Romania 1881 Postage Due Stamp, Numeral in Oval

Romania · 1881 · 5 Bani

This stamp is part of Romania's first series of postage-due stamps, issued in 1881. The design is purely functional, featuring the denomination '5 BANI' prominently within a decorative oval frame, with 'TIMBRU DE TAXA' (Tax Stamp) inscribed above. The simple, typographic design was common for such utilitarian issues of the period.

Issued during the reign of King Carol I, these stamps were used by postal services to collect insufficient postage from the recipient of a letter. This series marks the formalization of postage-due handling in the recently established Kingdom of Romania.