The original postal concession was backed by a group of European investors expecting to make a profit. Menelik II decreed that concession was to be entirely self supporting and funded by foreigners - as they were expected to be the only ones using it. During this time less than one hundred letters and postcards were sent within or from Ethiopia each month. In order to help recover printing expenses, a decision was made to overprint the seven values of Menelik as postage dues. These were released and sold only in Europe. The three highest Menelik were also sold unoverprinted as postage due stamp, presumably as unoverprinted errors. These three values are listed in the Yvert & Tellier catalog as errors. None of the unissued postage due stamps are known on cover.