BelgiumFirst Postage Stamp

The Epaulette Series

Belgium passed its first postal reform law in 1847 but took a couple of years to act. When its first stamps finally appeared on 1 July 1849, Belgium joined the small group of countries that had already adopted the postage stamp. The design shows King Leopold I in full military dress, with prominent shoulder epaulettes, a detail that gave the issue its philatelic nickname: the Epaulettes. The 10 centimes brown covered a domestic letter travelling up to 30 km, while the 20 centimes blue covered longer distances. Beautifully engraved and printed in Brussels, the stamps were issued on paper watermarked with an interlaced “LL” monogram. Early reprints can be distinguished by the absence of this watermark, an important detail when identifying the originals. Forgeries followed too, including examples of the 20c like the one featured here, adding another layer to an otherwise deceptively simple first issue. A classic by any measure, and one of the defining issues of early continental European philately.