The thing we love most about searching for antique and vintage jewellery is you truly never know what you'll find next. Like this unusual 9ct gold framed double sided Penny Black stamp and what looks to be a Penny Lilac stamp! We've seen old bank notes set in pendants and charms before but never stamps. The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp and was first issued in the UK on 1 May 1840. The Penny Lilac was the basic penny postage and revenue stamp of the UK from 12th July 1881 until the end of Queen Victoria's reign in 1901.
 
The Penny Black stamp features a side profile of Queen Victoria and was a huge advancement in simplifying the cost of sending letters at the time. Before this, British postal rates were expensive and complicated. To help simplify things, the Penny Black stamp was invented to show pre-payment of postage. as prior to this it was normal for the recipient to pay postage on delivery, charged by the sheet and on distance travelled. Instead, the Penny Black allowed letters up 1/2 an ounce to be delivered at a flat rate of one penny regardless of distance travelled.
 
The Penny Black stamp lasted less than a year as people found they could reuse them easily due to the design and so in February 1841 a newly issued Penny Red was introduced to replace the Penny Black.
 
The Penny Lilac stamp also featured a side profile of Queen Victoria and was issued in 1881 as a new stamp to replace the Penny Venetian Red. Penny Lilac stamps were valid for use as both postage and revenue stamps.
 
The pendant is like a locket, with the Penny Black stamp and the Penny Lilac stamp set between two clear pieces of plastic held within a gold frame, with one stamp visibile to each side. The frame is unhallmarked but tests for 9ct gold. As the pendant doens't open, we can't take the stamps out to check their authenticity but we love how they have been preserved in this way to be admired and now also worn. We believe the setting/pendant was made at a later date than the stamps.
 
Penny Black stamps are highly collectable today and we expect this was a treasured stamp for someone to set it in a pendant like this. We also wish we knew the story to the Penny Lilac stamp to the other side too. The frank mark of this stamp can be seen, if only they could talk and tell their stories!
 
The pendant measures approx 27.1mm tall (not including the jump ring) by approx 19.6mm wide by approx 2.3mm deep and weighs approx 2.15g in total. 
 
Condition - The pendant is in good antique condition but does show signs of age and wear, including surface wear to the gold and clear plastic panes which is to be expected with a piece that is likely over 100 years old. As mentioned above, the pendant doesn't open so we haven't been able to remove the stamps to check their authenticity or take a closer look at their condition. The jump ring is currently pushed closed. Please see photos.
 
*Please note the antique chain and box pictured are not included in the sale but the pendant will be shipped in a new presentation box and pouch*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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