France, Postage Due Stamp, Black Numeral

France · 1884 · 1c

This is a definitive postage due stamp from France, part of a long-running series first issued in 1882. The design is simple and functional, featuring a large numeral '1' indicating the one centime amount due, enclosed within an ornate rectangular frame. The text 'CHIFFRE-TAXE A PERCEVOIR' translates to 'figure-tax to be collected'.

Postage due stamps were used by postal services to collect insufficient postage from the recipient of a letter. This series was in use for several decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.