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Postage Rates of Portugal

The following lists of basic postage rates, originally compiled by the late Col. A. Guedes de Magalhães, are taken from Portuguese Philatelic Society Bulletin(1). Emendation & expansion is by:

Stephen S. Washburne stephen.washburne@verizon.net

Rates for Specific Areas:

Internal

Colonial

UPU Countries

All Other Countries

Notes

INTERNAL MAIL

from:

 Letters Post cards Printed Matter News- papers Registration
1 Jul 1853 25 r - 10 r 5 r 100 r
1 Oct 1861 25 r - 5 r 5 r 100 r
1 Jul 1876 25 r - 5 r 2½r 100 r
1 Jan 1878 25 r 15 r 5 r 2½r 100 r
15 Oct 1880 25 r 10 r 5 r 2½r 50 r
1 Jul 1912 2½c 1 c ½ c ¼ c 5 c
10 Mar 1918 3½c 2 c ½ c ¼ c 5 c
13 Jun 1919 4 c 2 c 1 c ¼ c 6 c
1 Jan 1921 10 c 6 c 3 c ¼ c 10 c
8 Jan 1923 25 c 15 c 10 c 2 c 25 c
11 Feb 1924 40 c 25 c 15 c 4 c 40 c
28 Jul 1941(2) 50 c 30 c 10 c 5 c 50 c
6 Nov 1948(3) 1$00 0$50  0$30($20) 0$05 1$50
19 Jan 1949 1$00 0$50 0$20 0$05 1$50
1 Oct 1967 1$00 0$50 0$50 0$05 1$50
1 Dec 1970 1$00 0$50 0$50 0$05 2$50
15 Apr 1974 1$50 1$00 1$00 (2$50) 0$05 3$00
1 Jun 1975 2$00 1$00 1$00 0$30 3$00
1 Jan 1976 3$00 2$00 1$50 (2$50) 0$40 6$00 
[ ... ... ... ... ... ...]
1 Oct 1989 29$ ... ... ... ...3]

Notes: The amount in brackets indicates the second weight step postage when different from the basic. [The weight step varied between 10 and 20 grams for letters and was usually 50 grams for Printed Matter (including engravings and lithographs) and Periodical publications dispatched by the publisher. Separate rates applied for manuscripts and samples.]

Between 13 Jul 1919 and 1 Jan 1921, a picture postcard (Bilhete Postal Ilustrado) paid 3c internal and 4c to the Colonies.

to the COLONIES to TOP

Letters Post cards Printed Matter Newspapers Registration
from: Up to July 1886, postage rates to the colonies were the same as for mail to European countries. 19th C mail sent by British & French packets were more.
29 Jul 1886 50 r 10 r 5 r 5 r 50 r
23 May 1901 25 r 10 r 5 r 2½r 50 r
1 Jul 1912 2½c 1 c ½ c ¼ c 5 c
10 Mar 1918 3½c 2 c ½ c ¼ c 5 c
13 Jun 1919 6 c 2 c 6 c ¼ c 6 c
1 Jan 1921 12 c 8 c 4 c ¼ c 10 c
1 Apr 1921 30 c (15c) 18 c 6 c 3 c 10 c
1 Nov 1921 20 c 12 c 4 c 2 c 10 c
8 Jan 1923 50 c 30 c 10 c 5 c 25 c
1 Jan 1924 80c (40c) 48 c 16 c 5 c 40 c
1 Oct 1925 80c (48c) 48 c 16 c 5 c 40 c
1 Jan 1932 80 c 50 c 15 c 5 c 40 c
28 Jul 1941 - rates as internal mail -

 

Air Surcharges:(4)

6 Nov 1948 Mainland & Isles: $50; Guiné: 1$80; Angola, Mozambique, India, Macau, Timor: 3$00.

1 May 1950 Cabo Verde, Guiné, S. Tomé: 1$20

1976? Portugal, Açores and Madeira: 0$50 (20g); to Colonies and ex-Colonies: 1$50 ( 5 grams)

to EUROPEAN COUNTRIES [and U.S.A.](5) to TOP

Letters Basic Rate Letters Thereafter Postcards Printed Matter Registration
from: Before 1 January 1876, postage rates varied according to agreements established with the different countries
1 Jan 1876 50 r 50 r - 15 r 100 r
20 Dec 1877 50 r 50 r 25 r 15 r 100 r
1 Apr 1879 50 r 50 r 20 r 10 r 50 r
1 Jul 1898 65 r 65 r 25 r 15 r 50 r
1 Jan 1904 50 r 50 r 25 r 15 r 50 r

 

to COUNTRIES OUTSIDE EUROPE(6) to TOP

from: Letters Basic Rate Letters Thereafter Postcards Printed Matter Registration
1 Jan 1876 80 r 80 r - 20 r 100 r
20 Dec 1877 80 r 80 r 25 r 20 r 100 r
1 Apr 1879 80 r 80 r 30 r 20 r 100 r
1 Jul 1898 130 r 130 r 40 r 25 r 50 r
1 Jan 1904 80 r 80 r 40 r 20 r 50 r

From March 1, 1905, different rates for Europe and elsewhere were abolished and rates from then on were as follows:

to ALL OTHER COUNTRIES to TOP

from: Letters Basic Rate Letters Thereafter Postcards Printed Matter Registration
1 Mar 1905 50 r 50 r 20 r 10 r 50 r
1 Oct 1907 50 r 30 r 20 r 10 r 50 r
1 Jul 1912 5 c 3 c 2 c 1 c 5 c
15 Sep 1917 7½c 4½c 3 c 1½c 5 c
13 Jun 1919 7½c 4½c 3 c 1½c 6 c
1 Apr 1921 60 c 30 c 36 c 12 c 20 c
1 Nov 1921 40 c 40 c 24 c 8 c 20 c
8 Jan 1923 1$00 1$00 60 c 20 c 50 c
1 Jan 1924(7) 1$60 80 c 96 c 32 c 80 c
1 Oct 1925 1$60 96 c 96 c 32 c 80 c
1 Jul 1930 1$25 75 c 75 c 25 c 80 c
1 Jun 1933 1$60 95 c 95 c 30 c 1$00
1 Aug 1934 1$75 1$00 1$00 0$35 2$00
6 Nov 1948(8) 2$00 1$20 1$40 0$80($40) 4$00
1 May 1950 2$30 1$40 1$40 0$90($40) 4$50
1 Apr 1959 2$50 1$50 1$50 1$00 4$00
1 Apr 1966 2$50 1$50 1$50 1$20 5$00
1 Jul 1971 3$00 2$50 2$00 1$50 5$00
1 Jan 1973 3$00 2$50 2$00 1$50 6$00
1 Jun 1973 3$50 3$00 2$50 1$70 7$00
1 Jan 1976 6$00 4$00 4$00 3$00 15$00

Air Surcharges:

6 Nov 1948 Europe Zone 1: 1$20; Zone 2: 1$80; Zone 3 (U.S.?): 1$80; Zone 4: 3$00; Zone 5: 3$50; Zone 6: 5$50.

1 May 1950 Zone 1 (Spain, Canaries, Morocco): $50; Zone 2 (W. Europe): 1$20; Zone 3 (U.S.?): 2$00; Zone 4: 3$50; Cabo Verde, Guiné, S. Tomé: 1$20

1976?: European: 1$00 (20g); outside Europe: 1$80 ( 5g)

Notes:


to TOP General Notes: Undoubtedly, there is an interested reader who can bring these tables up to date, and we welcome any and all information. From correspondence received in 1989, we do know that a 20 g air letter to the U.S. currently costs 87$ and that surface printed matter is 38$. Mail to the ex-colonies now pays different rates, depending on geographical location, and foreign countries are divided into "Europe - CEPT" and various zones. Other than that, we are pretty ignorant and need help.

Several questions about rates remain:

1. Supposedly, rates were equal (allowing for currency differences) wherever the Portuguese flag flew. That is, mail from any given colony to another colony was the same as mail from Portugal to the colonies. Is this true? What were effective dates of implementation of new rates in the Colonies?

2. In some colonies, rates matched those of neighboring countries/colonies, e.g. Mozambique/R.S.A., Port. India/ British India, Macau/Hong Kong. What were those rates? When were they effective?

3. Rates for parcels and value declared letters are a mystery for all areas, at all times. Anyone?


Endnotes:

1. 0   1976 February; 54: 3. Earlier versions published in Portu-Info. 1989 October; 24: 113; 1993 October-December; 28(110): 102 et.prev.

2. 0   Samples: $20 [50g]; books $05 [50g]; manuscripts $50($10) [250(50)g]; parcels: 2$50(1$00) [2kg] {Historia H/368}

3. 0   Samples as printed matter [50g]; books: $20($10) [50g]; parcels: 5$00 [5kg] {Historia H/370}

4. 0   From Marques, A. H. Oliveira. Historia do Selo Postal Português, trans. Woodbridge (PPS, ~1980) unless otherwise indicated.

5. 0   More properly, member countries of the U.P.U.

6. 0   More properly, non-members of the U.P.U.

7. 0   Also, advice of receipt: 1$60; value declared: 3$20/300

8. 0   Also , manuscripts: 2$00($40) [200(50)g], books & newspapers: $40 ($20) [50g]; samples : $80 {Historia, H/370}

last updated: April 12, 2002