Trinidad Tobago stamp year 1885 Porto – Postage Due 1 Shilling

Trinidad Tobago stamp year 1885 Porto – Postage Due 1 Shilling

Here are the key details about the 1885 1 Shilling Postage Due stamp from Trinidad & Tobago:

Design:

• Simple typographed design with “POSTAGE DUE 1/-” at center in two lines
• The words “TRINIDAD & TOBAGO” run across the top
• Intricate ornate rectangular frame surrounds the central vignette

Color:

• Printed in bright green color on white unwatermarked paper

Purpose:

• This was a “Postage Due” or “Porto” stamp used to indicate the recipient had to pay the postage amount upon delivery
• The 1/- (1 Shilling) value represented the fee charged for underpaid/unpaid mail

Printing:

• Printed by De La Rue & Co in London using surface-printed typography plates
• Issued imperforate with no watermark

Quantity:

• A total of 12,000 examples were printed for distribution to post offices

Usage Period:

• First issued for use on September 1, 1885 and remained valid until 1913

Rarity/Value:

• Despite the relatively modest print run, unused and used examples can still be acquired reasonably by collectors
• Well-centered, lightly cancelled copies demand a premium over poor quality examples

This green 1885 1 Shilling Postage Due stamp represents an affordable classic from the early stamp-issuing period of Trinidad & Tobago as a British colony. It featured a crisp and ornate design typical of Victorian-era stamps printed in London.