government of Ascension Island has approved the release of a special red coin depicting the Penny Red Stamp. The coin is available in Red Cupro Nickel and Red Sterling Silver. Please contact Pobjoy Mint direct if you are interested in Gold sizes.