Penny Post much needed reforms in the current postal system. On 10 January 1840, the Uniform Penny Post was established throughout the UK, facilitating the safe, speedy and cheap conveyance of letters, and from 6 May could be prepaid with the first postage stamp, known as the Penny Black. Elihu Burritt proposed that a fixed rate of one penny be established for all mail throughout the entire British Empire as a means of facilitating international interaction and international unity. This was known as the Ocean Penny Post. On Christmas Day, 1898, the Imperial Penny Post extended the rate throughout the British Empire
Penny knife Penny knife The penny knife dates from the 18th century and was a very basic utility knife, originally with a fixed blade. It received the name "penny knife" for what it reportedly cost in England and America during the late 18th century: one penny. The famous "Fuller's Penny Knife" helped build the reputation of Sheffield, England, cutlers in the pre-industrial era of the early 18th century. The "penny knife" would later evolve into a very simple, mass-produced pocketknife with a folding blade, which pivoted freely in and out of the handle without a backspring or other device to hold it