<Li> Ferdinand Egarter of Spittal, Austria </Li> <Li> Curry Gabriel Treffenberg from Sweden </Li> <P> Although a number of people laid claim to the concept of the postage stamp, it is well documented that stamps were first introduced in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 1 May 1840 as a part of postal reforms promoted by Sir Rowland Hill . With its introduction, the postage fee was paid by the sender and not the recipient, though it was still possible to send mail without prepaying . From when the first postage stamps were used, postmarks were applied to prevent the stamps being used again . </P> <P> The first stamp, the "Penny black", became available for purchase 1 May 1840, to be valid as of 6 May 1840 . Two days later, 8 May 1840, the Two penny blue was introduced . The Penny black was sufficient for a letter less than half an ounce to be sent anywhere within the UK . Both stamps included an engraving of the young Queen Victoria, without perforations, as the first stamps were separated from their sheets by cutting them with scissors . </P>

Who invented the postage stamp and when was it invented