Stamps: Post office makes sure to collect postage due on underpaid mail

There are times when a piece of mail enters the mail stream with insufficient postage affixed. Most of the time a postal worker catches the underpaid item and returns it to the sender as long as there is a return address. When there's no return address, the mail usually goes through and the recipient is responsible for paying the difference. For those times, postal agencies have produced postage due stamps. Often such stamps are of a shared basic design issued in various denominations. They are affixed to an envelope and the postage that is due is collected by the mail carrier. Their function is much the same around the world. In the United States, postage due stamps were used for about 110 years. Congress authorized that special stamps be created to collect postage from a mail recipient on March 3, 1879. The law took effect July 1 that year. The law stipulated that mail clerks were to affix postage due stamps to indicate the amount to be collected from the addressee. While the Post Office Department mandated prepaid postage beginning in 1855, there were times when full postage was not required and payment had to be collected in cash from a recipient. Postage due stamps indicated how much was owed. The first U.S. postage due stamps — seven in all — had a face value ranging from 1 cent to 50 cents. Later sets of stamps included1/2-cent, $1 and $5 denominations. Postal entities around the world have issued their own stamps to collect postage due. The first appeared in France in 1859. In most cases the stamp designs are simple and are printed in one color. They include the country's name, the denomination and the fact that postage or a tax was being collected. However, some countries have issued postage due stamps that are works of art with intricately engraved designs. More contemporary designs include Mauritania's 1963 set of 16 multicolored triangular-shaped stamps showing birds that were printed tete beche — upside down to each other. Denominations range from 0.50 franc to 10 francs. Gibraltar issued a set of six colorful "to pay" stamps in 2002 depicting finches commonly seen in the tiny country on the southwest tip of Europe. U.S. postage due stamps have been nowhere nearly as vibrant in design, appearing in brown, claret and carmine. Nevertheless, they are an important part of any collection of American stamps. There are four basic designs, with styles reflecting artistic styles of each appropriate era in which they were produced. The last postage dues stamps comprise a series that began in 1959 and ended in 1985. The design features a common central vignette with denominations, ranging from 1/2-cent to $5, printed separately in black. Some postage due stamps are scarce because of the paper on which they were printed or the perforation gauge. Individual stamps in mint never hinged condition can command high prices at auction. Usage of postage due stamps on U.S. mail dropped off by the 1990s for various reasons. One involved technology as widespread use of postage meters was adopted. The discontinuation of the use of the Cottrell press by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing ended their production as then currently designed. Finally, postal service regulations were amended to require the full prepayment of postage. Examples of 20th century usages of postage due stamps on cover are fairly easy to find for the collector willing to spend some time perusing dealer holdings or to search online auction offerings. Dennis Sadowski can be reached at sadowski.dennis@gmail.com. PHOTOS Credit: DENNIS SADOWSKI WELLINGTON 02141947 This cover mailed in Wellington on Feb. 14, 1947 to New Concord, Ohio, likely weighed more than two ounces, requiring an additional 3 cents in postage as indicated by the auxiliary marking. The 3-cent postage due stamp was canceled by a roller postmarking device in New Concord. CLEVELAND 123080 POSTAGE DUE IN LORAIN The Lorain post office assessed 5 cents postage due on this cover mailed from the city of Lorain and postmarked in Cleveland on Dec 30, 1980. A 5-cent postage due stamp was affixed and canceled with a boxed LORAIN, OH 44052 marking with a second marking indicating how much postage was owed. GIBRALTAR J26-31 In 2002, Gibraltar issued a set of six postage due, or "to pay," stamps showing finches. The stamps were valued 5 pence to 2 pounds to collect underpaid postage fees.