AUSTRALIAN  STAMP  WEBSITE Postage Dues 1890 - 1963 A Comprehensive List Updated: 25 July 2026 Previous Group Main Menu Notes & Abbreviations Next Group GENERALLY Postage Due stamps were introduced to improve accounting oversight and provide a formal record for collecting underpaid mail charges. Prior to their introduction, colonial postal regulations required recipients to pay double the deficient postage in cash or standard stamps upon delivery.  This informal system lacked proper tracking, leading the postal administrations of Victoria (1890) and New South Wales (1891) to issue dedicated postage due stamps. Following Federation, the newly formed Postmaster-General’s Department extended this system nationwide in July 1902.  Postage due stamps were discontinued on 31 January 1963. STAMP HISTORY Victoria was the first colonial state to issue postage due stamps in 1890, later phasing them out as the Commonwealth unified its postal system.  New South Wales was the only other colonial state to issue postage due stamps in 1891, utilising a design based on the 1879 USA postage due stamps.  View The first Australian Commonwealth postage dues were released in 1902, based on the NSW stamp but with "N.S.W." removed. Later that year, the design was completed by filling in the blank frame.  In 1908, a new design was issued for shilling values by adding a stroke and dash to the numerals.  In 1909, the first bicoloured Australian postage dues were released, based on the green and red Victorian design. Printings from the new intaglio frame plate began in 1938, replacing the 1909 letterpress printings.  Over the years, eight different watermarks were used for these postage dues. View STAMP ISSUES: Victoria Victoria Blue & Brown Postage Dues: 1890 - 1894 1890 on - Type V2 Watermark. 1  ½d.  Blue & Brown  2 1d.  Blue & Brown  3 2d.  Blue & Brown  4 4d.  Blue & Brown 5 5d.  Blue & Brown 6 6d.  Blue & Brown 7 10d.  Blue & Brown 8 1s.  Blue & Brown 9 2s.  Blue & Brown 10 5s.  Blue & Brown Victoria Red & Green Postage Dues: 1894 - 1909 1894 on - Type V2 Watermark. 1897 on - Type V3 Watermark. 1900 on - Type V4 Watermark. 1905 on - Type V5 Watermark. 11  ½d.  Red & Deep Green 12 1d.  Red & Deep Green 13 2d.  Red & Deep Green 14 4d.  Red & Deep Green 15 5d.  Red & Deep Green 16 6d.  Red & Deep Green 17 10d.  Red & Deep Green 18 1s.  Red & Deep Green 19 2s.  Red & Deep Green 20 5s.  Red & Deep Green STAMP ISSUES: New South Wales New South Wales Green Postage Dues: 1891 - 1902 1891 on - Type N1 Watermark. 1   ½d.  Pale Green 2 1d.  Pale Green  3 2d.  Pale Green 4 3d.  Pale Green 5 4d.  Pale Green 6 6d.  Pale Green 7 8d.  Pale Green  8 5s.  Pale Green  9 10s.  Pale Green 10 £1.  Pale Green STAMP ISSUES: Australia Australia Monocolour Issues, Converted NSW Plates: 1902 1902 on - Type N1 Watermark. 1 ½d.  Green 2 1d.  Green 3 2d.  Green 4 3d.  Green 5 4d.  Green 6 6d.  Green 7 8d.  Green 8 5s.  Green Australia Monocolour Issues, Completed NSW Plates: 1902 - 1908 1902 on - Type N1 Watermark. 1906 on - Type A1 Watermark. 1907 on - Type V5 Watermark. 9 ½d.  Green 10 1d.  Green 11 2d.  Green 12 3d.  Green 13 4d.  Green 14 5d.  Green 15 6d.  Green 16 8d.  Green 17 10d.  Green 18 1s.  Green 19 2s.  Green 20 5s.  Green 21 10s.  Green 22 £1.  Green Australia Monocolour Issues, New Design for Shilling Values: 1908 - 1909 1908 on - Type A0 Watermark. 23 1s.  Dull Green 24 2s.  Dull Green 25 5s.  Dull Green 26 10s.  Dull Green 27 £1.  Dull Green Australia Bicolour Postage Dues: 1909 - 1937 1909 on - Type V5 Watermark, Thick Paper. 1913 on - Type V5 Watermark, Thin Paper. 1922 on - Type A3 Watermark. 1931 on - Type A6 Watermark.  1 ½d.  Red & Yellow-Green 2 1d.  Red & Yellow-Green 3 1½d.  Red & Yellow-Green 4 2d.  Red & Yellow-Green 5 3d.  Red & Yellow-Green 6 4d.  Red & Yellow-Green 7 6d.  Red & Yellow-Green 8 1s.  Red & Yellow-Green 9 2s.  Red & Yellow-Green 10 5s.  Red & Yellow-Green 11 10s.  Red & Yellow-Green 12 £1.  Red & Yellow-Green Australia Original Frame Plates & Intaglio Frame Plates with Rectangular infill to "D": 1938 - 1946 1938 - Type A6 Watermark. 1 ½d.  Red & Yellow-Green 2 1d.  Red & Yellow-Green 3 2d.  Red & Yellow-Green 4 3d.  Red & Yellow-Green 5 4d.  Red & Yellow-Green 6 6d.  Red & Yellow-Green 7 1s.  Red & Yellow-Green Australia Redrawn Value Plates: Domed infill to "D" & Simplified Shilling: 1946 - 1956 1946 -  Type A6 Watermark. 8 ½d.  Red & Yellow-Green 9 1d.  Red & Yellow-Green 10 2d.  Red & Yellow-Green 11 3d.  Red & Yellow-Green 12 4d.  Red & Yellow-Green 13 5d.  Red & Yellow-Green 14 6d.  Red & Yellow-Green 15 7d.  Red & Yellow-Green 16 8d.  Red & Yellow-Green 17 1s.  Red & Yellow-Green Australia New Design for Shilling Values: 1953 - 1959 1953 - Type A6 Watermark. 18 1s.  Red & Deep Green 19 2s.  Red & Deep Green 20 5s.  Red & Deep Green Australia Final Printing: 1958 - 1963 1958 - No Watermark. 21 ½d.  Red & Deep Green 22 1d.  Red & Deep Green 23 3d.  Red & Deep Green 24 4d.  Red & Deep Green 25 5d.  Red & Deep Green 26 6d.  Red & Deep Green 27 8d.  Red & Deep Green 28 10d.  Red & Deep Green 29 1s.  Red & Deep Green 30 2s.  Red & Deep Green Previous Group Main Menu Back to Top Next Group