Cuba Telegraph Stamp, Alfonso XIII

Cuba · 1881 · 20c de Peso

This telegraph stamp from Spanish Colonial Cuba features a left-facing portrait of the boy king, Alfonso XIII of Spain. The design is framed by ornate scrollwork, with 'TELEGRAFOS' inscribed at the top and the denomination '20 CENTAVOS DE PESO' at the bottom.

Issued in 1881 during the Spanish colonial period, this stamp was used exclusively for paying telegraph fees, a critical communication technology of the late 19th century. Alfonso XIII was king from birth, and his portrait appeared on many stamps of Spain and its colonies during his long reign.