Penny Black printing plates Penny Black printing plates The printing plates for the Penny Black, two pence blue and the VR official were all constructed by Perkins Bacon, the printers of the first postage stamps issued in Great Britain. The construction of these plates was long and complicated, which was intentional so as to make the forgery of the finished article almost impossible. The first stage involved the engraving of a background for the design. This was produced with a rose engine which laid down a circular pattern of symmetrical design onto a piece of soft steel. This was then partly cleared to leave
Penny toy cm and often included elements that facilitated movement, adding to their charm. In the United Kingdom, the toys were sold for one Penny, hence the popular name of "penny toys." The advent of penny toys broadened the market for children's toys, by making them accessible and affordable for working-class families. Although penny toys were manufactured into the first decades of the 20th century, the period 1885 -1914 is the peak period for their production. Today, penny toys are highly collectible. Publicly accessible examples can be found in museums in England, North America, Scandinavia and across Europe; including Birmingham Science Museum