The first Polish postage stamp was issued in 1860, a single design that had not been authorized by the Russian Empire, who controlled Poland at the time. This stamp, inscribed both in Polish and Russian, had a value of 10 kopecks. It is not immediately apparent that it is in fact a Polish stamp to many collectors, but can be identified by the legend near the bottom, ZAŁÓT KOP 10.
The 1860 10 kopeck Poland stamp, otherwise, was printed in slightly different colors and has a design dominated by the Polish coat-of-arms, a white double eagle on a reddish oval.
The Russian authorities did soon approve the use of this stamp, although only for use within Poland and to Russia. In 1865, the stamp was outlawed in favor of Russian stamps.
More on MegaMinistore: Poland rare stamps: buying and collecting Poczta Polska
Examples of this rare first Polish postage stamp from 1860 for sale are rarer than those of many other Polish stamps, but are great fun to hunt for — and do crop up often enough for sale in online auctions and set sales. Check our current selection here, which is updated daily.
