Portuguese India – Postal Tax (Pombal Issue)

The Portuguese Indian Government issued order number 1708, dated 24th December 1924, mandating a 6 réis stamp on postal articles as a Postal Tax. A set of stamps that came to be known as the Pombal Issue were printed for this purpose and put into circulation in May 1925.

The stamps were designed by Hugo Fleury and engraved by Georges R. Fairweather (E) and John Harrison (E). Waterlow & Sons Ltd, London, were the printers. The printing was done in recess on wove paper sheets of 10 x 10 stamps with light lozenge watermarks and line perforations of 12½.

This tax was intended to raise money for building the Monument of the Maquis of Pombal and for the rebuilding of Lisbon after an earthquake. The stamps remained obligatory on all mail till 1929 and were used as normal stamps between 1934 and 1945.

An order issued in bulletin number 17, dated 27th Feb 1925, mandated that Postal Tax Stamps were also issued as Postal Tax Due, overprinted with MULTA, the Portuguese word for penalty. These stamps were intended for defaulters and were charged with 1 Tanga as a fine.