Stamp Stories from around the world

Rouletting uses small cuts in the paper instead of holes. In 1847, Henry Archer of the United Kingdom constructed the first (rouletting) machine, the “Archer Roulette”, to separate stamps. His plan, submitted to the Postmaster General on 1 October 1847, was referred to the departments of the General Post Office and the Inland Revenue. Two such machines were built. After experimentation both machines proved to be failures. From one machine a few stamps from Plates 70 and 71 have survived. Todays stamp is the extremely rare pair of one penny stamps (mentioned above) cut with the “Archer Roulette”.