The Penny Penates is a postcard that was posted on 14 July 1840 to Fulham in London. It was addressed to the writer and practical joker Theodore Hook, who was probably also its sender and artist. The hand-painted design on the postcard shows an image of post office clerks sitting around a giant ink well.
The postcard was discovered in 2001 by a stamp dealer while he was examining a stamp collection, and verified by the British Philatelic Association's expert committee as genuine and the world's oldest known postcard. It is also the only known surviving example of a Penny Black stamp, the world's first adhesive postage stamp, used on a postcard. It was sold at auction in 2002 for £31,750 (US$44,300), the most ever paid for a postcard.
The Penny Penates is a postcard made of paper. The front features a hand-drawn colour illustration showing a gathering of caricatured postal clerks with huge pens seated around an enlarged inkwell marked "Official." To the left and right of the inkwell appear the words "Penny" and "Penates", respectively. In Ancient Roman religion, the Penates were the guardians of a storeroom or household.[1] On the back is inscribed "Theodore Hook Esq, Fulham"; a Penny Black stamp is affixed to the top right as postage. A circular postmark underneath the Fulham address is dated 14 July 1840.[2][3]
History
Back with Fulham address, and July 14, 1840 postmark
The Penny Penates postcard was mailed to Theodore Hook—probably by himself—from London to Fulham, England, on 14 July 1840.[4][5][6] Hook presumably intended the card as a humorouspractical joke poking fun at the postal workers who would have processed it.[7][8][9]
In 2001 an expert discovered the postcard in a stamp collection and, putting together the sequence of historical events, realised that it had likely been made and mailed by Hook.[10] It sold at auction for £31,750 (US$44,300) in March 2002,[8][11] which postal historian Edward Proud said was the most ever paid for a postcard.[7] The winning bid was made by telephone by postcard collector Eugene Gomberg from Riga, Latvia.[12][13]
Significance
The postcard has been verified by the British Philatelic Association's expert committee as being genuine and the world's oldest.[8][14] Up to that time it was believed the concept of the postcard had been invented in the United States, Germany, or Austria.[14] Twentieth-century postcard collectors thought the first postcards were made some twenty years later, in the 1860s.[10] The Penny Penates is also the only known postcard with a Penny Black stamp—the world's oldest self-adhesive postage stamp, normally used just for letters.[12] First issued 1 May 1840,[15] the Penny Black stamp was changed to a red-brown version a year later because the red ink used for cancelling the black stamp could be easily washed off and the stamp reused without additional payment.[16]
British postal protocol for postcards designated through tradition that no part of a message could be put on the address side of it. The address side could contain only the sender's name, address, and return request if it couldn't be delivered. The address side with the postage stamp of a postcard was considered the front side. A committee of the British Post Office in 1896 recommended that this custom be discontinued. A rule in 1899 was put in place that there no longer would be instructions determining the tradition be followed.[17]
Philatelie (2003). Philatelie - Das Sammlermagazin des Bundes Deutscher Philatelisten, Edition 308 (in German). Bundes Deutscher Philatelisten.
August 23, 2023
penny, penates, postcard, that, posted, july, 1840, fulham, london, addressed, writer, practical, joker, theodore, hook, probably, also, sender, artist, hand, painted, design, postcard, shows, image, post, office, clerks, sitting, around, giant, well, artistth. The Penny Penates is a postcard that was posted on 14 July 1840 to Fulham in London It was addressed to the writer and practical joker Theodore Hook who was probably also its sender and artist The hand painted design on the postcard shows an image of post office clerks sitting around a giant ink well Penny PenatesArtistTheodore HookYear1840TypeWatercolourMediumpaperLocationRiga LatviaThe postcard was discovered in 2001 by a stamp dealer while he was examining a stamp collection and verified by the British Philatelic Association s expert committee as genuine and the world s oldest known postcard It is also the only known surviving example of a Penny Black stamp the world s first adhesive postage stamp used on a postcard It was sold at auction in 2002 for 31 750 US 44 300 the most ever paid for a postcard Contents 1 Design 2 History 3 Significance 4 References 4 1 Citations 4 2 BibliographyDesign Edit Penny Penates postcard front face paintingThe Penny Penates is a postcard made of paper The front features a hand drawn colour illustration showing a gathering of caricatured postal clerks with huge pens seated around an enlarged inkwell marked Official To the left and right of the inkwell appear the words Penny and Penates respectively In Ancient Roman religion the Penates were the guardians of a storeroom or household 1 On the back is inscribed Theodore Hook Esq Fulham a Penny Black stamp is affixed to the top right as postage A circular postmark underneath the Fulham address is dated 14 July 1840 2 3 History Edit Back with Fulham address and July 14 1840 postmarkThe Penny Penates postcard was mailed to Theodore Hook probably by himself from London to Fulham England on 14 July 1840 4 5 6 Hook presumably intended the card as a humorous practical joke poking fun at the postal workers who would have processed it 7 8 9 In 2001 an expert discovered the postcard in a stamp collection and putting together the sequence of historical events realised that it had likely been made and mailed by Hook 10 It sold at auction for 31 750 US 44 300 in March 2002 8 11 which postal historian Edward Proud said was the most ever paid for a postcard 7 The winning bid was made by telephone by postcard collector Eugene Gomberg from Riga Latvia 12 13 Significance EditThe postcard has been verified by the British Philatelic Association s expert committee as being genuine and the world s oldest 8 14 Up to that time it was believed the concept of the postcard had been invented in the United States Germany or Austria 14 Twentieth century postcard collectors thought the first postcards were made some twenty years later in the 1860s 10 The Penny Penates is also the only known postcard with a Penny Black stamp the world s oldest self adhesive postage stamp normally used just for letters 12 First issued 1 May 1840 15 the Penny Black stamp was changed to a red brown version a year later because the red ink used for cancelling the black stamp could be easily washed off and the stamp reused without additional payment 16 British postal protocol for postcards designated through tradition that no part of a message could be put on the address side of it The address side could contain only the sender s name address and return request if it couldn t be delivered The address side with the postage stamp of a postcard was considered the front side A committee of the British Post Office in 1896 recommended that this custom be discontinued A rule in 1899 was put in place that there no longer would be instructions determining the tradition be followed 17 References EditCitations Edit Penates Roman deities Encyclopaedia Britannica Retrieved 30 March 2020 Oldest Postcard Sells for 44 300 Associated Press Retrieved 30 March 2020 Oldest picture postcard The Pantagraph Bloomington Illinois 9 March 2002 p 11 via Newspapers com Berkshire County 2016 p 5 Osborn 2019 p 8 Philatelie 2003 p 51 a b Oldest postcard sells for 31 750 BBC News 8 March 2002 Retrieved 30 March 2020 a b c Oldest picture postcard sells for 44 300 at auction The Cincinnati Enquirer Vancouver Canada 9 March 2002 p 2 via Newspapers com Oldest picture postcard sells The Gettysburg Times Gettysburg Pennsylvania 13 April 2002 p 13 via Newspapers com a b Oldest picture postcard sells for 44 300 at auction The Cincinnati Enquirer Cincinnati Ohio 9 March 2002 p 2 via Newspapers com The worlds oldest postcard was sold by the London Stamp Exchange Getty Images 2020 Retrieved 30 March 2020 a b Oldest picture postcard sells for 44 300 at auction Indiana Gazette Indiana Pennsylvania 3 April 2002 p 13 via Newspapers com On final notice Democrat and Chronicle Rochester New York 10 March 2002 p 2 via Newspapers com a b Oldest postcard sells for 44 300 The Advocate Messenger Danville Kentucky 24 April 2002 p 20 via Newspapers com Feldman David 17 February 1999 The First Cover May 1 1840 PDF Geneva David Feldman pp 1 17 Retrieved 7 December 2017 Kaye 2008 p 298 Milne 2012 p 106 Bibliography Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Penny Penates Berkshire County Historical Society 2016 Pittsfield Charleston South Carolina Arcadia Publishing ISBN 978 1 4396 5593 1 Kaye Brian H 2008 Science and the Detective Wiley ISBN 978 3 527 61554 4 Milne Esther 2012 Letters Postcards Email Technologies of Presence London Taylor amp Francis ISBN 978 1 135 17747 8 Osborn Bob 2019 Yeovil The Postcard Collection Stroud Amberley Publishing ISBN 978 1 4456 7882 5 Philatelie 2003 Philatelie Das Sammlermagazin des Bundes Deutscher Philatelisten Edition 308 in German Bundes Deutscher Philatelisten Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Penny Penates amp oldid 1145532093, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
