# Canonical recap data for Penny Postage System Introduced (1840)
# Source: https://recap.at/1840/penny-postage
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: penny-postage
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1840/penny-postage"
title: Penny Postage System Introduced
subtitle: Rowland Hill's uniform penny post democratized written communication by replacing distance-based fees, enabling mass correspondence and accelerating information flow across industrial society.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1840-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1840
decade: 1840
country:
name: United Kingdom
slug: united-kingdom
summaryShort: The Penny Post is any one of several postal systems in which normal letters could be sent for one penny. Five such schemes existed in the United Kingdom, while the United States initiated at least three such simple fixed rate postal arrangements.
summaryLong: The Penny Post is any one of several postal systems in which normal letters could be sent for one penny. Five such schemes existed in the United Kingdom, while the United States initiated at least three such simple fixed rate postal arrangements.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/1911-Australian-Penny-Reverse.jpg/1280px-1911-Australian-Penny-Reverse.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Penny"
importance: 76
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts: []
timeline: []
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Post"
  title: Penny postage
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
categories:
- tech-launch
metaDescription: "The Penny Post is any one of several postal systems in which normal letters could be sent for one penny. Five such schemes existed in the United Kingdom, while "
wikidataQid: Q2091945
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260128190429/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Post"
  capturedAt: 2026-01-28
  label: Penny postage
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Post"
