THE EARLY POSTAGE STAMPS OF BRITISH 
GUIANA. 
By A. D. FERGUSON. 
British Guiana issued its first stamps on July Ist, 1850. A notice in 
the Ofival Gazette of June 15th, 1850 states that postage stamps of the 
respective values of 4c¢., Sc., and 12c. were being printed, and would be 
ready for sale on or before 24th instant. 
Ten years earlier Great Britain had introduced the first adhesive 
stamp for the prepayment of postage. The date fixed by a Treasury 
Minute was May 6th, 1840, although the distribution took place several 
days before the time appointed for its use. viz., on May Ist, 1840, vide 
History of the Penny Post by Rowland Hill. 
This was the outcome of Rowland Hill’s postal reform schemes 
propounded in 1857, recommended by the House of Commons Committee 
appointed in November, 1837, and resulting in the passing of the Penny 
Post Act on August 17th, 1839; the main points of which were (a) cheap 
postage ; (b) a uniform rate, irrespective of distance ; (c) prepayment 
by means of adhesive stamps. 
Rowland Hill’s principle, that the cost of carriage was an inappreci- 
able element in the expenditure of the Post Office, obtained some 
recognition in Great Britain at the time of the introduction of the penny 
stamp. Previously to this, postage in the United Kingdom varied accord- 
ing to distance, from 4d. to 16d. 
This principle was not acknowledged in the internal postal arrange- 
ments of other stamp-issuing countries at the outset. In the case of 
British Guiana, not until 1853. And it took 60 years before the 
agitation, which commenced in Britain, was universally accepted by the 
Colonies and consummated by the inauguration of the Intercolonial Ocean 
Penny Postage Scheme on Christmas Day, 1898. 
Three years elapsed before any other country followed in the foot- 
steps of Great Britain, and that country was our neighbour, Brazil ; follow- 
ed within the succeeding two years by several locals issued in Switzerland 
(Geneva, Basle, etc.) and the United States (Postmaster’s Locals) culminat- 
ing in 1847 by the regular general issue of the United States of 
America. On the 21st September of this same year appeared two of the 
world’s most famous rarities ; the ‘“ Post Office” Mauritius stamps. 
In 1849, Bavaria, Belgium, and France adopted the adhesive stamps. 
Nine years had then intervened, during which period Great Britain had 
enjoyed the advantages of cheap postage and prepayment by means of 
adhesive stamps, before any European country moved in the matter. 
