Two Penny Blue Stamp Guide
How to distinguish the original 1840 stamp, the white-line issues and later perforated Two Penny Blues.
Last updated: July 2026
The Two Penny Blue was introduced in May 1840 alongside the Penny Black postal reforms. It paid the two-penny rate, covering heavier inland letters.
It uses the same basic Queen Victoria portrait and line-engraved style as the Penny Black. However, the original 1840 issue and later Two Penny Blue stamps must not be treated as one identical issue — significant design changes separate them.
Collectors examine the white lines, margins or perforations, watermark, corner letters, cancellation and condition. The presence or absence of the added white lines is the first and most important design distinction.
Image unavailable
View sourceImperforate Two Penny Blue from the original 1840 design, without the later added white lines.
United Kingdom Post Office design; scan via Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons
Quick facts
- Country
- Great Britain
- Monarch
- Queen Victoria
- Denomination
- Two pence
- First issue
- May 1840
- Printing method
- Line engraving
- Printer
- Perkins, Bacon and Company
- Original form
- Imperforate
- Main identifying feature
- Added white lines on the 1841 and later design
- Common collecting areas
- Plates, cancellations, multiples and postal history
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The original 1840 issue
The original Two Penny Blue has no added white horizontal lines — neither below POSTAGE nor above TWO PENCE. It was printed from the first two plates and was imperforate, cut from the sheet by hand.
Margins therefore matter greatly. Four clear margins are desirable on a collectible imperforate stamp, but many examples have close or cut margins.
Red and black Maltese Cross cancellations may both be encountered. Plate identification is specialist work and should not be guessed from a poor scan.
The original 1840 issue is substantially scarcer than ordinary later Two Penny Blue stamps, but condition and identification still matter considerably.
The 1841 white-line issue
The stamp was revised in 1841. A white horizontal line was added below POSTAGE, and a second white horizontal line was added above TWO PENCE.
These two added white lines provide the clearest first distinction from the original 1840 issue. The early white-line issues were still imperforate.
Stamps may show different paper, watermark, shade and cancellation characteristics across the period. A blurred or heavily cancelled stamp should not be confidently classified from colour alone.
Watermark and paper
The Two Penny Blue uses a Small Crown watermark on the original issue. Later issues may show different watermark and paper combinations as the design evolved through to perforated forms.
Watermark identification requires careful, safe handling. Use a watermark tray or appropriate detector; do not soak or use unsafe fluids.
The watermark is one element of identification, not proof of the complete issue. Combine it with design features, perforation, shade and cancellation when placing a stamp within a specific type.
Small Crown watermark associated with the original 1840 Two Penny Blue; later issues can differ.
Public-domain illustration from Edward Denny Bacon, 1920 — Great Britain Philatelic Society
Notable collecting areas
The 1840 original issue
The original 1840 Two Penny Blue, without added white lines, is substantially scarcer than many later examples. Its identification matters considerably, but condition and the quality of any claimed identification still have to be assessed carefully.
A stamp lacking white lines must be examined closely and in good condition to support a confident identification. Heavy cancellations, wear and poor scans can make the lines invisible even on stamps that have them.
Multiples and marginal pieces
Pairs, strips, blocks and marginal pieces showing plate or sheet information have specialist interest for postal-history and plating collectors. They preserve layout information that is lost when individual stamps are separated.
Two Penny Blue covers
A Two Penny Blue on its original envelope preserves the postal rate, route, date and cancellation in their original context. Postal historians study these covers for evidence of postal routes and rates. Remove a stamp from a cover only with specialist advice.
Image unavailable
View sourceUnused block of four Two Penny Blue stamps showing corner-letter positions and sheet arrangement.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, via Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons
Common search variants
Marketplace sellers use different wording for the same stamp. Try these search terms to broaden your results.
Later perforated Two Penny Blues
Perforated Two Penny Blue stamps appeared during the 1850s, replacing the need to cut stamps individually from the sheet.
Different perforation and watermark combinations exist. A trimmed perforated stamp can sometimes appear imperforate, so inspect the edges carefully.
Perforations should be measured with a gauge rather than estimated visually.
How to identify a Two Penny Blue
Confirm that the denomination reads TWO PENCE.
Look for the two added white horizontal lines — one below POSTAGE and one above TWO PENCE.
Check whether the stamp is imperforate or perforated.
Examine the margins on imperforate examples, or the perforation teeth on perforated ones.
Record the lower corner letters.
Examine the watermark safely.
Study the cancellation.
Check for thinning, tears, creases, repairs or altered edges.
Compare potentially important stamps with a recognised specialised catalogue or seek specialist advice.
What collectors look for
White lines: The first and most useful design distinction between the original 1840 issue and the revised design.
Margins: Imperforate stamps were cut by hand. Four clear margins are desirable, but many examples have close or cut margins.
Perforations: Later stamps should have natural, complete perforations. Trimmed or reperforated edges affect condition and may confuse identification.
Cancellation: Maltese Cross, numeral and other cancellations can add interest. Heavy cancellations may obscure the white lines or corner letters.
Multiples: Pairs, strips and blocks can show how the stamps were arranged in the sheet and may have specialist interest.
Covers: A Two Penny Blue on its original cover can preserve postal rates, routes and cancellations. Do not remove it from the cover without specialist advice.
Colour: Blue shades can vary, but online photography and scanning are unreliable for precise shade identification.
Condition: Check carefully for thinning, creases, tears, cleaning, repairs, added margins and cancellation alteration.
Important identification cautions
Do not identify an 1840 stamp merely because the white lines seem faint or absent. Heavy cancellations, wear or poor scan quality can hide lines that are present.
Do not assume a cut-down perforated stamp is genuinely imperforate.
Do not confuse a blue one-penny proof or colour trial with a Two Penny Blue postage stamp.
Important examples require clear examination of the denomination, design, edges and physical characteristics before any confident identification can be made.
Is a Two Penny Blue valuable?
The original 1840 issue is scarcer than many later Two Penny Blue stamps, but not every blue Victorian two-penny stamp has the same significance.
Collector interest depends on: exact issue and plate, presence or absence of white lines, margins or perforations, watermark and paper, cancellation, mint or used condition, faults or repairs, multiples, use on an original cover, and recognised varieties.
Marketplace asking prices are not proof of value. Compare the same issue in comparable condition before drawing conclusions.
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Frequently asked questions
How can I distinguish the 1840 Two Penny Blue?
The original 1840 design lacks the white horizontal lines added to the revised 1841 design. One line sits below POSTAGE and the other above TWO PENCE.
Where are the white lines?
One is below POSTAGE and the other is above TWO PENCE.
Are all Two Penny Blue stamps from 1840?
No. The design continued in revised imperforate and later perforated forms well beyond 1840.
Is every Two Penny Blue rare?
No. The original 1840 issue is scarcer, while later types vary considerably in availability and collector interest.
Should an imperforate stamp have four margins?
Four clear margins are desirable, but many stamps were cut closely or into the design when separated from the sheet.
Should I remove one from an envelope?
No. The original cover may preserve important postal-history evidence that cannot be recovered once the stamp is removed.
Can colour alone identify the issue?
No. Design features, white lines, edges, watermark, paper and cancellation must also be considered together.
Image credits
Original 1840 Two Penny Blue imperforate stamp without white lines: United Kingdom Post Office design; scan via Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons
Unused block of four Two Penny Blue stamps showing corner letters: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, via Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons
Two Penny Blue and Penny Red on cover sent from Malvern to Constantinople, 1864: United Kingdom General Post Office; scan via Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons
Small Crown watermark associated with the original 1840 Two Penny Blue: Public-domain illustration from Edward Denny Bacon, 1920 — Great Britain Philatelic Society