The first country to issue postage stamps was Great Britain. It issued the first postage stamp on 1 May, 1840. These stamps were meant for use only within Great Britain and Ireland, and therefore, functioned almost like local stamps. It is due to this reason that the stamps in Great Britain did not bear the name of the country. With its heritage as the first country that brought postage stamps into use, Great Britain still follows the tradition of printing postage stamps without the country name. The image of the reigning monarch on the stamp marks its identity.
