Penny Lilac of the Penny Lilac was adapted from that used for revenue stamps in Britain from the early 1860s. In that respect it represented a break with 40 years of tradition in postage stamp design. Its predecessors (the Penny Black, the Penny Red and the Penny Venetian Red) all had rectangular designs. The use of the colour lilac for low value definitives was extended in 1884 when other low-value stamps were issued in lilac, with green then being used for higher-value stamps. The Penny Lilac was a surface-printed stamp and was issued in two forms: Penny Lilac stamps are often found
Penny Black (film) to a sister. When they found Toni, a Te Aroha College student, they decided she was perfect for the role and rewrote the script to suit her. During production Astra McLaren became vegan which she attributes partly to the theme of Penny Black opening her eyes and giving her time to think about issues she already knew were there. A short film entitled 'Lapwing' was made to be used within the narrative of Penny Black, and to provide back story for the superhero character. It was largely shot on the grounds of the University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Penny