Simultaneous Development of Philately, Geology, and Palaeontology as a Result of the British Industrial Revolution

Part 6: Issue of the first postal stationery: Mulready covers

Issue of the first postal stationery: Mulready envelopes and letter sheets

The same day with the Penny Black (May 1^st, 1840), prepaid envelopes (8.41cm × 13.02 cm) and letter sheets (21.0 cm x 19.5cm - unfolded) went on sale. Initially, they were available only at select locations in London, as their printing had begun on April 14^th, 1840, but they were later distributed throughout the country.
These postal stationery items are known today as "Mulready postal stationery" or "Mulready covers", after the competition winning Irish artist William Mulready, who was a member of the Royal Academy.
The design was approved by Francis Baring, Chancellor of the Exchequer (who was responsible for authorizing official decisions, including the adoption of the Mulready postal stationery and the Penny Black stamp designs), Rowland Hill, the full council of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, and personally by Queen Victoria.

William Mulready on stamp of Isle of Man 2015, MiNr: 2014, Scott: 1708.

1. In the official General Post Office notes and circulars from the 1840s, these letter sheets and the envelopes were called: Penny, Two-penny or Twopenny "stamped Covers and Envelopes".

2. "Postal Stationery - an item of stationery that has been printed specially by a postal authority to show the prepayment of postage." _{"GLOSSARY OF PHILATELIC TERMS" of the Postal Museum UK.}

Similar to the Penny stamps, the official first date of use for this postal stationery was May 6^th, 1840, but few envelopes and letter sheets were used starting on May 1^st, 1840. While their inscribed postage values were not valid yet, the sender or the receivers were required to pay for the postage in cash, therefore all such early used postal stationery bears postal markings indicating that postage was paid.

While the Penny Black and the Two Pence Blue were the first adhesive postage stamps, the Mulready covers were not the first postal stationery issued in Great Britain, but they were the first postal stationery available for general use.
Therefore, before these prepaid envelopes went on sale, on April 24^th, 1840, the "London Gazette" published a Treasury Warrant indicating that from May 6^th, 1840 letters written on stamped paper or enclosed in stamped covers would pass through the post without any further charges.

Prepaid Venetian Acque Letter Sheet from 1620.

Unfolded Mulready's "Two Pence" envelope.

Postal stationery has been in use since at least 1608, with folded letters bearing the coat of arms of Venice (today part of Italy). However, such stationery was mostly limited to official or elite use and was not something the general public could freely buy and send.

The first postal stationery items in the British Empire, pre-stamped letter sheets intended solely for prepayment of postage, were issued by the Australian Post (a colony of Great Britain at the time) in 1838. These sheets bearing the embossed seal of the colony, were sold for a penny and prepaid correspondence within the Sydney area, while unpaid letters were charged double. The use of this postal stationery was limited to the Sydney region and remained in use until 1857.

The Mulready's letter sheets followed the traditional letter sheet design and could be folded as normal while the envelopes were a diamond-shaped sheet which, when the sides were folded to the center, became an envelope and the overlapping edges were then sealed (see on the right).

The Mulready illustration was engraved by John Thompson on stereotype brass plates and then printed by the firm William Clowes appearing on the face of the sheets when folded.
The same as the Penny stamps, the postal stationery was issued in two variants: "One Penny Black" and "Two Pence Blue" (the blue covers exist in different shades because each time they were printed, a new batch of ink was mixed up causing different varieties of shades - though none are specified in any catalog to date).
The text on the bottom of the folded envelope or letter sheet inscribed: "POSTAGE ONE PENNY" and "POSTAGE TWO PENCE" accordingly, indicating that postage had been pre-paid. The letter sheet has Post Office instructions and rates printed on its left and right sides.


Post Office instructions and rates printed on the sides of Mulready letter sheet

The design of the postal stationery was probably inspired by papers printed by the "Mercantile Committee on Postage" during the lobbying period for cheap postage. In these papers they wrote not only about the business, but private communication too. Many citizens of the British Empire lived or travelled far away from their families. As a result of the Industrial Revolution many people were moving from the countryside to towns and cities, but the high cost of postage prevented separated families from communicating with each other.

Mulready’s design, officially titled "Britannia sending letters to the world", was a romanticised view of the benefits of affordable mail.

• Allegorical figure of Britannia in the center top with a shield depicting the Union Flag and the British Lion at her feet.
• Britannia sends angels (one of them has only one leg) with the message to the four sides of the world.
• The sailing ships and sleigh drawn by reindeer can be seen behind Britannia, a group of Native Americans greeting Europeans with dogs between them, palm tree and planter supervise the loading of casks, representing the North American province (Canada) of the British Empire.
• The group of Chinese with queues, camels, elephants and scribes writing letters represent the continents of Asia shown on the top-left side.
• Two groups reading letters were drawn on the bottom side of the postal stationery: a woman reading a letter to an ill person and a woman (probably a mother) reading a letter to two children represent communication between members of separated families.

The name of the artist "W. MULREADY R. A." was printed on the bottom left corner and the name of the engraver "JOHN THOMPSON" on the right.

The front side of Mulready's postal stationery: "POSTAGE ONE PENNY" and "POSTAGE TWO PENCE" were the same for the letter sheet and the envelope. They also were of the same size when wrapped.

Several wild and domestic animals were depicted on the postal stationery (lion, camels, elephants, reindeer, dog), but it took 11 years to see an animal depicted on a postage stamp. In 1851 the Province of Canada (a British colony at that time) featured a beaver - the National symbol of Canada, on their first adhesive postage stamp (Scott No. 1).

Mulready letter sheet, One Penny Black, stereo A67.

Mulready envelope, Two Pence Blue, stereo a209

Mulready envelope and letter sheet, One Penny Black, cancelled by red Maltese Cross on the figure of Britannia.

Both letter sheets and envelopes were produced in sheets of 12 (three rows of four) called Formes.
The letter sheets cost one farthing more (four farthings made one penny, the Forme of 12 cost 15 pence) than their postage value, to cover the sheet cost and were sold individually. The Formes of letter sheets could be cut into individual items and sold individually, but the Formes of envelopes could not be cut into individual items and were sold in full Formes, which made them less attractive for most of the buyers.

Each envelope or letter sheet had an identifying number printed on it for security purposes. These numbers were called stereos and were slightly different for the "One Penny" and "Two Pence" postal stationery: the stereo numbers of the "One Penny" envelopes and letter sheets have prefix "A", while prefix "a" was used for "Two Pence envelopes and letter sheets.
The usage of these numbers was similar to the Penny stamps (black and blue) - should the postmaster see the same stereo number appearing often he might suspect forgery.

Embedded thread paper for the "Mulready postal stationery" was produced by John Dickinson and is commonly known as "Dickinson silk" (the "silk" thread were made from cotton).
The threads were embedded in the paper as a security feature (many countries use the same techniques for production of banknotes today) to prevent fraud and forgery.
The letter sheet has three pink threads crossing the top side and two blue threads crossing its bottom side.
The envelope has two pink threads and one blue thread crossing it on the right and left sides.

Another security method was the cancellation style.
All postmasters were instructed to apply the postmark (Maltese Cross) on the figure of Britannia, to prevent reuse of the postal stationery. Should the postmaster see a stamp affixed over Britannia, he might suspect the sender was attempting to reuse an envelope or a letter sheet by covering the Maltese Cross with a stamp.

The circular of the General Post Office from April 1840 (exact date is not written), to all postmasters explained:
You will carefully Stamp with the Cancelling Stamp that has been forwarded to you, the stamped Covers and Envelopes, as well as the adhesive Stamps, the two former must be struck on the figure of Britannia, and in case of more than one adhesive Stamp being attached to a Letter, each Stamp must be separately obliterated.
The use of the Cancelling Stamp, however, will not dispense with that of the ordinary dated Stamp, which will be struck on the Letter as usual [usually on the reverse side]. Where the value of the Stamps is under the rate of Postage, to which the Letter if pre-paid in Money would be subject, you will Surcharge the Letter with a Pen in the usual manner. You will acknowledge the receipt of this Letter and the Specimen Stamps by return of Post. Two copies of "Mulready" One Penny and Two Pence letter sheets and envelopes were attached to be used as the reference by the postmasters.

Until 1840, the use of envelopes was virtually unknown to the general public in Great Britain, even though one of the earliest recorded letters sent in an envelope dates from March 1835. At that time, postage was charged by the number of sheets of paper, and an envelope counted as an additional sheet. As a result, only a few wealthy individuals who enjoyed “free” postage privileges occasionally used envelopes, while others wrote on a single folded sheet without any cover.
With the introduction of postage charges based on weight rather than the number of sheets, this restriction disappeared. Rowland Hill believed that most people would continue to write on folded paper, but that the envelope would become a useful and convenient addition.

Mulready prepaid letter sheet ("One Penny Black", A67), posted from Edinburgh to London on June 27th, 1840, cancelled by bright red Maltese Cross and arrived London on June 29th 1840. The letter was addressed to "William Paul Esq., Union Bank of London, 8 Moorgate Street, London"	The letter sheet sent to the famous English Professor of Geology William Buckland (who described the first dinosaurs - Megalosaurus in 1824), from London to Oxford on November 26th, 1838 and charged 8d.
Mulready prepaid envelope ("One Penny Black", A157), posted from Keswick on August 8th, 1840, cancelled by bright red Maltese Cross. The letter addressed to "M.P. Wylde, Southwell, Notts". "Notts" is the common abbreviation for Nottinghamshire, a county in England.	A "FREE" letter posted in 1836. The "FREE" handstamp is absent, but the privilege of free postage is indicated by the signature in the lower-left corner, that of Lord Ellenborough, who also wrote the full address in his own hand. Because the letter entered the London Penny Post system for final delivery, an additional charge of 1d was levied on the recipient, resulting in the application of the "To Pay 1d Only" handstamp.
The seal, on the reverse side of the Mulready envelope, most likely depicts Queen Victoria. It was commonly used in the 1830s–1840s, especially during and just after the introduction of the Penny Black stamp, which features a very similar profile.	The seal, on the reverse side of the envelope, depicts the personal crest of the Ellenborough family: the cock beneath a coronet. This is a classic heraldic cock, commonly used in British arms to symbolize watchfulness, courage, and readiness.

Mulready letter sheet with advertisements inside, SG: MA11b "Brighton No. 2, June-July 1840", by Erredge's Postage Advertiser. Image courtesy Robin Cassell, co-author of "The Mulready Caricature" book issued in two volumes in 2024 (ISBN 978-1-913015-31-2).

Advertisement of a fossil dealer T. W. Nightingale, inside a Mulready letter sheet, published in June-July 1840. (A similar advertisement was published in "Brighton No. 1, June 1840", but not in the August issue).

Many firms, organizations, government agencies, banks, merchants ... recognized new business opportunities in usage of the prepaid letter sheets and envelopes. Bankers recognized the practicality and convenience of enclosing cheques in prepaid envelopes. Insurance companies were the most active users of the Mulready letter sheets for promoting life assurance.

Some companies printed their advertisements in the envelopes, but due to the limited space, the envelopes were little used for the advertisement purpose.
From late May 1840, publishers, booksellers, and stationers began offering advertising subscriptions, much like modern newspaper and magazine campaigns, by printing promotions inside letter sheets and on envelopes.
These postal stationery with advertisements were sold under postage value written on them (se on the top-right corner of the example above), because the letter sheets were covered by advertisements and it was required to purchase writing paper, but in total the buyer was saving money. Insurance companies sent their promotion materials inside of prepaid letter sheets too, either printed on the letter sheets or enclosed inside.
By late September 1840, however, it became clear that multiple-advertisement Mulreadys could only be issued once a month, with at least 27 days between publications; otherwise, they would be subject to the Newspaper Tax. This restriction made the venture financially unviable, and the multiple-advert Mulreadys soon disappeared.

At least two of such advertisements were related to Paleontology topic.
The advertisement shown below was created by a fossil collector and dealer, T.W. Nightingale. It was published by John Ackerson Erredge, bookseller and stationer from West Street 28 in Brighton.

The advertiser, T. W. Nightingale, collector and dealer in fossils from West Street in Brighton town wanted to inform the visitors to the city about his business:
Respectfully begs to inform the Nobility and Gentry visiting Brighton, that he has constantly on sale a large collection of rare specimens, principally procured by himself. The same advertisement was given to "Brighton No. 1" and "Brighton No. 2" (June-July 1840, Stanley Gibbons: MA11a, MA11b), but not in the "Brighton No. 3" (August 1840) published by Erredge's Postage Advertiser. Erredge was a bookseller and stationer, who published advertisement of his service in the middle and advertisements of others on the rest of the empty space.

Gideon and Mary Ann Mantell studying Iguanodon teeth on postmark of China 2005
Iguanodon on one of the "Dinosaurs" stamps of UK 2013, MiNr: 3528, Scott: 3230.	Iguanodon mantelli at the Maidstone Museum, Maidstone, Kent on commemorative postmark of UK 1991

During the 1840s, people from Brighton and the surrounding Sussex area were active in fossil-related pursuits, largely due to the region’s rich geological formations, such as the chalk cliffs and Wealden beds. The West Street in Brighton in 1840 was part of a growing seaside town, transitioning from a fishing village to a fashionable resort due to the influence of the Prince Regent and the rise of tourism.

The most notable figure from this time and place was Gideon Mantell (1790 - 1852), a renowned paleontologist who lived in Brighton from 1833 to 1838 and was deeply involved in fossil collecting until he moved to London shortly thereafter. Mantell’s work, including his discovery of the Iguanodon and Hylaeosaurus (two of the three prehistoric reptiles used by Professor Richard Owen in his 1841 presentation to define the group, though he did not officially coin and publish the word "Dinosaurs" until the following year, in 1842), relied on a network of local collectors, quarrymen, and dealers who supplied him with specimens.
It’s conceivable that someone like "T. W. Nightingale" could have been part of this network — perhaps as an amateur collector or a lesser-known dealer.

Fossils were more likely to be found in the hands of individuals like quarry workers or sold to prominent figures rather than displayed in a commercial shopfront. One possibility is that T.W. Nightingale could have been a local figure—perhaps a quarry worker, tradesman, or amateur enthusiast who operated informally, selling or trading fossils. The 1840s saw a growing commercial interest in fossils, especially with the rise of "commercial paleontology", but the trade was still largely undocumented unless individuals achieved scientific recognition or legal notoriety.

Another relevant advertisement was printed by Taylor's book catalogue, also from Brighton, where they offer books at reduced price. One of the books in the list is "Geology", vol. 2 by William Buckland.
The full name of the book, published in two volumes in 1836 is "Geology and Mineralogy: Considered with Reference to Natural Theology". This work is a comprehensive study of geology and mineralogy, with a particular focus on their relationship to natural theology.
In this book Buckland described many fossils discovered in England and on the mainland of Europe, such as Ichthyosaurs, Plesiosaurus, Mosasaurus from Maestricht (the Netherlands), Pterodactylus from Germany, etc.

William Buckland and the Megalosaurus jaw on postmark of South Korea 2001.

William Buckland (1784 - 1856) was Professor of Geology at the University of Oxford and dean of Christ Church, who, in 1824, described the jaw and several bones collected around Oxfordshire in the late 17th century. He did not know to what animal these bones belonged, he thought it was likely amphibious, living partially on land and in water and he called it Megalosaurus, or great lizard. This was the first scientific description ever produced of what became known as a dinosaur. As Buckland was a dean of Christ Church he tried to reconcile geological discoveries with the Bible and anti-evolutionary theories.

The Mulready Caricatures

Mulready's view of the design was
This Design is intended to convey the idea that the measure it assists in carrying out, emanated from Great Britain, and that it is a very wide spreading benefit, facilitating our friendly and commercial intercourse with remote lands, and bringing, in a manner, our separated brethren closer to the sick beds and cheerful firesides of home.

One of many caricatures of the Mulready postal stationery - “Fores's Comic Envelope No. 1“, created by John Leech in 1840

The public saw it differently.
Many caricatures were produced by stationers and publishers, where all characters were replaced - just envelopes, requiring a stamp be affixed to them. The first caricature, called "Britannica seated on an Egg", created by Robert Wright Hume, who can be called the "inventor" of the caricature envelopes, was posted only one week after release of the "Mulready postal stationery", on May 13^th, 1840 and was addressed to William Mulready himself.
Even though, Rowland Hill expected the Mulready postal stationery to be more popular than the postage stamps, a week after start of the sale he stated: I fear we will be obligated to substitute some other stamp for that designed by Mulready, which is abused and ridiculed on all sides, the public have shown their disregard and even distaste for beauty.
By June 1840, it had become clear that there was little public demand for the Mulready postal stationery. The majority of more than 20 million printed letter sheets and envelopes remained unsold. Rowland Hill even noted that "the stock of covers being so large that it will perhaps be some years before they are exhausted" After only a few months, it was obvious that postage stamps were becoming the preferred method of postage prepayment in Great Britain, despite Hill’s early expectations in favour of the "Mulready" stationery. Within two months, the decision was taken to replace them.
As early as June 6^th, Rowland Hill was already considering using the same design as the Penny stamps for the new stationery.
On October 14^th, 1840, Hill wrote: It is settled to issue new Envelopes of two sizes made in the first instance of Dickinson’s paper (of which we have a large stock) and stamps with Wyon’s die

By November 1840, with vast quantities of Mulready stationery still unsold, it was decided to discontinue its production entirely. The majority of remaining envelopes and letter sheets were handed over to government departments, such as the Tax office, for official use, replacing the “Penny Black VR” stamps originally produced for government correspondence. Some Mulready items also stayed in stock at local post offices, where the public could still buy them if they wished.
Over the following months of 1840, work continued to refine the dies and resolve printing difficulties, and a modified version of the design was finally completed and registered on January 20^th 1841.
In 1842, the Stamps and Taxes Office in London began recalling the remaining unsold stationery for destruction. It took several years to collect and destroy the millions of unused Mulready letter sheets and envelopes from across Britain.




Many hundreds of them are shown in "The Mulready Caricature" book, created by Robin Cassell and Richard Hobbs, issued in two volumes in 2024 (ISBN 978-1-913015-31-2).

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