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GREECE Large Hermes Head issues, printings

Return To Catalogue - Greece Large Hermes Head issues (1861) - Cancels on the first issues

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Greece Large Hermes Head issues (1861)

Some misprints exist concerning these backside values, missing numbers, inverted numbers etc.

Note on this issue: specialists distinguish a great number of printings, plates, numbers on the backside, etc. This gives rise to a considerable amount of confusion and it is a field for the specialist. The following printings etc. can be distinguished:

1861    Paris print (clear impression) 
          Without numerals on the backside: 1 l brown, 2 l brown, 5 l green, 
             20 l blue, 40 l lilac on blue, 80 l red
          With numerals (control number) on the backside: 10 l orange (on bluish paper)


1861 Paris print, usually cancelled with a numeral dot cancel, rarer with towncancels. The 10 l has a control number at the back that is 8 mm high (all other other control numbers for all other issues are 6 1/2 mm high).

 
1861-62 Athens provisional printings (on teinted paper, badly printed)
          Without numerals: 20 l blue (RRR), 1 l, 2 l
          With numerals: 5 l green, 10 l orange (on bluish paper), 20 l blue, 
             40 l lilac (bluish paper)


Athens provisional printing of 1861-1862.

1862-69 Consecutive Athens printings (first nicely printed then deteriorating)
          Without numerals: 1 l brown, 2 l brown
          With numerals: 5 l green, 10 l orange (on bluish paper), 20 l blue
             40 l lilac (on bluish paper), 80 l red


Consecutive Athens printings

1867-69 Cleaned Plates 
          Without numerals: 1 l brown, 2 l brown
          With numerals: 5 l green, 10 l orange (on bluish paper), 20 l blue
             40 l lilac (on bluish paper), 80 l red


Cleaned plates issue

1870    Special Athens printing 
          Without numerals: 1 l brown
          With numerals: 20 l blue


Special Athens printing of 1870

1871-72 On thin transparent paper
          Without numerals: 1 l brown, 2 l
          With numerals: 5 l green, 20 l blue
             40 l lilac (on bluish paper)


On thin paper


1871 printing

1871-76 On meshed paper (oily printing)
          Without numerals: 1 l brown, 2 l brown
          With numerals: 5 l green, 10 l orange (on bluish paper), 20 l blue
             40 l olive-green to bronze to mauve (on bluish paper), 80 l red

40 c olive-green 40 c bronze 40 c mauve
On meshed paper

1876    Paris printing
          30 l brown, 60 l green on green


1876 Paris printing

1876-77 Athens printing (creamy paper)
          30 l brown, 60 l green


1876 Athens printing

1875-80 On Cream paper (Athens printing)
          Without numerals: 1 l brown, 2 l brown, 5 l green, 10 l orange, 20 l blue,
              20 l red, 30 l blue, 40 l brown
          With numerals: 5 l green, 10 l orange, 20 l blue, 40 l lilac


Cream paper Athens printing


1880 Athens printing

1891(?) Rouletted and perforated 11 1/2
          Some stamps exist without roulleted or normal perforation

Perforated stamps could be made by the public (mainly stamp collectors and dealers) by making use of a perforation machine that was available in the general post office in Athens.

Interested people are referred to more specialized catalogues, such as Vlastos or Hellas.

Click here for forgeries of the
Greece Large Hermes Head forgeries, part 1 Spiro and other simple forgeries
Greece Large Hermes Head forgeries, part 2; Oneglia and Sperati
Greece Large Hermes Head forgeries, part 3; Fournier
Greece Large Hermes Head forgeries, part 4; Imperato
and here for cancels on the first issues.

 

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer