Date: 23 Mar 2025

Identifying plate numbers on Penny Black stamps has long been a challenge for collectors, particularly when postmarks are worn or faded. A new AI-driven project aims to modernise this process.

The Penny Black Stamp App uses image recognition techniques to analyse uploaded stamp images and identify plate numbers (1–11), providing collectors with faster and more consistent results.

The platform has been designed by Saleem, a technical lead who applied machine-learning techniques to a niche but historically significant problem in philately.

Initial AI model experiments were reviewed by around 50 stamp collectors, with early results indicating that automated recognition could significantly reduce manual inspection time and identification errors.

“Applying AI to traditional hobbies shows how technology can preserve history while improving accuracy,” Saleem noted.

The project is currently in AI model prototyping and technical validation, with plans to expand datasets and refine accuracy before broader release.

About the DeveloperSaleem is a software engineer working on AI-driven applications and specialised recognition systems.