Stamped Paper
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This was in use for over three hundred years as an indispensable document for registering public deeds, lawsuits, petitions, contracts of sale and powers of attorney. It was withdrawn by a Decree-law issued by the Ministry of Finance in 1986.
Stamped paper, which was promulgated by King Afonso VI in a charter dated 24th of December 1660, was an important source of income for both the Monarchy and the Republic. Its implementation in Portugal was the direct result of the need for extra revenue, as the country was going through a difficult economic situation and had to sustain an effective defence against a new Spanish invasion (Portugal had been governed by Spanish monarchs between 1580 and 1640).
The life of stamped paper in our country was marked by three quite distinct cycles. The first started in 1660 and ended in 1668, the second ran from 1797 until 1804 and the third from 1827 until 1986.
In the Paper Money Museum there is a complete collection of stamped paper, from the 17th century, with a great variety of dates and values. |
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