Romania Postage Due Stamp, Unpaid Letter Tax

Romania · 1881 · 5 BANI

This is one of Romania's earliest postage due stamps, featuring a simple typographic design. The central element is the large numeral '5' indicating the value, surrounded by ornate scrollwork and the inscriptions 'TAXA DE PLATA' (Tax to Pay) and 'TIMBRU'. The design is functional, intended to clearly indicate the amount of postage owed on underpaid mail.

Issued in 1881, these stamps were part of the system regularizing mail handling in the recently established Kingdom of Romania. Postage due stamps ensured the postal service could collect revenue for mail sent with insufficient postage.