An affordable 1879 United States Numeral postage due stamp

Stamp Market Tips by Henry Gitner and Rick Miller

The United States Post Office Department issued its first set of postage due stamps in 1879. They were approved by the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879, effective July 1, 1879. Postage due results when mail is sent with insufficient prepaid postage.

In their use in the United States, postage due stamps were to be applied to any underpaid mail piece to show the amount collected from the addressee. The last U.S. postage due stamps were issued in 1985, and their use was discontinued after that time. Postage due handstamps have been used both before and after the use of postage due stamps.

The 3¢ brown Numeral postage due stamp (Scott J3) is one of the most affordable of the 1879 postage due issue. The simple design featuring the numeral “3” and a decorative frame and scroll is typical of postage due stamps. The engraved stamps were printed on unwatermarked paper in sheets of 200 by the American Bank Note Co. The sheets were perforated gauge 12 and divided into panes of 100 for distribution. The earliest documented use of the 3¢ stamp is June 18, 1879.

The Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers values the 3¢ Numeral postage due stamp in very fine grade and unused, original gum condition at $100 and in mint, never-hinged condition at $280. A used example in very fine grade is valued at $6. Shade varieties noted and valued are pale brown, deep brown and yellowish brown.

The stamp is a good buy at around 80 percent of Scott catalog value. As always, valuable 19th-century U.S. stamps offered as having original gum should be expertized

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