Netherlands Postage Due Stamp, Blue

Netherlands · 1881 · 5c

This is a definitive postage due stamp from the Netherlands, part of a long-running series first issued in 1881. The design is purely functional, featuring a large numeral '5' to indicate the amount due, framed by ornate scrollwork and the word 'PORT' at the top. The blue color was standard for this denomination within the series.

Postage due stamps were affixed by postal workers to mail with insufficient postage, indicating the amount the recipient had to pay to receive the item. This series was in use for several decades, reflecting the standardized postal systems of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.