My Top Ten First Issues!

Having shared with you guys some of my unique and strange stamps... now pls also check out my top ten first issues!

No. 10 - France

Issued: Jan 1, 1849 (Scott # 3)

# Issued: 41,698,800

You may have thought that # 1 would be the first but that is not always the case. As a matter of fact, Scott # 3 (above left stamp) was one of the first two stamps issued in France!

Scott # 1 (right) was issued on Sept 12, 1850.

No. 9 - Japan

Issued: April 20, 1871

# Issued: ?

The stamps were printed using two plates for the Dragon and one plate for each value.

No. 8 - Brazil

Issued: August 1, 1843

# Issued: 856,617 (30 reis), 1,335,865 (60 reis)

The stamps have earned the nick-name "Bull Eyes", or "Olhos de Boi" in Portuguese.

No. 7 - Russia

Issued: Jan 1, 1858

#Issued: 3,000,000

No. 6 - Province of Canada

Issued: April 23, 1851

# Issued: 250,200

The stamps were withdrawn after New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the Province of Canada formed the Dominion of Canada on July 1, 1867.

No. 5 - China

Issued: August 1878

# Issued: ?

1 candarin green (Scott# 1), 3 candarins brown red (Scott# 2, above), 5 candarins orange (Scott# 3)

No. 4 - Canton Zurich, Switzerland

Issued: march 1, 1843

# Issued: ?

The 4 rappen stamp is inscribed Local-Taxe and was used for mail within the city of Zurich.

The 6 rappen is inscribed Cantonal-Taxe and was used for mail within the canton, but outside of the city.

No. 3 - Canton Geneva

Issued: Sept 30, 1843

# Issued: 60,000 pairs

The people of Geneva were reluctant to use these new stamps, so from March, 1844 they were sold for 8 centimes even though the face value is 10 centimes. A half stamp, face value 5 centimes, was sold for 4 centimes. The half stamp was only valid within a locality, the whole stamp was valid for mail between localities in the whole canton. Covers, especially with double-stamps, are exceedingly rare.

No. 2 - United States of America

Issued: July 1, 1847

# Issued: 3,717,500 (Scott# 1, left), 892,802 (Scott# 2, right)

The 5-cent stamp paid for a letter weighing less than 1 ounce and traveling less than 300 miles, the 10-cent stamp for deliveries to locations greater than 300 miles, or, twice the weight deliverable for the 5-cent stamp.

No. 1 - Great Britain

Issued: May 6, 1840

#Issued: 68,808,000

Penny Black stamps were first issued in 1840 and named so, due to it costing one penny and made entirely with black ink. This stamp was the world's earliest prepaid, gummed postage stamp of a public postal system.