Ethiopia 1919 Postage Due Stamp, Amharic Script

Ethiopia · 1919 · 1/16 Thaler

This is one of Ethiopia's first postage due stamps, featuring a distinctive design composed entirely of Amharic script. The central text indicates the denomination, '1/16 Thaler', surrounded by an ornate, decorative border also formed from typographic elements. The stamp is printed in a single deep blue color on unwatermarked paper.

Issued in 1919 during the regency of Ras Tafari Makonnen (later Emperor Haile Selassie I), this stamp reflects a period of modernization in Ethiopia's postal system. The use of local script exclusively was a strong statement of national identity.