Great Britain was the first country in the world to issue stamps & the One Penny Black was the first stamp in 1840.Other countries soon followed & most early stamps portrayed the heads of Kings or Rulers during that time.
India issued its first stamp in 1852.Popularly known as SCINDE DAWK it was issued in a set of 3 stamps under the authority of Sir Bartle Frere for the district of Scinde (Sind). The India Pre-Independence general issues of East India Company started in April 1854 displaying the Head of Queen Victoria.
Initially the stamps were not perforated as are the stamps of today & they had to be cut out of printed sheets with scissors.
In 1973 Bhutan issued a stamp that looked like a record. Put it on a record player and it would actually play the Bhutanese national anthem!
The world's rarest, and most valuable, stamp is the 1c British Guiana of 1856. It was acquired in 1873 by an English schoolboy who later sold it for 6/- to a fellow collector. The stamp is now valued at more than $1 million.