A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. The stamp’s shape is usually that of a small rectangle of varying proportions, though triangles or other shapes are occasionally used.
Before the introduction of postage stamps, recipients were unable or unwilling to pay for delivered items, and senders had no incentive to restrict the number, size, or weight of items sent. The postage stamp resolved this issue in a simple and elegant manner, with the additional benefit of room for an element of beauty to be introduced.
