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GREECE Hermes Head issues

Return To Catalogue - Cancels on the first issues - Forgeries of the Large Hermes Head issue - Greece

Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
contact me if you want to purchase them: .

1861 Head of Hermes, large, imperforated

  1 l brown
  2 l brown
  5 l green
  10 l orange
  20 l blue
  20 l red
  30 l brown
  30 l blue
  40 l lilac on blue
  40 l lilac
  40 l brown
  60 l green
  80 l red

Some of these stamps have the value imprinted at the backside, example:

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 on the backside: 10 l orange (on bluish paper) 
1861-62 Athens provisional printings (on teinted paper, badly printed)
          Without numerals: 20 l blue (RRR)
          With numerals: 5 l green, 10 l orange (on bluish paper), 20 l blue, 
             40 l lilac (bluish paper)
1867-69 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 
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 
1870    Special Athens printing 
          Without numerals: 1 l brown
          With numerals: 20 l blue
1871-72 On thin transparent paper
          Without numerals: 1 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 
1871-76 On meshed paper (oily paper)
          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 
1876    Paris printing
          30 l brown, 60 l green on green
1876-77 Athens printing (creamy paper)
          30 l brown, 60 l green
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
1891(?) Rouletted and perforated 11 1/2
          Some stamps exist without roulleted or normal perforation

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

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
Cheapest types
1 l	***	**
2 l	***	***
5 l	***	*
10 l	***	*
20 l blue	RR	*
20 l red	***	*
30 l brown	RR	***
30 l blue	RR	***
40 l lilac on blue	RR	***
40 l lilac	***	R
40 l brown	RR	***
60 l	RR	RR
80 l	R	***

Surcharged (1900, perforated or imperforate) 

  30 l on 40 l violet
  40 l on 2 l brown
  50 l on 40 l brown
  3 D on 10 l orange
  5 D on 40 l lilac on blue

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Surcharged with value and 'A M'

(Reduced sizes)

  1 D on 40 l red
  2 D on 5 l green

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Click here for forgeries of the Large Hermes Head issue and here for cancels on the first issues.

1886 Small Head of Hermes

Imperforated

  1 l brown
  2 l brown
  5 l green
  10 l orange
  20 l red
  25 l blue
  25 l lilac (1893)
  40 l violet
  40 l blue (1893)
  1 D grey

Perforated (1891)

  1 l brown
  2 l brown
  5 l green
  10 l orange
  20 l red
  25 l blue
  25 l lilac
  40 l violet
  40 l blue
  50 l green
  1 D grey

Specialists distinguish a Belgian printing (1886, imperforate, perforated 13 1/2 or 11 1/2) and an Athens printing (1889 less well done, imperforate, perforated 13 1/2 or 11 1/2). The Athens printing is in general cheaper

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
Imperforate, cheapest type
1 l	c	c
2 l	*	*
5 l	*	c
10 l	***	c
20 l	**	c
25 l blue	***	c
25 l lilac	**	c	Athens printing only
40 l violet	R	***
40 l blue	***	**	Athens printing only
50 l	***	**	Paris printing only
1 D	R	**
Perforated, cheapest type
1 l	c	c
2 l	*	*
5 l	*	c
10 l	***	*
20 l	**	c
25 l blue	R	*
25 l lilac	**	c	Athens printing only
40 l violet	***	***
40 l blue	***	**	Athens printing only
50 l	***	**	Paris printing only
1 D	R	*

Surcharged (1900, imperforated or perforated)

  20 l on 25 l blue 
  1 D on 40 l violet
  2 D on 40 l violet

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Surcharged with value and 'A M' (1900, imperforated or perforated)
  25 l on 40 l violet
  50 l on 25 l blue

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Click here for cancels on this issue.

I've been told that the next stamps are forgeries, I have no further information. If anybody has information about forgeries of this issue, please contact me!

(Postal stationary, or forgery? Printed on very thick paper)

Fournier forgeries:

If anybody has more information on how to distinghuish these Fournier forgeries, please contact me!

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer

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