On 1 July 1850, the Kingdom of Saxony became the third German state to issue postage stamps, following Bavaria and Prussia.
Saxony issued a single denomination at first: the 3 pfennig black, intended for local letters. The design was simple, featuring the word “SACHSEN” prominently, with a clear numeral for the value. Like other early German issues, the stamps were imperforate and printed on thin paper.
