When the Penny Black was first issued in 1840, it was part of what collectors have come to accept as a six item set. There was the Penny Black which prepaid the postage for any letter sent throughout Great Britain under 1/2 ounce. There were four different items of postal stationary called the Mulready envelopes by collectors and listed by Scott as #U1-4. And there was a two penny version of the Penny Black issued in blue which prepaid the postage for up to one ounce anywhere in Great Britain. Penny has gotten all the attention from collectors, but her older brother Twopence deserves a bit of attention too. The 2p is printed in beautiful shades of blue ranging from pale or powder blue to almost a royal blue shade. The color makes the cancels contrast well with design so that two penny blues always look fresh and bright. The Penny Black’s color obscures the fineness of the printing and usually make the cancellation seem messy and unattractive. The very opposite is true with the two penny blue and this stamp has one of the highest percentage of attractive examples of any classic stamp that I know. (Interestingly, blacks and reds are quite overrepresented as printing colors on earlier stamps. It is unusual to find any stamps from any country printed in bright blue like this one and it is a pity as it makes for a very attractive stamp). In terms of bang for your buck too, the two penny blue has it all over his sister. The stamp is about twenty times rarer and usually sell for only twice as much.