Penny Black Penny Black The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system. It was first issued in Great Britain on 1 May 1840, but was not valid for use until 6 May. It features a profile of Queen Victoria. In 1837, British postal rates were high, complex and anomalous. To simplify matters, Sir Rowland Hill proposed an adhesive stamp to indicate pre-payment of postage. At the time it was normal for the recipient to pay postage on delivery, charged by the sheet and on distance travelled. By contrast, the Penny Black allowed letters of
Take a penny, leave a penny purposely made container, perhaps with an advertisement or with text advising the customer to "take a penny, leave a penny". It is not uncommon to occasionally see nickels, dimes, and even quarters in a penny dish; a cashier short on pennies but nearing the end of their shift may swap one of the higher denomination coins for the equivalent number of pennies, especially if a large number of pennies are present in the dish. Take a penny, leave a penny Take a penny, leave a penny (sometimes Give a penny, take a penny, penny tray, or penny pool) refers to