In 1837 Sir Rowland Hill developed the postage stamp so that the post office could tell whether the postage for a piece of mail had been paid. In 1840 Great Britain issued the world’s first stamp, the Penny Black. Canada issued its first stamp - the Three Penny Beaver - in 1851. © Canada Post. 1851. Reproduced with permission. ® The Penny Black Stamp is a registered trade mark of the British Post Office.