World's First Postage Stamp
Before SMS, email, cellphones, or the telegraph, there was the postage stamp. The humble forebearer of mass, global communications began in 1840 with the Penny Black stamp — and Sotheby's will be auctioning off the most pristine example in existence. This unused Penny Black stamp bears the profile of Queen Victoria and is printed from the first plate and formerly attached to the very first printed sheet. The stamp was rediscovered nearly three decades ago, but the significance wasn't realized until recently. The Penny Black will be auctioned off in London in December 2021.