2016-10-19 Wed

Sir Rowland Hill – the man in frame was once an English teacher. He reformed the entire postal system based on the concept of Uniform Penny Post. He is the man who changed the face of postal services forever. Rowland Hill first started to take a serious interest in postal reforms in 1835.

His pamphlet ‘Post Office Reform: its Importance and Practicabilit’ was circulated first privately and then was made it public, for the expense of postage could be reduced dramatically if they were prepaid by the sender.

In May 1840, despite the opposition in the parliament, the World's first adhesive postage stamps were distributed. With an elegant engraving of the young Queen Victoria (whose 21st birthday was celebrated that month), the Penny Black was an instant success. In 1864 he retired as Secretary to the Post Office.

Rowland Hill and his reforms have been celebrated on several postage stamps of numerous countries, including four stamps released by British Government to mark his death centenary in 1979.

In 1995 Communications stamps which commemorate the campaign for a universal penny post and the introduction of the Penny Black. There is also an awards scheme named after Hill for innovation, initiative and enterprise in the field of philately, and the Rowland Hill Fund, established in 1882, offers financial aid to past and present Royal Mail workers in times of need.

Abundance of stamps are issued by various countries, Brazil, Portugal, Central Africa, Rhodesia, Italy, Costa Rica, Liberia, Congo, Cuba to name a few.

Rowland Hill’s solution of prepayment of postal letters not only facilitated the safe, speedy and cheap transfer of letters but also created a revolution.