Communication has made huge leaps over the past 150 years but the postal service remains practically as essential as it was when it would cost just half a penny to send a letter from Valletta to Mellieħa.

In today’s euro equivalent, half a penny at the time would have amounted to about 41c.

A letter dated August 13, 1803 from Admiral Nelson to Major General William Villettes, Governor of Malta. Photos: Matthew Mirabelli

Malta’s postal service traces its origins to the 16th century but, as a British colony, the island was also one of the first countries to start using stamps, following the UK’s issue of the Penny Black in 1840.

The Penny Black was the first postage stamp used as part of a public system, a turning point for the service worldwide because people could now send a letter of a particular weight anywhere within the UK for a fixed price.

Twenty years later, Malta started using the Halfpenny Yellow.

The Penny Black and the Halfpenny Yellow are both on display at the new Malta Postal Museum housed in a restored townhouse in Archbishop Street, Valletta.

The service, which dates back to an era when there were no other means of communication, became a necessity over the years for everybody, no matter their social background

The selection of artefacts and interactive panels related to the postal service tell the story of Malta’s experiences of war, governance, trade, love and politics, dating back to a time when the post was limited to those in power.

Curator Lara Bugeja noted that the service, which dates back to an era when there were no other means of communication, became a necessity over the years for everybody, no matter their social background.

The Penny Black, showing the profile of a young Queen Victoria, is the world’s first postage stamp, introduced in the UK in 1840.

The museum, supported by EU funding, hosts a children’s area on the upper floor where kids can pretend they are a post officer, watch educational audio-visual material or design their own stamps.

It also has two galleries for temporary exhibitions, with the first display including artwork of Malta’s foremost stamp designer Emvin Cremona, who produced several stamps over a period of 23 years.

The Malta Postal Museum is open from 10am to 4pm between Monday and Friday. It is open until 2pm on Saturdays.

For more information call 2496 1740 or email info@maltapostalmuseum.com.

The Halfpenny Yellow is Malta’s first postage stamp. This 16th print was released in Malta in 1875.

The Times of Malta of April 17, 1941, reported the issue of such patriotic labels, bearing the inscription “Malta is grateful to the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force for the safe arrival of this letter”.