In fact the cost of postage now is not so outrageous as it first appears. One penny (1d) from 1840 is variously calculated as having the same spending worth as today's 18p ( www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency/), 30p using a form of Retail Price Index, or £3.20 using average earnings (www.measuringworth.com).
The "Penny Black" stamp was produced in large numbers (a total print run of 286,700 sheets, each containing 240 unperforated stamps, amounting to over 68 million), possibly a million of which are still in existence today. Even in poor condition a Penny Black may be worth £15, and for a mint example expect to pay upwards of £1800.
The first adhesive stamps in the Philippines were printed in Manila in 1854. They portrayed Queen Isabella II of Spain. Just like the United Kingdom, they did not bear the name of the Philippines.
