T is for To Pay
Postage dues have often been neglected by collectors, thanks to their nondescript design and since they were confined to domestic usage, making identification difficult. But as our back to basics guide reveals, they are now becoming more popular to postal historians
Today, many catalogues list postage dues in their proper chronological sequence, among stamps for airmail, charity or ordinary use, helping to raise their profile. Since they are now virtually a thing of the past, distance lends enchantment. They were largely overlooked when in use, but now that the vast majority are obsolete the demand has increased.
After the introduction of reduced rates for postcards and printed matter in October 1870, there were numerous regulations governing the size and type of postcard that was permitted, or the criteria of what constituted printed matter, and any infringement of these regulations made the item liable to the full rate of postage.
There was also a fine, equal to the amount of the deficient postage. So if someone sent you a picture postcard decorated with tinsel, that was an infringement that rendered the card liable to the full letter rate (a penny) instead of the halfpenny postcard rate. Thus the card had a halfpenny deficiency, plus a fine of the same amount and, as a result, the addressee had to fork out a penny to receive it from the postman.
The exact procedure for dealing with underpaid items or ‘infringements’ varied from country to country but the usual custom was for postmen to hold stock of the labels and follow a procedure when they found an underpaid or unpaid item. The main problem was that postmen could not be bothered with all the fuss and often just delivered the underpaid mail. Thus one will sometimes see packets on which the original office of collection has raised a surcharge and applied a mark explaining the reason for this, but there is no corresponding postage due label.
The advent of postal history as a branch of philately focused attention on surcharged mail, and drew collectors to the arcane world of postage dues. Today, this is one of the most popular branches of postal history, entailing detailed study of postal rates and regulations.
The system began on 1 January, 1859, when France introduced a label, printed in black on white paper, with a black border inscribed POSTES and CHIFFRE TAXE (taxed amount) while the text ‘10 centimes percevoir’ (to pay) appeared in the centre.
The German states of Baden and Bavaria followed the French example with labels in October 1862. The USA adopted this system on 9 May, 1879. Recess-printed by the American Bank Note Company, these labels had the numerals prominently in an upright oval, with POSTAGE DUE round the top. Postage dues spread to the British Empire in November 1890 when they were adopted by the Australian colony of Victoria, followed by New South Wales two months later. The Commonwealth of Australia had postage due labels from July 1902 onwards – eleven years before issuing ordinary stamps! The French colony of Guadeloupe likewise had distinctive postage dues from 1876, eight years before issuing its own postage stamps.
In the early years postage dues were confined to letters and postcards, but later special categories were developed. When the USA introduced a parcel service in January 1913 it not only had distinctive parcel stamps but also a set of five parcel postage due labels.
A few months later, however, it was decided that ordinary postage stamps did the job just as well and the distinctive parcel stamps and postage due labels were then phased out.
Although Britain lagged behind, it eventually produced one of the most artistic designs. George Eve devised the motif of the value surrounded by heraldic flowers and it remained in use from April 1914 through to 1971.
Britain also introduced a new category of label inscribed ‘TO PAY’. This arose in 1924 when it was decided that the labels could also be used to indicate the customs duty liable on certain parcels from abroad. As this was not postage, separate labels had to be produced for this purpose, but from 1970 onwards the words ‘TO PAY’ were applied to all labels. The final series, introduced in 1994, was multicoloured and incorporated a crown. The use of such labels from April 1995 was confined to business users and VAT levied by Customs and Excise. Their use ceased completely on 28 January, 2000.