Penny Blue Penny Blue The Penny Blue is frequently mistaken for a postage stamp of Britain. It is from a series of proof impressions which were made at the time Rowland Hill was looking at the new colours which were to be used for the stamps which were to replace the Penny Black and the original 1840 issue of the Two pence Blue. The decision to change the black stamp to red had already been made, and at the same time the colour of the ink used for the cancellations was to be changed from red to black. Although it had been
Penny dreadful such titles as "Boys' Leisure Hour, Boys' Standard, Young Men of Great Britain", etc. As the price and quality of other types of fiction works were the same, these also fell under the general definition of penny dreadfuls. Appearing in the 1860s, American dime novels were edited and rewritten for a British audience. These appeared in booklet form, such as the "Boy's First Rate Pocket Library". Frank Reade, Buffalo Bill, and Deadwood Dick were all popular with the penny dreadful audience. The penny dreadfuls were influential since they were, in the words of one commentator, "the most alluring and low-priced