How Many Sheets Does Your Letter Has?

Two Pence unused Mulready letter sheet, blue, form a96

«Until the reformation of the postal service in 1840, envelopes were not commonly used at all when sending letters through the post. Postage prices were based on the number of sheets each letter contained, and an envelope was considered a sheet and so would therefore be charged accordingly. To avoi this extra cost, letter sheets were used; these were single sheets of paper that could be folded and sealed without the need for an envelope. In 1837, the social reformer Rowland Hill published a pamphlet outlining his proposed changes to the postal service (Post Office Reform: Its Importance and Practicability). Hill suggested a simplification of the whole system, with dramatically reduced prices based on weight rather that the number of sheets used per letter. Most importantly of all, Hill proposed a unifrom charge regardless of where in the country the letter was to be delivered, and with payment in advance (previously the costs would often be paid by the recipient of the letter). In 1840, Hill's proposals were accepted and two different methods of pre-payment were introduced -adhesive postage stamps, and pre-stamped letter sheets and envelopes.

    The artist William Mulready was commissioned to design the artwork for these letter sheets and envelopes. Hill had expected these to be more popular than postage stamps, but within days the overly elaborate designs with their images of Britannia with a lion at her feet, began to be caricatured and mocked. Hill wrote in his journal of his fear that there may be the need to 'substitute some other stamp for that design by Mulready' as 'the public has shown their disregard and even distaste for beauty'. The Mulready designs were quickly withdrawn and replaced by embossed envelopes. The envelopes featured the image of Queen Victoria based on a design by William Wyon. The Wyon penny envelope was an immediate success, but still could not compete with the convenience and flexibility of the postage stamp.»

James Ward, Adventures in Stationery