Early colonial history

The first stamps issued for Macau

Macau

Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...

, appearing in 1884, used the common "Portuguese crown" design for nine values ranging from 5 to 300 reis

Reis

-Surname:Reis is a common surname in the Portuguese language, namely in Portugal and Brazil. It was originally a Christian devotional family name of the Middle Ages, probably due to the Portuguese name for the Biblical Magi, the Reis Magos . Sometimes the surname is dos Reis...

. Later in 1884, an 80-reis value was produced as a surcharge

Overprint

An overprint is an additional layer of text or graphics added to the face of a postage stamp or banknote after it has been printed. Post offices most often use overprints for internal administrative purposes such as accounting but they are also employed in public mail...

 on the 100-reis value; in 1885 an 80-reis value of the crown design went on sale. Also in 1885, five values were re-issued in new colors. Shortages of values continued through 1887, resulting in a variety of surcharges on both postage stamps and revenue stamp

Revenue stamp

A revenue stamp, tax stamp or fiscal stamp is a adhesive label used to collect taxes or fees on documents, tobacco, alcoholic drinks, drugs and medicines, playing cards, hunting licenses, firearm registration, and many other things...

s.

New stamps in 1888 depicted Luis I

Luís I of Portugal

|-...

 with an embossed profile. Luis died soon after, and in 1894 a new series of 12 values featured a portrait of Carlos I

Carlos I of Portugal

-Assassination:On 1 February 1908 the royal family returned from the palace of Vila Viçosa to Lisbon. They travelled by train to Barreiro and, from there, they took a steamer to cross the Tagus River and disembarked at Cais do Sodré in central Lisbon. On their way to the royal palace, the open...

. Also in 1894 the currency was changed to avos

Pataca

A pataca is a unit of currency, and an avo is of a pataca. Pataca is the Portuguese name for peso. The following articles contain more information :*Macanese pataca*Maltese pataca...

 and rupee

Rupee

The rupee is the common name for the monetary unit of account in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and formerly in Burma, and Afghanistan. Historically, the first currency called "rupee" was introduced in the 16th century...

s, 78 avos to the rupee (this would change to 100 avos to the pataca

Macanese pataca

The pataca is the currency of Macau. It is subdivided into 100 avos , with 10 avos called ho in Cantonese. The abbreviation MOP$ is commonly used....

 in 1913). In response leftover Luis stamps were surcharged in various avos values, in both Latin and Chinese characters, along with the word "PROVISORIO".

In 1898 both the Vasco da Gama issue of commemoratives, and a new series of Carlos designs, were all denominated in avos. Shortages of particular values were a regular occurrence from 1900 through 1910, resulting in nearly 40 types of surcharges, as well as postage due

Postage due

Postage due is the term used for mail sent with insufficient postage. A postage due stamp is a stamp added to an underpaid piece of mail to indicate the extra postage due.- Background :...

 stamps pressed into regular service by overprinting obliterating bars on the "PORTEADO" and "RECEBER" text of those stamps.

Post-revolution history

In the wake of the revolution of 1910, the government overprinted stocks of the Carlos stamps with "REPUBLICA" and shipped those out to Macau. The turbulent situation required some creativity on the part of local officials, and in 1911, they produced 2a and 5a values by overprinting the new value diagonally in upper right and lower left corners of 4a and 10a stamps, then bisect

Bisect

Bisection is the general activity of dividing something into two equal parts.Bisect may mean:*bisection, in geometry, dividing something into two equal parts* bisection of earthworms to study regeneration...

ing them on the diagonal. In 1913, they also applied a Republica overprint to a variety of older stamps going back to 1898.

The Ceres series

Ceres series (Portugal)

The Ceres series of Portuguese postage stamps is a definitive series depicting the Roman goddess Ceres that was issued between 1912 and 1945 in Portugal and its colonies.- History and description :...

 of 1913 was a fresh start for all the Portuguese territories, ultimately adding up to 29 value/color combinations (up to 5 patacas) through 1924. Even so, in 1915 additional Republica overprints were needed on the surcharges of 1902 (themselves overprinted on 1888 and 1894 issues. Between 1931 and 1933, nine lesser-used values of the Ceres stamps were surcharged.

On 1 February 1934, a new definitive series used a design with an allegorical figure representing "Portugal" and Vasco da Gama's flagship São Gabriel. They were surcharged in 1941, and eight values were reprinted in 1942. The reprints were lithographed

Lithography

Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...

 (instead of typographed as were the 1934 printings) on a thin paper

Postage stamp paper

Postage stamp paper is the foundation or substrate of the postage stamp to which the ink for the stamp's design is applied to one side and the adhesive is applied to the other...

, roughly perforated.

Macau participated in the Empire issue of 1938, with 17 values.

In 1948, a new definitive series consisted of 12 values with different pictorial designs depicting local scenery. Subsequent issues included many of the common design types issued for all the Portuguese territories, with some commemoratives for anniversaries in Macau. Macau's 1976 acquisition of "special territory" status gave it more autonomy in its handling of the post, and starting in 1981 it issued a variety of more-appealing designs relating to local geography and culture, generally in sets of 4-6 related designs.

Post-transfer of sovereignty history

The main effect of the 1999 transition to special administrative region status was a change in the inscription on the stamps: from "MACAU" along with "REPÚBLICA PORTUGUESA" in smaller print somewhere on the stamp, to "MACAU, CHINA".

Sources

• Stanley Gibbons Ltd: various catalogues
• Encyclopaedia of Postal History
• Stuart Rossiter & John Flower: The Stamp Atlas