Stamps of the Kingdom of Italy

by Tony Clayton


Postage Due Issues


Pneumatic Post Stamps <<-- : -->> BLP Stamps

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First Issue - January 1863

In normal use the first postage due stamps were affixed by the postman on delivery, and were not cancelled. As a result uncancelled stamps are not uncommon, and you can only describe such a stamp as mint if it has full original gum. From February 1869, one month before its replacement came out, cancellations were required.

Postage Due

10c yellow, uncancelled
Sassone 1

Postage Due

10c orange, cancelled
Sassone 1b

Postage Due

Two 10c orange on cover, uncancelled as usual, on cover fom Rome to Narni
Sassone 1. Courtesy of Italy & Colonies Study Circle


Second Issue - March 1869

This stamp is rare on cover cancelled in 1869. The first known date of use is 27th April.

Postage Due

10c brown-orange
Sassone 2


Third Issue - 1870

What is often called the numeral series was first issued with the low values (1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 30c, 40c, 50c, 60c) in ochre with carmine numerals, and the high values (1l, 2l, 5l, 10l) in blue with brown numerals.

The 1c and 2c ceased to be used during 1890, when the remaining low values plus a new 20c value were issued in orange and carmine. That said, the shades vary enough to make the distinction difficult. At the same time the 1 and 10 lire were issued with red numerals instead of brown. The 2 and 5 lire followed suit in 1903.

Finally, in 1924 the 60 lire was issued with brown numerals; the numerals are redder than on the early high values.

The entire series was withdrawn in 1935 following the issue of the fascist types in 1934.

Inverted numerals are not too rare as such errors were not considered a problem for tax stamps.

Postage Due

30c orange and carmine, inverted centre
Sassone 23a

Postage Due

10 lire blue and brown, inverted centre
Sassone 14b
Image courtesy of the Italy & Colonies Study Circle.

Postage Due

2 lire blue and carmine
Sassone 29

Postage Due

Forged 10 lire blue and carmine.
The figures are clearly not as sharp as they should be, nor is the colour right.

Postage Due

2c olive and scarlet and 6 cent green and scarlet
These are fiscal stamps and were not used for postal purposes.


High Value Issues - 1884 and 1903

These four stamps were used for internal Post Office accounting purposes and are therefore not found on cover.

Postage Due

50 lire green and 100 lire red
Sassone 15 and 16

Postage Due

50 lire yellow and 100 lire blue
Sassone 31 and 32


Overprinted Issues - 1890-1

As stocks of the 1c and 2c were no longer required, they were overprinted to give more useful denominations. These stamps are difficult to find in mint state, especially the 30c on 2c which is rare. The Italians call them 'mascherine' or 'little mask' issues.

Postage Due

20c on 1c and 10c on 2c
Sassone 18 and 17

Postage Due

30c on 2c
Sassone 19


Fascist Issues - 1934

Postage Due

20c carmine and 10 lire blue
Sassone 36 and 45

Postage Due

Mixed franking just six weeks after first issue of the new design.
Official letters often had to have the postage paid by the addressee


Provisional Postage Dues 1944

Due to a shortage of the normal Postage Due stamps, normal postage stamps were manually overprinted with a large T, principally in the Apulia Region around Bari.

Postage Due

Examples used on an official envelope.


Non-Fascist Issues of the Lieutenancy of Umberto II - 1945

These were issued first without and then with a watermark.

Postage Due

50c violet and 10 lire blue, watermark Winged Wheel I
Sassone 90 and 95


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Stamps of Italy - Postage Due Issues
Copyright reserved by the author, Tony Clayton
v8 28th March 2017
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