Italian Postage Due Stamp, Segnatasse

Italy · 1870 · 1 Lira

This is an Italian postage due stamp, known as a 'Segnatasse'. The design is purely functional, featuring a large numeral '1' indicating the one Lira value to be collected, framed by ornate typographic elements. The word 'SEGNATASSE' appears at the top, with 'LIRA UNA' at the bottom.

Issued in 1870, these were Italy's first postage due stamps, created to standardize the collection of insufficient postage from the recipient of a letter. This series was used for several decades.