Postage stamps and postal history of Greece
Encyclopedia
Greece
's first postal service was founded in 1828, at the time of Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire
. This initial service continued mail delivery and, later, the issuing of postage stamps until 1970. It was then succeeded by the Hellenic Post
S.A. (abbreviated ΕΛΤΑ), which remains Greece's official postal provider. The first Greek stamps (known as "Large Hermes head
s") were issued in 1861; by then, the postal service had expanded to operate 97 branches.
Until 1966, with the exception of a set issued in 1927, all Greek stamps were simply inscribed ΕΛΛΑΣ (Hellas, the country's Greek name). From 1966 to 1982, the inscription was modified to include both the Greek and Latin versions: ΕΛΛΑΣ-HELLAS. Beginning in 1982, ΕΛΛΑΣ was replaced with ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ (Hellenic Republic); this inscription is still being used on Greek stamps. It was also used on the 1927 set referred to earlier.
In 1875, Greece was among the founding members of the General Postal Union (renamed the Universal Postal Union in 1878).
Greece's territory and population was greatly expanded by the 1912-1913 Balkan Wars
; it acquired some additional territory during World War I
. This led to the issuing of several sets of occupation stamps, which consisted of both existing stamp issues with overprint
s and newly printed issues. In addition to these, some of the so-called "New Territories", notably the islands of Ikaria and Samos
, issued their own stamps prior to becoming part of Greece.
Beginning with the Olympic issue of 1896, Greece has issued a number of commemorative stamp
s. Their subjects have included Greek history, art, mythology and wildlife.
. Under British rule from 1815 to 1864, this island group was known as the United States of the Ionian Islands
. A set of three stamps was issued on May 15, 1859. Printed by Perkins, Bacon & Co. of London
and inscribed ΙΟΝΙΚΟΝ ΚΡΑΤΟΣ (Ionian State), they depicted a profile of Queen Victoria. All were imperforate and bore no face value, this being indicated by their colors; orange (½ penny), blue (1 penny) and lake (2 pence). These stamps became invalid after the Ionian Islands were ceded to Greece on June 28, 1864.
The first stamps of Greece were the so-called "Large Hermes heads", depicting a profile of the Greek messenger god Hermes
in a frame strongly resembling that used for contemporary stamps of France
. The basic design was by the French engraver Albert Désiré Barre and the first batch was printed in Paris
by Ernst Meyer. The first set was issued on October 1, 1861. It consisted of seven denominations (1 lepton
, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 lepta). In November 1861 the printing plates were transferred to Athens
and subsequent printings made there. The plates continued in use into the mid-1880s, resulting in a number of varieties due to plates becoming worn and then cleaned, as well as the printing of the stamps on several kinds of paper
. Most types were also printed with control numbers on the back, and all were imperforate. Additional denominations (30 and 60 lepta) were introduced in 1876, to comply with the General Postal Union's international letter rates (30 lepta for basic, 60 for registered letters).
stamps of Greece were issued in 1875. The first batch was printed in Vienna
, as were further releases in 1876 and 1890-1893. Green to yellow-green in color, with numerals declaring each stamp's value along with the inscription ειοπρακτέον(-α) (postage due(s)) inside a central circle, these stamps are known as "rologakia" (little clocks). The first two sets consisted of twelve values; 1 lepton, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 70, 80 and 90 lepta, 1 drachma and 2 drachmae. The third contained only the 1 lepton, 2, 5, 40 and 60 lepta. The stamps were issued with a variety of perforations: 9, 9½, 10, 10½ and compound.
A second design, with its inscription contained in a scroll pattern in place of the circle, was issued in 1902. Known as the London issue, it was printed by Perkins, Bacon & Co., with engraving by the Johnstonia Engraving Company. These stamps had perforations of 13½. In place of the earlier issues' 60, 70, 80 and 90 lepta values, the London issue introduced new denominations of 3, 25, 30 and 50 lepta; it also dropped the 2 drachmae value. With only minor changes, this design has been used on all Greek postage due stamps since.
In 1883, Greece's postal service reduced its international letter rates to 25 and 50 lepta (for basic and registered letters respectively). This, as well as the need for a new 1 drachma value to cover parcel post
services, led to the issue of a new set of stamps. This set, the "Small Hermes heads", first appeared in 1886. The first batch was printed in Malines, Belgium
followed by numerous reprints in Athens until 1900. Like their predecessors, they depicted Hermes in profile, but with a smaller head and a rounder helmet. Initially the sheets were imperforate. Perforated versions, initially 13½ and later 11½, became available in 1891. The denominations were 1 lepton, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 40, and 50 lepta and 1 drachma.
In September 1900 some of the small Hermes head stamps (blue 25 lepta and violet 40 lepta) were surcharged
with different values (20 lepta, 1 drachma and 2 drachmae) due to the delay in printing the new Flying Mercury issue.
Greece's first commemorative stamp
s were issued in 1896 for the 1896 Summer Olympics
, the first Olympic games in modern times. The series consisted of twelve values (1 lepton, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 40 and 60 lepta, 1 drachma and 2, 5 and 10 drachmae). There were eight different designs, by Professor I. Svoronos, which included famous sports-related images from ancient Greece, such as a chariot race and Myron
's Discobolus
. The stamps were designed by Swiss artist A. Guilleron, the steel dies were created by the French engraver Louis-Eugène Mouchon and printing took place at the National Printing Office of France. The name E. MOUCHON appears at the bottom side of each stamp. The stamps were delivered in perforated sheets (13½ x 14). They were at first meant to be sold only during the Games, but their circulation period was extended; first to March 1897, then until they were sold out. The 1896 Olympics stamps, of which the 5 and 10 drachmae denominations are relatively rare, remain popular with collectors of topical stamps relating to sports and Olympic games.
of the Latin Monetary Union
. These stamps were sold at the post offices at a price higher than the face value, due to the depreciation of the drachma. The "A M" stamps were mainly used for international parcel post and postal money orders, although they are sometimes found on normal letter covers. In 1902 these stamps were withdrawn and replaced with the "A M" series.
s was issued, replacing the small Hermes heads and the overprints of 1900. The new stamps depicted Giovanni da Bologna's statue of Hermes/Mercury (c. 1564). The series included fourteen denominations in three different designs: 1 lepton, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50 lepta, 1 drachma and 2, 3 and 5 drachmae. The high values of this series are notable for being printed in metallic colors; bronze (2d), silver (3d), and gold (5d). The stamps were printed on two qualities of paper (thick and thin) with watermark "ET" and crown. The sheets were delivered with perforation 13½ for the low values and 11½ for the high values, although small quantities were delivered with different perforations.
In 1902 an additional series of five stamps was issued, depicting the head of the same statue. These stamps were in values of gold currency and inscribed "A M" for Αξία Μεταλλική ("Axia Metalliki" or "value in metal"). They replaced the provisional "A M" overprints of 1900-1901 for international parcel post and money orders. The series was printed by Perkins, Bacon & Co. on thick paper, watermarked with "ET" and crown and delivered with perforation 13½. These stamps were also used briefly as revenue stamp
s in 1913.
The 1901-1902 issues remained in regular use until 1911.
. This set of stamps was printed by Perkins, Bacon & Co. and issued on March 25, 1906. It consisted of fourteen denominations (1 lepton, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50 lepta, 1 drachma and 2, 3 and 5 drachmae). Special commemorative cancellations were used during the Games at Zappeion (ΖΑΠΠΕΙΟΝ), Stadium (ΣΤΑΔΙΟΝ) and Acropolis (ΑΚΡΟΠΟΛΙΣ) provisional post offices. The 1906 Olympics stamps were never withdrawn and can be found with postmarks dated until 1910. They were also overprinted for use as revenue stamps.
. The set consisted of sixteen values (1 lepton, 2, 3, 5 ,10, 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50 lepta, 1 drachma and 2, 3, 5, 10 and 25 drachmae). It would become known as the "Engraved issue". The plates were engraved by Thomas McDonald (UK) and printing was done by the firm Gerasimos Aspiotis Bros. of Corfu
. The sheets were delivered on unwatermarked paper with perforation 13½.
The 3, 5 and 10 drachmae stamps from this set were re-issued in 1921 with slightly altered dimensions, measuring 20½ x 25½ mm.; the original issue measured 20½ x 26½ mm.
of 1912-1913 as it occupied Macedonia
including the city of Thessaloniki
, parts of Epirus
and Thrace
and various Aegean islands, as well as formally annexing Crete
. Until these so-called "New Territories" were formally incorporated into Greece, they were not permitted to use regular Greek stamps. In order to cover postal needs in these areas, Greece's government ordered existing stamps to be overprinted with ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΟIΚΗΣΙΣ (Hellenic Administration) until a planned 1912 issue became available. A special overprint, ΛΗΜΝΟΣ, was also ordered for use on the island of Lemnos
, which was occupied in October 1912. These overprints, in three different colors (black, red and carmine
), were applied to the 1911 "Engraved" definitives, the 20 lepta Flying Mercury stamp, the 1902 postage due stamps and some of the 1913 "Lithographic" definitives. This issue went through several printings, initially by Aspiotis Bros. and later by the Aquarone printing house of Thessaloniki. The overprints normally read from the bottom of the stamp to the top; due to misplacement of sheets in the printing press, some were released with the overprint reading from top to bottom.
A variation of this overprint, consisting of the letters "Ε.*Δ" in red, was employed on the island of Chios
in 1913. This was applied locally to a quantity of 25 lepta stamps from the ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΟIΚΗΣΙΣ issue which were mistakenly delivered without the overprint.
A set of sixteen stamps was issued in April 1913, to replace the provisional ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΟΙΚΗΣΙΣ and ΛΗΜΝΟΣ overprints in territories under Greek military occupation. Two designs were used, depicting Constantine the Great
's vision and the Eagle of Zeus; this set would become known as the "Campaign issue". It consisted of the following values: 1 lepton, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50 lepta, 1 drachma and 2, 3, 5, 10 and 25 drachmae. It was printed by Aspiotis Bros. using the lithographic
process. The stamps were printed on two types of paper, smooth and rough, with perforation 13½. These stamps were occasionally also used in Greece proper.
In 1916, certain values of the Campaign issue were overprinted with Ι. Κοινότης Αγ. Όρους (Holy Community of Mount Athos). Intended for local use in the Mount Athos
area, these overprinted stamps were never put into circulation; most of them were burned in the 1930s. There were two types of overprint; horizontal (applied to the 1 lepton, 2, 3, and 15 lepta and 2 drachmae values) and vertical (applied to the 20 lepta).
A 25 lepta commemorative stamp was issued on December 1, 1913 for use only by Cretan post offices.This stamp depicts the May 1, 1913 raising of the Greek flag on Souda Island
, marking the annexation of Crete to the Kingdom of Greece. It was printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. of London with perforation 14½. It remained in circulation for only one year.
, and the new territory it brought Greece, led to an increase in demand for regular stamps. The increased demand, combined with a wartime money shortage, led the Greek government to seek the least expensive means of producing stamps in large quantities. It was decided to re-print the existing definitives using lithography; the resulting set is known as the "Lithographic issue". Also printed by Aspiotis Bros., the sheets were delivered on unwatermarked paper with perforation 13½. The eighteen values in this set were not issued all at once, but ranged in date from 1913 to 1923, as follows: 1 lepton, 2, 3, 5 ,10, 20 and 25 lepta (1913); 15 lepta (1918); 30, 40 and 50 lepta (1914); 80 lepta (1923); 1 drachma, 2 drachmae (1919); 3 drachmae (1920); 5, 10 and 25 drachmae (1922).
The 25 and 40 lepta and 1 drachma values from this set were re-issued in 1926, printed in Vienna using new plates.
successfully rebelled against Ottoman rule shortly before the First Balkan War, in July and September 1912 respectively. The former was declared the "Free State of Ikaria" by a provisional government, which proceeded to issue its own stamps. These were printed by Stangel & Co. in Athens and issued in October 1912. They were inscribed ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΑ ΠΟΛΙΤΕΙΑ ΙΚΑΡΙΑΣ (Free State of Ikaria) and depicted Penelope
, the wife of Odysseus
. The values in this set of eight consisted of 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 lepta, 1 drachma and 2 and 5 drachmae. Ikaria was occupied by Greek forces in November 1912, after which overprinted Greek stamps replaced the local issue.
Though the revolutionary government on Samos wished to become part of Greece, this did not happen until late 1914 when a General Administrator was sent from Athens to take charge. In the meantime, the Samian government issued several sets of stamps. The first, issued on November 14, 1912, was a set of three depicting a map of Samos with the inscription ΠΡΟΣΩΡΙΝΟΝ ΤΑΧΥΔΡΟΜΕΙΟΝ ΣΑΜΟΥ (Provisional Post Office of Samos). All were imperforate and printed locally by hand. The second, depicting a profile of Hermes, was printed by Stangel & Co. and released in two batches. The first batch, issued on November 26, consisted of five values (1 lepton, 5, 10, 25 and 50 lepta) with perforation 11½; the second, issued on December 22, was overprinted with ΕΛΛΑΣ in boldface type. It included the values from the first batch plus a 1 drachma value. This would be known as the "Large ΕΛΛΑΣ" overprint to distinguish it from a second, thinner overprint applied in February 1914 (the "Thin ΕΛΛΑΣ"). A third set, the "castles" issue, was released on January 4, 1913. Consisting of five values (1 drachma, 2, 5, 10 and 25 drachmae), it commemorated both an 1824 Greek victory
over the Ottoman Empire at Gerontas Bay and the 1912 vote for union with Greece. The stamps were printed at the shop of lithographer O.K. Travlos in Vathy
and signed ΘΣ, the initials of Samian president Themistoklis Sophoulis
. Red ink was used for the signatures on all values except the 25 drachmae, on which black ink was used. An illustrated postal card
was issued along with the Hermes set; printed on one side was the 5 lepta value from that set and the Greek coat of arms, the other side depicted Vathy palace and portraits of Sophoulis and Lykourgos Logothetis, the island's leader in the Greek War of Independence
. All issues were replaced by the ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΟΙΚΗΣΙΣ and Campaign stamps when Greece assumed control of Samos. In December 1914 some of the Hermes and "castles" stamps were re-issued as charity stamps, with the overprint Γενική Διοίκησις Σάμου (General Administration of Samos).
Mytilene was occupied by Greek forces near the end of 1912. Turkish stamps were seized from the main post office and overprinted with Ελληνική Κατοχή Μυτιλήνης ("Greek Occupation of Mytilene"). This overprint was applied at the print shop of the newspaper Salpinx ("Trumpet"). Since there was no Greek currency available on Mytilene at the time, the overprinted stamps retained their value in Turkish paras and piastre
s.
, several cities in Thrace came under Greek occupation. Overprinted stamps were subsequently issued for the Thracian cities of Dedeagatch (July 1913) and Giumulzina
(August 1913). In the former, a three-line overprint reading ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΟΙΚΗΣΙΣ ΔΕΔΕΑΓΑΤΣ (Hellenic Administration of Dedeagatch) along with new values was applied to stamps of Bulgaria
. This was followed by three sets of locally printed stamps, one in July and two in September 1913. Printed on three different colors of paper (white, yellow and blue), they were inscribed ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΟΙΚΗΣΙΣ ΔΕΔΕΑΓΑΤΣ with values at the bottom. The September issues bore the added inscription ΠΡΟΣΩΡΙΝON (Provisional). In the latter, the overprint ΕΛΛ. ΔΙΟΙΚ. ΓΚΙΟΥΜΟΥΛΤΖΙΝΑΣ (Hellenic Administration of Giumulzina) in blue and red was applied to Turkish stamps along with new values (10 and 25 lepta). Both cities were returned to Bulgaria after the war.
In 1920, after World War I
, Greece regained control of western Thrace. The Greek occupying authorities issued three sets of stamps for use in the region: stamps from the "Engraved", "Lithographic" and 1916 "ET" issues overprinted with Διοίκησις Δυτικής Θράκης (Administration of Western Thrace), released in May 1920; Turkish stamps overprinted with Υπάτη Αρμοστεία Θράκης (High Commission of Thrace) and new values, released in July 1920; and Greek stamps from the three sets listed above, overprinted with Διοίκησις Θράκης and released the same year.
(the National Schism). In October 1916 a pro-Entente group formed a separate, provisional government
in Thessaloniki, led by Eleftherios Venizelos
. The Athens government, to prevent them from using stamps already in circulation, ordered those stamps to be overprinted with the letters "ET" and the Greek crown. This overprint was applied to stamps from the "Engraved" and "Lithographic" sets, which were then issued on November 1, 1916.
, and was applied at the National Printing House in Athens.
and the White Tower of Thessaloniki
; therefore it was known as the "Landscapes set". A 1 lepton value was printed but never issued. The printing plates were manufactured by the firm Thomas McDonald of London and printing took place at Aspiotis Bros. Several later issues were intended to supplement this set; the 1933 Republic set (50, 75 and 100 drachmae), the 1934 Athens Stadium
stamp (8 drachmae) and the 1935 Mystras
stamp (4 drachmae). Between 1931 and 1935, the 50 lepta, 1 drachma, and 2, 3, 10, 15 and 25 drachmae values were re-issued. The set was withdrawn from circulation in 1939.
A further definitive issue was released in the late 1930s. Known as the "Historical issue", it was issued in three phases. Its first phase, issued on November 1, 1937, was a set of four stamps which depicted King George II
, including values of 1 drachma and 3, 8 and 100 drachmae. The 3 drachmae value represented the domestic postal rate, and the 8 drachmae value the international postal rate. On November 1, 1937 the second phase, devoted to Themes from the evolution of the Greek civilization, was issued. It consisted of thirteen values (5, 10, 20, 40, 50, and 80 lepta and 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 15 and 25 drachmae) depicting important works of art and episodes in Greek history, such as the Venus de Milo
, the Battle of Salamis
and St. Paul preaching in Athens. The third phase was issued on October 8, 1938, to commemorate the unveiling of a statue of King Constantine I in Athens; it depicted that statue and consisted of two values (1.5 and 30 drachmae).
The "Historical issue" was withdrawn from circulation in 1941 (the King George and King Constantine issues) and 1943 (the Greek civilization set).
stamps, known as the "Patagonia set", were released in mid-October 1926. They were intended for use on airmail letters from Greece to Italy
and Turkey
, and produced by the Italian firm Aero Espresso Italiana (AEI). The design, by A. Gavalas, depicted flying boats against various backgrounds. The set was printed in Milan, Italy, reputedly by the firm Bestetti & Tumminelli, and consisted of four values (2, 3, 5 and 10 drachmae). This issue remained in circulation until 1933, when it was replaced by the zeppelin and "Aeroespresso" issues, also produced by AEI.
The zeppelin
issue, consisting of three values (30, 100 and 120 drachmae), was issued May 2, 1933 and remained on sale until May 27. It was released in connection with the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin
's May 29 flight to Rome and depicted a zeppelin flying over the Acropolis of Athens
.
Its successor, the "Aeroespresso set", was released on October 10, 1933; its designs depicted flight-related themes. It was printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. of London and consisted of seven values (50 lepta, 1 drachma, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 50 drachmae). This set remained in circulation until 1935.
All unsold stamps from these three sets were returned to AEI, who then placed them on the philatelic market.
On November 2, 1933 the Greek government, in conjunction with the Hellenic Aerial Communications Company, issued its own set of airmail stamps for general use. The plates were produced by Thomas De La Rue (UK) and the printing was done by Aspioti ELKA. This set, depicting airplanes over various locations in Greece, consisted of seven values (50 lepta, 1 drachma, 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 drachmae).
After the "Aeroepresso" set was withdrawn from circulation in 1935, Greece issued a new set of nine airmail stamps. Called the "Mythological issue", its designs, by M. Biskinis, depicted figures from ancient Greek mythology like Daedalus and Icarus, Helios
and Athena
. As with the first government issue, the plates were produced by Thomas De La Rue and the printing done by Aspioti ELKA. It was released on November 10, 1935 and consisted of nine values (1 drachma, 2, 5, 7, 10, 25, 30, 50 and 100 drachmae). Due to vast growth in airmail correspondence in the mid-to-late 1930s, several values of this set (1 drachma, 2, 5, 7 and 10 drachmae) were re-issued in 1937 and 1939.
occupation, which lasted until October 1944. During this time, regular Greek stamps continued to be issued. A new definitive set depicting Greek landscapes including the Meteora
monasteries and Aspropotamos River, intended to replace the 1937 "Historical issue", was released in two batches of nine. The first was issued in 1942 and consisted of 2, 5, 10, 15, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 200 drachmae values. Due to vastly increasing inflation later in the occupation period, the second batch, issued in 1944, bore higher values ranging from 500 to 5,000,000 drachmae. This set remained in circulation until November 11, 1944. On that date, to accompany a post-occupation money reform, three stamps from the "Historical" set (the 50 lepta and 2 and 5 drachmae values) were issued with the overprint ΔΡΑΧΜΑΙ ΝΕΑΙ (New Drachmae). The new exchange rate
was fixed at 50 billion old drachmae to 1 new drachma. In May 1945, the 6 drachma "Historical" value was issued with the same overprint.
In 1945 a new set of eight definitives, the "Glory issue", was released. Intended to cover regular mail, airmail and international parcel post as well as replace the ΔΡΑΧΜΑΙ ΝΕΑΙ set, it included values of 1 drachma, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 drachmae and was perforated 12½ x 13½. This set was named for its depiction of Nikolaos Gysis' painting The Glory of Psara.
During the occupation, Greek airmail was limited to two domestic routes; Athens-Thessaloniki and Athens-Heraklion
. Foreign destinations were likewise restricted to Germany
, Italy and certain Axis-occupied countries. At first, Greek postage due stamps were converted for airmail use by being overprinted with a small airplane design in red. However, these sold out rather quickly, creating the need for a new issue. A set of six values (2, 5, 10, 20, 25 and 50 drachmae) with designs by O. Perivolarakis depicting various Anemoi
, or wind gods, was released on August 15, 1942. This set was re-printed in 1943, with three existing values (10, 25 and 50 drachmae) in different colors from the originals and three new values (100, 200 and 400 drachmae). Inflation rendered these stamps useless for mailing by April 1944; they were withdrawn from circulation in July. In the meantime, the use of regular stamps to cover airmail rates was allowed.
bombardment of Piraeus
in January 1944. It was withdrawn from circulation on June 30, 1944. On July 20, 1944 a third set, also of ten and again using definitive and airmail stamps, was released. Its overprint read ΠΑΙΔΙΚΑΙ ΕΞΟΧΑΙ ΔΡΧ. 50.000 + 450.000 (Children's camps dr. 50,000 + 450,000); proceeds went toward the support of children's camps. This set was withdrawn from circulation on November 11, 1944.
formed throughout Greece not long after its occupation. The two largest resistance groups, the National Liberation Front (E.A.M.) and the National Republican Greek League (E.D.E.S.), produced stamps for use in areas under their control - though few of them would actually be used postally.
E.A.M.'s single issue, a set of eight consisting of eight values (1000, 2000, 4000, 6000, 8000, 10000, 25000 and 40000 drachmae) inscribed ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΗ ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ("Free Greece"), was produced on February 25, 1944. The set was never used, though some were cancelled with an E.A.M. handstamp.
E.D.E.S. produced three sets, only one of which saw postal use. The first two, a set of five (values 15, 25, 50, 100 and 200 drachmae) and a single stamp (1000 drachmae) inscribed Free Greece, were produced in 1943 and July 1944 respectively; all were imperforate. Almost all stamps from their second issue were confiscated by the occupying Germans. The third set, which unlike the others was perforated, was produced on July 23. Issued to commemorate two years of E.D.E.S.' existence, it consisted of four values (2000, 4000, 6000 and 8000 drachmae). It was not placed on sale until November 25, 1944. This date marked the second anniversary of the Resistance's destruction
of the Gorgopotamos railway bridge. To commemorate that event, the third E.D.E.S. issue was overprinted with ΓΟΡΓΟΠΟΤΑΜΟΣ 25-11-1942 (Gorgopotamos 25-11-1942) and placed on sale for one day at the Ioannina
post office with the condition that they would be attached to a cover
.
As Greece was gradually liberated from occupation in 1944, local overprints and new values on the 1942 definitives were used for mail in some of the newly freed areas; Lefkada
, Lesbos, Agrinio
and Preveza
. Values on these overprinted issues ranged from 100,000 to 10,000,000 drachmae.
union set (twenty-three values released between 1947 and 1951), the Marshall Plan
set (six values, 1951), the National products set (seven values, 1953), the ancient art series (1954–55, 1958–60), the ancient coins series (1959, 1963), the tourist publicity set (seventeen values, 1961), the King Paul
set (ten values, 1964), the labors of Hercules set (eleven values, 1970), the national costumes series (1972–74), the Homer
's epics set (fifteen values, 1983), the capitals of prefecture
s series (1988, 1990, 1992, 1994), the Greek dances set (2002) and the Greek islands series (2004, 2006).
Greece's final set of airmail stamps, a set of seven depicting Greek harbors, was issued in 1958.
Charity stamps benefiting various foundations were issued between 1914 and 1956. The first, a set of two from 1914 depicted the allegorical figure "The Tragedy of War". Its values were 2 and 5 lepta; proceeds went to the National Welfare Foundation. Other early issues included a 5 lepta stamp for the Greek Women's Patriotic League, released in 1915 and depicting the League's badge, and several for the Red Cross Fund. Issued in 1915, 1918 and 1924, their designs included the Red Cross symbol along with nurses and wounded soldiers. The 1918 issue was also released with the overprint "Π.Ι.Π." (Patriotic Relief Institution); proceeds went to the Greek Patriotic League.
During the National Schism of 1917, the Athens government ordered the surcharge "K.Π." and new values applied to Flying Mercury, Campaign and revenue stamps. At first, this only applied to those parts of Greece they controlled; for a short time after the Schism ended, use of these surcharged stamps was extended to the whole country.
In 1939, a set of three (10 and 50 lepta and 1 drachma) which depicted Queens Olga and Sophia
was released.
A number of charity stamps were produced to benefit postal workers; initially proceeds went to the Postal Clerks' Tuberculosis Fund, to aid postal workers suffering from that disease. Later, starting in 1946, they were applied to the Postal Clerks' Welfare Fund. The first issue, a set of three (10, 20 and 50 lepta) depicting the goddess Hygeia, was released in 1934. It was re-released in 1935, with the inscription ΕΛΛΑΣ added at the top of each stamp. Use of these stamps was obligatory on all mail during four weeks of the year, including Christmas, Easter and the New Year, and year-round on parcel post packages. The 50 lepta stamp from the 1935 set was re-issued in 1939 with different colors; in 1941, Hygeia stamps were released with a surcharge of 50 lepta. In addition, from 1940 to 1945, surcharges and new values were applied to stamps from the 1927 Landscapes set, the "Historical issue", the 1939 charity set and 1942 definitives.
Other charity stamps included the Thessaloniki International Fair Fund issue, a 20 lepta stamp from 1934 which depicted St. Demetrius; its use was obligatory on domestic mail from Thessaloniki. It was re-issued with a 1 drachma surcharge in 1942. St. Demetrius was also depicted on a 50 drachmae charity stamp released in 1948; proceeds from its sale went toward the restoration of historic sites and churches destroyed during World War II.
Later issues included a 1953 set of two (300 and 500 drachmae) to raise funds for reconstruction in the Ionian Islands after an earthquake
and a 1956 set of two (50 lepta and 1 drachma) for the Macedonian Studies Society Fund, to help finance archaeological studies in the region.
The first items of postal stationery
to be issued by Greece were postcard
s in 1876, post paid envelopes and Lettercard
s were issued in 1894 followed by newspaper wrappers in 1901. Aerogrammes were first issued in 1967. Postcards and aerogrammes continue to be available to this day. The last issue of envelopes was in 1941. Three different values of newspaper wrappers were issued in 1901, in 1911 one new newspaper wrapper was issued and no further newspaper wrappers were issued after this date.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
's first postal service was founded in 1828, at the time of Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. This initial service continued mail delivery and, later, the issuing of postage stamps until 1970. It was then succeeded by the Hellenic Post
Hellenic Post
The Hellenic Post S.A. is the state-owned provider of postal services in Greece. It succeeded the former government Postal Service, founded in 1828. ELTA provides a universal postal service to all parts of Greece and is a member of the Universal Postal Union...
S.A. (abbreviated ΕΛΤΑ), which remains Greece's official postal provider. The first Greek stamps (known as "Large Hermes head
Large Hermes head
Large Hermes heads is the name used by philatelists to describe the first issue of Greek stamps, issued in 1861 and used until 1886.The stamps depict a profile of the Greek messenger god Hermes in a frame strongly resembling that used for contemporary stamps of France. The first set was issued on...
s") were issued in 1861; by then, the postal service had expanded to operate 97 branches.
In 1875, Greece was among the founding members of the General Postal Union (renamed the Universal Postal Union in 1878).
Greece's territory and population was greatly expanded by the 1912-1913 Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
; it acquired some additional territory during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. This led to the issuing of several sets of occupation stamps, which consisted of both existing stamp issues with overprint
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...
s and newly printed issues. In addition to these, some of the so-called "New Territories", notably the islands of Ikaria and Samos
Samoš
Samoš is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Kovačica municipality, in the South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,247 people .-See also:...
, issued their own stamps prior to becoming part of Greece.
Beginning with the Olympic issue of 1896, Greece has issued a number of commemorative stamp
Commemorative stamp
A commemorative stamp is a postage stamp, often issued on a significant date such as an anniversary, to honor or commemorate a place, event or person. The subject of the commemorative stamp is usually spelled out in print, unlike definitive stamps which normally depict the subject along with the...
s. Their subjects have included Greek history, art, mythology and wildlife.
Ionian Islands (1859-1864)
The first Greek-inscribed stamps were not issued by Greece proper, but by the nearby Ionian IslandsIonian Islands
The Ionian Islands are a group of islands in Greece. They are traditionally called the Heptanese, i.e...
. Under British rule from 1815 to 1864, this island group was known as the United States of the Ionian Islands
United States of the Ionian Islands
The United States of the Ionian Islands was a state and amical protectorate of the United Kingdom between 1815 and 1864. It was the successor state of the Septinsular Republic...
. A set of three stamps was issued on May 15, 1859. Printed by Perkins, Bacon & Co. of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and inscribed ΙΟΝΙΚΟΝ ΚΡΑΤΟΣ (Ionian State), they depicted a profile of Queen Victoria. All were imperforate and bore no face value, this being indicated by their colors; orange (½ penny), blue (1 penny) and lake (2 pence). These stamps became invalid after the Ionian Islands were ceded to Greece on June 28, 1864.
Large Hermes heads (1861-1888)
The first stamps of Greece were the so-called "Large Hermes heads", depicting a profile of the Greek messenger god Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
in a frame strongly resembling that used for contemporary stamps of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The basic design was by the French engraver Albert Désiré Barre and the first batch was printed in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
by Ernst Meyer. The first set was issued on October 1, 1861. It consisted of seven denominations (1 lepton
Greek lepton
Lepton pl. Lepta is the name of various fractional units of currency used in the Greek-speaking world from antiquity until today...
, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 lepta). In November 1861 the printing plates were transferred to Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
and subsequent printings made there. The plates continued in use into the mid-1880s, resulting in a number of varieties due to plates becoming worn and then cleaned, as well as the printing of the stamps on several kinds of 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...
. Most types were also printed with control numbers on the back, and all were imperforate. Additional denominations (30 and 60 lepta) were introduced in 1876, to comply with the General Postal Union's international letter rates (30 lepta for basic, 60 for registered letters).
Postage due stamps (1875-1902)
The first postage duePostage 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 of Greece were issued in 1875. The first batch was printed in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, as were further releases in 1876 and 1890-1893. Green to yellow-green in color, with numerals declaring each stamp's value along with the inscription ειοπρακτέον(-α) (postage due(s)) inside a central circle, these stamps are known as "rologakia" (little clocks). The first two sets consisted of twelve values; 1 lepton, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 70, 80 and 90 lepta, 1 drachma and 2 drachmae. The third contained only the 1 lepton, 2, 5, 40 and 60 lepta. The stamps were issued with a variety of perforations: 9, 9½, 10, 10½ and compound.
A second design, with its inscription contained in a scroll pattern in place of the circle, was issued in 1902. Known as the London issue, it was printed by Perkins, Bacon & Co., with engraving by the Johnstonia Engraving Company. These stamps had perforations of 13½. In place of the earlier issues' 60, 70, 80 and 90 lepta values, the London issue introduced new denominations of 3, 25, 30 and 50 lepta; it also dropped the 2 drachmae value. With only minor changes, this design has been used on all Greek postage due stamps since.
Small Hermes heads (1886-1900)
In 1883, Greece's postal service reduced its international letter rates to 25 and 50 lepta (for basic and registered letters respectively). This, as well as the need for a new 1 drachma value to cover parcel post
Parcel post
Parcel post is a service of a postal administration for sending parcels through the post. It is generally one of the less expensive ways to ship packages that are too heavy to be sent by regular letter post and is usually a slower method of transportation....
services, led to the issue of a new set of stamps. This set, the "Small Hermes heads", first appeared in 1886. The first batch was printed in Malines, Belgium
Mechelen
Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...
followed by numerous reprints in Athens until 1900. Like their predecessors, they depicted Hermes in profile, but with a smaller head and a rounder helmet. Initially the sheets were imperforate. Perforated versions, initially 13½ and later 11½, became available in 1891. The denominations were 1 lepton, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 40, and 50 lepta and 1 drachma.
In September 1900 some of the small Hermes head stamps (blue 25 lepta and violet 40 lepta) were surcharged
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...
with different values (20 lepta, 1 drachma and 2 drachmae) due to the delay in printing the new Flying Mercury issue.
1896 Olympic issue
Commemorative stamp
A commemorative stamp is a postage stamp, often issued on a significant date such as an anniversary, to honor or commemorate a place, event or person. The subject of the commemorative stamp is usually spelled out in print, unlike definitive stamps which normally depict the subject along with the...
s were issued in 1896 for the 1896 Summer Olympics
1896 Summer Olympics
The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Athens, Greece, from April 6 to April 15, 1896. It was the first international Olympic Games held in the Modern era...
, the first Olympic games in modern times. The series consisted of twelve values (1 lepton, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 40 and 60 lepta, 1 drachma and 2, 5 and 10 drachmae). There were eight different designs, by Professor I. Svoronos, which included famous sports-related images from ancient Greece, such as a chariot race and Myron
Myron
Myron of Eleutherae working circa 480-440 BC, was an Athenian sculptor from the mid-5th century BC. He was born in Eleutherae on the borders of Boeotia and Attica. According to Pliny's Natural History, Ageladas of Argos was his teacher....
's Discobolus
Discobolus
The Discobolus of Myron is a famous Greek sculpture that was completed towards the end of the Severe period, circa 460-450 BC. The original Greek bronze is lost...
. The stamps were designed by Swiss artist A. Guilleron, the steel dies were created by the French engraver Louis-Eugène Mouchon and printing took place at the National Printing Office of France. The name E. MOUCHON appears at the bottom side of each stamp. The stamps were delivered in perforated sheets (13½ x 14). They were at first meant to be sold only during the Games, but their circulation period was extended; first to March 1897, then until they were sold out. The 1896 Olympics stamps, of which the 5 and 10 drachmae denominations are relatively rare, remain popular with collectors of topical stamps relating to sports and Olympic games.
A M overprints (1900-1901)
In 1900 and 1901, a variety of existing Greek stamps (Large Hermes heads, Small Hermes heads and 1896 Olympics) were surcharged in black or red with new values and also with the letters "A M", standing for the Greek words Αξία Μεταλλική ("Axia Metalliki" or "value in (gold) metal"), meaning that the face values were based on the gold standardGold standard
The gold standard is a monetary system in which the standard economic unit of account is a fixed mass of gold. There are distinct kinds of gold standard...
of the Latin Monetary Union
Latin Monetary Union
The Latin Monetary Union was a 19th century attempt to unify several European currencies, at a time when most circulating coins were still made of gold and silver...
. These stamps were sold at the post offices at a price higher than the face value, due to the depreciation of the drachma. The "A M" stamps were mainly used for international parcel post and postal money orders, although they are sometimes found on normal letter covers. In 1902 these stamps were withdrawn and replaced with the "A M" series.
Flying Mercury and A M issues (1901-1902)
In 1901, a new series of definitive stampDefinitive stamp
A definitive stamp is a postage stamp, that is part of a regular issue of a country's stamps available for sale by the postal service for an extended period of time...
s was issued, replacing the small Hermes heads and the overprints of 1900. The new stamps depicted Giovanni da Bologna's statue of Hermes/Mercury (c. 1564). The series included fourteen denominations in three different designs: 1 lepton, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50 lepta, 1 drachma and 2, 3 and 5 drachmae. The high values of this series are notable for being printed in metallic colors; bronze (2d), silver (3d), and gold (5d). The stamps were printed on two qualities of paper (thick and thin) with watermark "ET" and crown. The sheets were delivered with perforation 13½ for the low values and 11½ for the high values, although small quantities were delivered with different perforations.
In 1902 an additional series of five stamps was issued, depicting the head of the same statue. These stamps were in values of gold currency and inscribed "A M" for Αξία Μεταλλική ("Axia Metalliki" or "value in metal"). They replaced the provisional "A M" overprints of 1900-1901 for international parcel post and money orders. The series was printed by Perkins, Bacon & Co. on thick paper, watermarked with "ET" and crown and delivered with perforation 13½. These stamps were also used briefly as 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 in 1913.
The 1901-1902 issues remained in regular use until 1911.
1906 Olympic issue
Commemorative issue for the 1906 Intercalated Games1906 Summer Olympics
The 1906 Intercalated Games or 1906 Olympic Games were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in Athens, Greece. They were at the time considered to be Olympic Games and were referred to as the "Second International Olympic Games in Athens" by the International Olympic Committee...
. This set of stamps was printed by Perkins, Bacon & Co. and issued on March 25, 1906. It consisted of fourteen denominations (1 lepton, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50 lepta, 1 drachma and 2, 3 and 5 drachmae). Special commemorative cancellations were used during the Games at Zappeion (ΖΑΠΠΕΙΟΝ), Stadium (ΣΤΑΔΙΟΝ) and Acropolis (ΑΚΡΟΠΟΛΙΣ) provisional post offices. The 1906 Olympics stamps were never withdrawn and can be found with postmarks dated until 1910. They were also overprinted for use as revenue stamps.
1911 Engraved issue
In 1911, a new series of definitive stamps was issued to replace the Flying Mercury set. There were four different designs, by I. Svoronos (who had designed the 1896 Olympic issue) and G. Jakovides, which depicted Hermes and the rainbow goddess IrisIris (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Iris is the personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods. As the sun unites Earth and heaven, Iris links the gods to humanity...
. The set consisted of sixteen values (1 lepton, 2, 3, 5 ,10, 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50 lepta, 1 drachma and 2, 3, 5, 10 and 25 drachmae). It would become known as the "Engraved issue". The plates were engraved by Thomas McDonald (UK) and printing was done by the firm Gerasimos Aspiotis Bros. of Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
. The sheets were delivered on unwatermarked paper with perforation 13½.
The 3, 5 and 10 drachmae stamps from this set were re-issued in 1921 with slightly altered dimensions, measuring 20½ x 25½ mm.; the original issue measured 20½ x 26½ mm.
General issue ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΟΙΚΗΣΙΣ (1912-1913)
Greece's borders were greatly expanded by the Balkan WarsBalkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
of 1912-1913 as it occupied Macedonia
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
including the city of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, parts of Epirus
Northern Epirus
Northern Epirus is a term used to refer to those parts of the historical region of Epirus, in the western Balkans, that are part of the modern Albania. The term is used mostly by Greeks and is associated with the existence of a substantial ethnic Greek population in the region...
and Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
and various Aegean islands, as well as formally annexing Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. Until these so-called "New Territories" were formally incorporated into Greece, they were not permitted to use regular Greek stamps. In order to cover postal needs in these areas, Greece's government ordered existing stamps to be overprinted with ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΟIΚΗΣΙΣ (Hellenic Administration) until a planned 1912 issue became available. A special overprint, ΛΗΜΝΟΣ, was also ordered for use on the island of Lemnos
Lemnos
Lemnos is an island of Greece in the northern part of the Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos peripheral unit, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Myrina...
, which was occupied in October 1912. These overprints, in three different colors (black, red and carmine
Carmine
Carmine , also called Crimson Lake, Cochineal, Natural Red #4, C.I. 75470, or E120, is a pigment of a bright-red color obtained from the aluminum salt of carminic acid, which is produced by some scale insects, such as the cochineal beetle and the Polish cochineal, and is used as a general term for...
), were applied to the 1911 "Engraved" definitives, the 20 lepta Flying Mercury stamp, the 1902 postage due stamps and some of the 1913 "Lithographic" definitives. This issue went through several printings, initially by Aspiotis Bros. and later by the Aquarone printing house of Thessaloniki. The overprints normally read from the bottom of the stamp to the top; due to misplacement of sheets in the printing press, some were released with the overprint reading from top to bottom.
A variation of this overprint, consisting of the letters "Ε.*Δ" in red, was employed on the island of Chios
Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
in 1913. This was applied locally to a quantity of 25 lepta stamps from the ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΟIΚΗΣΙΣ issue which were mistakenly delivered without the overprint.
Campaign issue and Souda Bay issue (1913)
Constantine I
Constantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
's vision and the Eagle of Zeus; this set would become known as the "Campaign issue". It consisted of the following values: 1 lepton, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50 lepta, 1 drachma and 2, 3, 5, 10 and 25 drachmae. It was printed by Aspiotis Bros. using the lithographic
Lithography
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
process. The stamps were printed on two types of paper, smooth and rough, with perforation 13½. These stamps were occasionally also used in Greece proper.
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
area, these overprinted stamps were never put into circulation; most of them were burned in the 1930s. There were two types of overprint; horizontal (applied to the 1 lepton, 2, 3, and 15 lepta and 2 drachmae values) and vertical (applied to the 20 lepta).
A 25 lepta commemorative stamp was issued on December 1, 1913 for use only by Cretan post offices.This stamp depicts the May 1, 1913 raising of the Greek flag on Souda Island
Souda Bay
Souda Bay is a bay and natural harbour on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. The bay is about 15 km long and only two to four km wide, and a deep natural harbour. It is formed between the Akrotiri peninsula and Cape Drapano, and runs west to east...
, marking the annexation of Crete to the Kingdom of Greece. It was printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. of London with perforation 14½. It remained in circulation for only one year.
Lithographic issue (1913-1923)
The First Balkan WarFirst Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
, and the new territory it brought Greece, led to an increase in demand for regular stamps. The increased demand, combined with a wartime money shortage, led the Greek government to seek the least expensive means of producing stamps in large quantities. It was decided to re-print the existing definitives using lithography; the resulting set is known as the "Lithographic issue". Also printed by Aspiotis Bros., the sheets were delivered on unwatermarked paper with perforation 13½. The eighteen values in this set were not issued all at once, but ranged in date from 1913 to 1923, as follows: 1 lepton, 2, 3, 5 ,10, 20 and 25 lepta (1913); 15 lepta (1918); 30, 40 and 50 lepta (1914); 80 lepta (1923); 1 drachma, 2 drachmae (1919); 3 drachmae (1920); 5, 10 and 25 drachmae (1922).
The 25 and 40 lepta and 1 drachma values from this set were re-issued in 1926, printed in Vienna using new plates.
Ikaria, Mytilene and Samos (1912-1915)
The Aegean islands of Ikaria and SamosSamoš
Samoš is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Kovačica municipality, in the South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,247 people .-See also:...
successfully rebelled against Ottoman rule shortly before the First Balkan War, in July and September 1912 respectively. The former was declared the "Free State of Ikaria" by a provisional government, which proceeded to issue its own stamps. These were printed by Stangel & Co. in Athens and issued in October 1912. They were inscribed ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΑ ΠΟΛΙΤΕΙΑ ΙΚΑΡΙΑΣ (Free State of Ikaria) and depicted Penelope
Penelope
In Homer's Odyssey, Penelope is the faithful wife of Odysseus, who keeps her suitors at bay in his long absence and is eventually reunited with him....
, the wife of Odysseus
Odysseus
Odysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
. The values in this set of eight consisted of 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 lepta, 1 drachma and 2 and 5 drachmae. Ikaria was occupied by Greek forces in November 1912, after which overprinted Greek stamps replaced the local issue.
Though the revolutionary government on Samos wished to become part of Greece, this did not happen until late 1914 when a General Administrator was sent from Athens to take charge. In the meantime, the Samian government issued several sets of stamps. The first, issued on November 14, 1912, was a set of three depicting a map of Samos with the inscription ΠΡΟΣΩΡΙΝΟΝ ΤΑΧΥΔΡΟΜΕΙΟΝ ΣΑΜΟΥ (Provisional Post Office of Samos). All were imperforate and printed locally by hand. The second, depicting a profile of Hermes, was printed by Stangel & Co. and released in two batches. The first batch, issued on November 26, consisted of five values (1 lepton, 5, 10, 25 and 50 lepta) with perforation 11½; the second, issued on December 22, was overprinted with ΕΛΛΑΣ in boldface type. It included the values from the first batch plus a 1 drachma value. This would be known as the "Large ΕΛΛΑΣ" overprint to distinguish it from a second, thinner overprint applied in February 1914 (the "Thin ΕΛΛΑΣ"). A third set, the "castles" issue, was released on January 4, 1913. Consisting of five values (1 drachma, 2, 5, 10 and 25 drachmae), it commemorated both an 1824 Greek victory
Battle of Gerontas
The Battle of Gerontas was a naval battle fought close to the island of Leros in the southeast Aegean Sea. On August 29 , 1824, a Greek fleet of 75 ships defeated an Ottoman armada of 100 ships contributed to by Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria....
over the Ottoman Empire at Gerontas Bay and the 1912 vote for union with Greece. The stamps were printed at the shop of lithographer O.K. Travlos in Vathy
Vathy, Samos
Vathy is a town and a former municipality on the island of Samos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Samos, of which it is a municipal unit. It is the capital and main town of the island. The municipal unit comprises numerous towns,...
and signed ΘΣ, the initials of Samian president Themistoklis Sophoulis
Themistoklis Sophoulis
Themistoklis Sofoulis or Sophoulis was a prominent centrist Greek politician from Samos Island, belonging to the centre-left wing of the Liberal Party, which he led for many years.-Early life:...
. Red ink was used for the signatures on all values except the 25 drachmae, on which black ink was used. An illustrated postal card
Postal card
Postal cards are postal stationery with an imprinted stamp or indicium signifying the prepayment of postage. They are sold by postal authorities. In January, 1869 Emanuel Herrmann of Austria described the advantages of a Correspondenz Karte. By October, 1869 the world's first postal card was...
was issued along with the Hermes set; printed on one side was the 5 lepta value from that set and the Greek coat of arms, the other side depicted Vathy palace and portraits of Sophoulis and Lykourgos Logothetis, the island's leader in the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
. All issues were replaced by the ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΟΙΚΗΣΙΣ and Campaign stamps when Greece assumed control of Samos. In December 1914 some of the Hermes and "castles" stamps were re-issued as charity stamps, with the overprint Γενική Διοίκησις Σάμου (General Administration of Samos).
Mytilene was occupied by Greek forces near the end of 1912. Turkish stamps were seized from the main post office and overprinted with Ελληνική Κατοχή Μυτιλήνης ("Greek Occupation of Mytilene"). This overprint was applied at the print shop of the newspaper Salpinx ("Trumpet"). Since there was no Greek currency available on Mytilene at the time, the overprinted stamps retained their value in Turkish paras and piastre
Kurus
Kuruş is a Turkish currency subunit. Since 2005, one new Turkish lira is equal to 100 kuruş. The kuruş was also the standard unit of currency in the Ottoman Empire until 1844, and from that date until the late 1970s was a subdivision of the former lira. It was subdivided into 40 para , each of...
s.
Greek Occupation of Thrace (1913, 1920)
During the Second Balkan WarSecond Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 29 June 1913. Bulgaria had a prewar agreement about the division of region of Macedonia...
, several cities in Thrace came under Greek occupation. Overprinted stamps were subsequently issued for the Thracian cities of Dedeagatch (July 1913) and Giumulzina
Komotini
Komotini is a city in Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace and of the Rhodope regional unit. It is also the administrative center of the Rhodope-Evros super-prefecture. The city is home to the Democritus University of Thrace, founded in 1973...
(August 1913). In the former, a three-line overprint reading ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΟΙΚΗΣΙΣ ΔΕΔΕΑΓΑΤΣ (Hellenic Administration of Dedeagatch) along with new values was applied to stamps of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. This was followed by three sets of locally printed stamps, one in July and two in September 1913. Printed on three different colors of paper (white, yellow and blue), they were inscribed ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΟΙΚΗΣΙΣ ΔΕΔΕΑΓΑΤΣ with values at the bottom. The September issues bore the added inscription ΠΡΟΣΩΡΙΝON (Provisional). In the latter, the overprint ΕΛΛ. ΔΙΟΙΚ. ΓΚΙΟΥΜΟΥΛΤΖΙΝΑΣ (Hellenic Administration of Giumulzina) in blue and red was applied to Turkish stamps along with new values (10 and 25 lepta). Both cities were returned to Bulgaria after the war.
In 1920, after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Greece regained control of western Thrace. The Greek occupying authorities issued three sets of stamps for use in the region: stamps from the "Engraved", "Lithographic" and 1916 "ET" issues overprinted with Διοίκησις Δυτικής Θράκης (Administration of Western Thrace), released in May 1920; Turkish stamps overprinted with Υπάτη Αρμοστεία Θράκης (High Commission of Thrace) and new values, released in July 1920; and Greek stamps from the three sets listed above, overprinted with Διοίκησις Θράκης and released the same year.
Royal Government ET issue (1916)
During World War I, Greece was divided over the question of joining the Entente Powers or staying neutralNeutrality (international relations)
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
(the National Schism). In October 1916 a pro-Entente group formed a separate, provisional government
Movement of National Defence
The Movement of National Defence was an uprising by Venizelist officers of the Hellenic Army in Thessaloniki in August 1916 against the royal government in Athens. It led to the establishment of a separate, Venizelist Greek government in the north of the country, which entered the First World...
in Thessaloniki, led by Eleftherios Venizelos
Eleftherios Venizelos
Eleftherios Venizelos was an eminent Greek revolutionary, a prominent and illustrious statesman as well as a charismatic leader in the early 20th century. Elected several times as Prime Minister of Greece and served from 1910 to 1920 and from 1928 to 1932...
. The Athens government, to prevent them from using stamps already in circulation, ordered those stamps to be overprinted with the letters "ET" and the Greek crown. This overprint was applied to stamps from the "Engraved" and "Lithographic" sets, which were then issued on November 1, 1916.
Thessaloniki Provisional Government issue (1917)
In response to the "ET" overprints, Venizelos' Provisional Government ordered the engraving and printing of a new set of stamps from Perkins, Bacon and Co. Their design was based on the Iris stamps from the 1911 issue, with the additional inscription ΠΡΟΣΩΡΙΝΗ ΚΥΒΕΡΝΗΣΙΣ (Provisional Government). The set was lithographed on porous paper, with a perforation of 14½. It consisted of eleven values: 1 lepton, 5, 10, 25 and 50 lepta, 1 drachma and 2, 3, 5, 10 and 25 drachmae. A 4 drachmae value was also printed, but was only used as a revenue stamp.1922 Revolution overprints (1923)
In May 1923, the overprint ΕΠΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΙΣ 1922 (Revolution of 1922) was applied to existing stamps of Crete and Greece, including the 1913 Campaign and 1917 Provisional Government issues. The overprint was in commemoration of the 1922 revolution which led to the second abdication of King Constantine IConstantine I of Greece
Constantine I was King of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and from 1920 to 1922. He was commander-in-chief of the Hellenic Army during the unsuccessful Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and led the Greek forces during the successful Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, in which Greece won Thessaloniki and doubled in...
, and was applied at the National Printing House in Athens.
Definitive issues
A new set of definitive stamps was issued on April 1, 1927. Its fourteen values (5, 10, 20, 25, 40, 50, and 80 lepta, 1 drachma and 2, 3, 10, 15 and 25 drachmae) depicted various landscapes and costumes of Greece, such as the Corinth CanalCorinth Canal
The Corinth Canal is a canal that connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnesian peninsula from the Greek mainland, thus effectively making the former an island. The builders dug the canal through...
and the White Tower of Thessaloniki
White Tower of Thessaloniki
The White Tower of Thessaloniki , is a monument and museum on the waterfront of the city of Thessaloniki, capital of the region of Macedonia in northern Greece and a symbol of Greek sovereignty over Macedonia...
; therefore it was known as the "Landscapes set". A 1 lepton value was printed but never issued. The printing plates were manufactured by the firm Thomas McDonald of London and printing took place at Aspiotis Bros. Several later issues were intended to supplement this set; the 1933 Republic set (50, 75 and 100 drachmae), the 1934 Athens Stadium
Panathinaiko Stadium
The Panathinaiko or Panathenaic Stadium , also known as the Kallimarmaro , is an athletic stadium in Athens that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896...
stamp (8 drachmae) and the 1935 Mystras
Mystras
Mystras is a fortified town and a former municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Sparti, of which it is a municipal unit. Situated on Mt...
stamp (4 drachmae). Between 1931 and 1935, the 50 lepta, 1 drachma, and 2, 3, 10, 15 and 25 drachmae values were re-issued. The set was withdrawn from circulation in 1939.
A further definitive issue was released in the late 1930s. Known as the "Historical issue", it was issued in three phases. Its first phase, issued on November 1, 1937, was a set of four stamps which depicted King George II
George II of Greece
George II reigned as King of Greece from 1922 to 1924 and from 1935 to 1947.-Early life, first period of kingship and exile:George was born at the royal villa at Tatoi, near Athens, the eldest son of King Constantine I of Greece and his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia...
, including values of 1 drachma and 3, 8 and 100 drachmae. The 3 drachmae value represented the domestic postal rate, and the 8 drachmae value the international postal rate. On November 1, 1937 the second phase, devoted to Themes from the evolution of the Greek civilization, was issued. It consisted of thirteen values (5, 10, 20, 40, 50, and 80 lepta and 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 15 and 25 drachmae) depicting important works of art and episodes in Greek history, such as the Venus de Milo
Venus de Milo
Aphrodite of Milos , better known as the Venus de Milo, is an ancient Greek statue and one of the most famous works of ancient Greek sculpture. Created at some time between 130 and 100 BC, it is believed to depict Aphrodite the Greek goddess of love and beauty. It is a marble sculpture, slightly...
, the Battle of Salamis
Battle of Salamis
The Battle of Salamis was fought between an Alliance of Greek city-states and the Persian Empire in September 480 BCE, in the straits between the mainland and Salamis, an island in the Saronic Gulf near Athens...
and St. Paul preaching in Athens. The third phase was issued on October 8, 1938, to commemorate the unveiling of a statue of King Constantine I in Athens; it depicted that statue and consisted of two values (1.5 and 30 drachmae).
The "Historical issue" was withdrawn from circulation in 1941 (the King George and King Constantine issues) and 1943 (the Greek civilization set).
Early airmail stamps (1926-1939)
Greece's first airmailAirmail
Airmail is mail that is transported by aircraft. It typically arrives more quickly than surface mail, and usually costs more to send...
stamps, known as the "Patagonia set", were released in mid-October 1926. They were intended for use on airmail letters from Greece to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and produced by the Italian firm Aero Espresso Italiana (AEI). The design, by A. Gavalas, depicted flying boats against various backgrounds. The set was printed in Milan, Italy, reputedly by the firm Bestetti & Tumminelli, and consisted of four values (2, 3, 5 and 10 drachmae). This issue remained in circulation until 1933, when it was replaced by the zeppelin and "Aeroespresso" issues, also produced by AEI.
The zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
issue, consisting of three values (30, 100 and 120 drachmae), was issued May 2, 1933 and remained on sale until May 27. It was released in connection with the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was a German built and operated passenger-carrying hydrogen-filled rigid airship which operated commercially from 1928 to 1937. It was named after the German pioneer of airships, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, who was a Graf or Count in the German nobility. During its operating life,...
's May 29 flight to Rome and depicted a zeppelin flying over the Acropolis of Athens
Acropolis of Athens
The Acropolis of Athens or Citadel of Athens is the best known acropolis in the world. Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification...
.
Its successor, the "Aeroespresso set", was released on October 10, 1933; its designs depicted flight-related themes. It was printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. of London and consisted of seven values (50 lepta, 1 drachma, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 50 drachmae). This set remained in circulation until 1935.
All unsold stamps from these three sets were returned to AEI, who then placed them on the philatelic market.
On November 2, 1933 the Greek government, in conjunction with the Hellenic Aerial Communications Company, issued its own set of airmail stamps for general use. The plates were produced by Thomas De La Rue (UK) and the printing was done by Aspioti ELKA. This set, depicting airplanes over various locations in Greece, consisted of seven values (50 lepta, 1 drachma, 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 drachmae).
After the "Aeroepresso" set was withdrawn from circulation in 1935, Greece issued a new set of nine airmail stamps. Called the "Mythological issue", its designs, by M. Biskinis, depicted figures from ancient Greek mythology like Daedalus and Icarus, Helios
Helios
Helios was the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology. Homer often calls him simply Titan or Hyperion, while Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn separate him as a son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia or Euryphaessa and brother of the goddesses Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn...
and Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
. As with the first government issue, the plates were produced by Thomas De La Rue and the printing done by Aspioti ELKA. It was released on November 10, 1935 and consisted of nine values (1 drachma, 2, 5, 7, 10, 25, 30, 50 and 100 drachmae). Due to vast growth in airmail correspondence in the mid-to-late 1930s, several values of this set (1 drachma, 2, 5, 7 and 10 drachmae) were re-issued in 1937 and 1939.
Definitive issues
In April–May 1941, Greece came under AxisAxis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
occupation, which lasted until October 1944. During this time, regular Greek stamps continued to be issued. A new definitive set depicting Greek landscapes including the Meteora
Meteora
The Metéora is one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos. The six monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars, at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains, in...
monasteries and Aspropotamos River, intended to replace the 1937 "Historical issue", was released in two batches of nine. The first was issued in 1942 and consisted of 2, 5, 10, 15, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 200 drachmae values. Due to vastly increasing inflation later in the occupation period, the second batch, issued in 1944, bore higher values ranging from 500 to 5,000,000 drachmae. This set remained in circulation until November 11, 1944. On that date, to accompany a post-occupation money reform, three stamps from the "Historical" set (the 50 lepta and 2 and 5 drachmae values) were issued with the overprint ΔΡΑΧΜΑΙ ΝΕΑΙ (New Drachmae). The new exchange rate
Exchange rate
In finance, an exchange rate between two currencies is the rate at which one currency will be exchanged for another. It is also regarded as the value of one country’s currency in terms of another currency...
was fixed at 50 billion old drachmae to 1 new drachma. In May 1945, the 6 drachma "Historical" value was issued with the same overprint.
In 1945 a new set of eight definitives, the "Glory issue", was released. Intended to cover regular mail, airmail and international parcel post as well as replace the ΔΡΑΧΜΑΙ ΝΕΑΙ set, it included values of 1 drachma, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 drachmae and was perforated 12½ x 13½. This set was named for its depiction of Nikolaos Gysis' painting The Glory of Psara.
During the occupation, Greek airmail was limited to two domestic routes; Athens-Thessaloniki and Athens-Heraklion
Heraklion
Heraklion, or Heraclion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete, Greece. It is the 4th largest city in Greece....
. Foreign destinations were likewise restricted to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy and certain Axis-occupied countries. At first, Greek postage due stamps were converted for airmail use by being overprinted with a small airplane design in red. However, these sold out rather quickly, creating the need for a new issue. A set of six values (2, 5, 10, 20, 25 and 50 drachmae) with designs by O. Perivolarakis depicting various Anemoi
Anemoi
In Greek mythology, the Anemoi were Greek wind gods who were each ascribed a cardinal direction from which their respective winds came , and were each associated with various seasons and weather conditions...
, or wind gods, was released on August 15, 1942. This set was re-printed in 1943, with three existing values (10, 25 and 50 drachmae) in different colors from the originals and three new values (100, 200 and 400 drachmae). Inflation rendered these stamps useless for mailing by April 1944; they were withdrawn from circulation in July. In the meantime, the use of regular stamps to cover airmail rates was allowed.
Semi-Postal stamps
Greece's first semi-postal stamps were produced during the occupation. The first, a set of three, was issued on October 3, 1943. It consisted of the following values and designs; 25 + 25 drachmae (portrait of a child), 100 + 50 drachmae (portrait of a mother and baby) and 200 + 100 drachmae (portrait of the Virgin Mary and infant Christ). Use of these stamps was mandatory on domestic mail through that month; proceeds from their sale went toward the Patriotic Charity and Awareness Institution Fund, for use in children's welfare programs. A second semi-postal set of ten, consisting of 1942 definitives and 1944 airmail issues surcharged with ΒΟΜΒΑΡΔΙΣΜΟΣ ΠΕΙΡΑΙΩΣ 11-1-1944 ΔΡ. 100.000 (Bombardment of Piraeus 11-1-1944 dr. 100,000), was issued on June 11, 1944. This set's proceeds were used to aid the families of victims of the AlliedAllies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
bombardment of Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
in January 1944. It was withdrawn from circulation on June 30, 1944. On July 20, 1944 a third set, also of ten and again using definitive and airmail stamps, was released. Its overprint read ΠΑΙΔΙΚΑΙ ΕΞΟΧΑΙ ΔΡΧ. 50.000 + 450.000 (Children's camps dr. 50,000 + 450,000); proceeds went toward the support of children's camps. This set was withdrawn from circulation on November 11, 1944.
National Resistance issues
Resistance movementsGreek Resistance
The Greek Resistance is the blanket term for a number of armed and unarmed groups from across the political spectrum that resisted the Axis Occupation of Greece in the period 1941–1944, during World War II.-Origins:...
formed throughout Greece not long after its occupation. The two largest resistance groups, the National Liberation Front (E.A.M.) and the National Republican Greek League (E.D.E.S.), produced stamps for use in areas under their control - though few of them would actually be used postally.
E.A.M.'s single issue, a set of eight consisting of eight values (1000, 2000, 4000, 6000, 8000, 10000, 25000 and 40000 drachmae) inscribed ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΗ ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ("Free Greece"), was produced on February 25, 1944. The set was never used, though some were cancelled with an E.A.M. handstamp.
E.D.E.S. produced three sets, only one of which saw postal use. The first two, a set of five (values 15, 25, 50, 100 and 200 drachmae) and a single stamp (1000 drachmae) inscribed Free Greece, were produced in 1943 and July 1944 respectively; all were imperforate. Almost all stamps from their second issue were confiscated by the occupying Germans. The third set, which unlike the others was perforated, was produced on July 23. Issued to commemorate two years of E.D.E.S.' existence, it consisted of four values (2000, 4000, 6000 and 8000 drachmae). It was not placed on sale until November 25, 1944. This date marked the second anniversary of the Resistance's destruction
Operation Harling
Operation Harling was a World War II mission by the British Special Operations Executive , in cooperation with the Greek Resistance groups ELAS and EDES, which destroyed the heavily guarded Gorgopotamos viaduct in Central Greece on 25 November 1942...
of the Gorgopotamos railway bridge. To commemorate that event, the third E.D.E.S. issue was overprinted with ΓΟΡΓΟΠΟΤΑΜΟΣ 25-11-1942 (Gorgopotamos 25-11-1942) and placed on sale for one day at the Ioannina
Ioannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
post office with the condition that they would be attached to a cover
Cover (philately)
In philately, the term cover pertains to the outside of an envelope or package with an address, typically with postage stamps that have been cancelled and is a term generally used among stamp and postal history collectors. The term does not include the contents of the letter or package, although...
.
As Greece was gradually liberated from occupation in 1944, local overprints and new values on the 1942 definitives were used for mail in some of the newly freed areas; Lefkada
Lefkada
Lefkada, or Leucas or Leucadia , is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea on the west coast of Greece, connected to the mainland by a long causeway and floating bridge. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Lefkada . It is situated on the northern part of the island,...
, Lesbos, Agrinio
Agrinio
Agrinion is the largest city and municipality of the Aetolia-Acarnania peripheral unit of Greece, with 96,321 inhabitants. It is the economical center of Aetolia-Acarnania, although its capital is the town of Mesolonghi. The settlement dates back to ancient times...
and Preveza
Preveza
Preveza is a town in the region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, located at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. It is the capital of the regional unit of Preveza, which is part of the region of Epirus. An immersed tunnel, completed in 2002 which runs between Preveza and Actium, connects the town...
. Values on these overprinted issues ranged from 100,000 to 10,000,000 drachmae.
Post-war definitive issues
In 1946-47 a new set of eighteen definitives, the "chain surcharges", was issued. Stamps from the 1937 "Historical issue" and 1942 definitives and airmail stamps were surcharged in red or black with the design of a closed chain and new values. Since then, Greece has released over twenty definitive issues with subjects including its culture, landscapes, mythology and royalty. Examples include the DodecaneseDodecanese
The Dodecanese are a group of 12 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, of which 26 are inhabited. Τhis island group generally defines the eastern limit of the Sea of Crete. They belong to the Southern Sporades island group...
union set (twenty-three values released between 1947 and 1951), the Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was the large-scale American program to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II in order to combat the spread of Soviet communism. The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948...
set (six values, 1951), the National products set (seven values, 1953), the ancient art series (1954–55, 1958–60), the ancient coins series (1959, 1963), the tourist publicity set (seventeen values, 1961), the King Paul
Paul of Greece
Paul reigned as King of Greece from 1947 to 1964.-Family and early life:Paul was born in Athens, the third son of King Constantine I of Greece and his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia. He was trained as a naval officer....
set (ten values, 1964), the labors of Hercules set (eleven values, 1970), the national costumes series (1972–74), the Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
's epics set (fifteen values, 1983), the capitals of prefecture
Prefecture
A prefecture is an administrative jurisdiction or subdivision in any of various countries and within some international church structures, and in antiquity a Roman district governed by an appointed prefect.-Antiquity:...
s series (1988, 1990, 1992, 1994), the Greek dances set (2002) and the Greek islands series (2004, 2006).
Greece's final set of airmail stamps, a set of seven depicting Greek harbors, was issued in 1958.
Commemorative stamps
Starting with the 1896 Olympic issue, Greece has issued a number of commemorative stamps. Subjects depicted include political and military leaders, athletic events, ancient and modern Greek culture, archaeological discoveries, and wildlife. The "Anniversaries and events" set of March 15, 1982 marked the first contemporary use of the ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ inscription. A brief survey of Greek commemoratives:- Europa - Beginning in 1960, Greece has issued yearly commemoratives as part of the Europa stampEuropa postage stampEuropa stamps have been issued annually since 1956. First sets representing the founding 6 members of the ECSC, European Coal and Steel Community, then by the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations in 1959, and by PostEurop since 1993...
program. It used the common design through 1973; starting in 1974, it has issued stamps with Greek themes like the 1980 Europa issue depicting Giorgos SeferisGiorgos SeferisGiorgos or George Seferis was the pen name of Geōrgios Seferiádēs . He was one of the most important Greek poets of the 20th century, and a Nobel laureate...
and Maria CallasMaria CallasMaria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts...
. - Olympics - Also starting in 1960, commemorative sets have been issued in honor of each Olympic Games; a number of these were issued for the 2004 Summer Olympics2004 Summer OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens, including a set depicting Greek medal winners. - Ancient Greece - Subjects commemorated include PythagorasPythagorasPythagoras of Samos was an Ionian Greek philosopher, mathematician, and founder of the religious movement called Pythagoreanism. Most of the information about Pythagoras was written down centuries after he lived, so very little reliable information is known about him...
(1955), ancient Greek theatre (1959), Minoan art (1961), Greek mythologyGreek mythologyGreek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
(1972–74), Alexander the Great (1977), AristotleAristotleAristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
(1978), Aristarchus of SamosAristarchus of SamosAristarchus, or more correctly Aristarchos , was a Greek astronomer and mathematician, born on the island of Samos, in Greece. He presented the first known heliocentric model of the solar system, placing the Sun, not the Earth, at the center of the known universe...
(1980), the Elgin marblesElgin MarblesThe Parthenon Marbles, forming a part of the collection known as the Elgin Marbles , are a collection of classical Greek marble sculptures , inscriptions and architectural members that originally were part of the Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis of Athens...
(1984), the Muses (1991) and ancient Greek technology such as the Antikythera mechanismAntikythera mechanismThe Antikythera mechanism is an ancient mechanical computer designed to calculate astronomical positions. It was recovered in 1900–1901 from the Antikythera wreck. Its significance and complexity were not understood until decades later. Its time of construction is now estimated between 150 and 100...
(2006). - Political and military figures - Individuals commemorated include King Constantine I (1936), Eleftherios Venizelos (1946), King George II (1947), Archbishop Makarios IIIMakarios IIIMakarios III , born Andreas Christodolou Mouskos , was the archbishop and primate of the autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church and the first President of the Republic of Cyprus ....
of CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
(1977), Georgios KaraiskakisGeorgios KaraiskakisGeorgios Karaiskakis born Georgios Iskos was a famous Greek klepht, armatolos, military commander, and a hero of the Greek War of Independence.- Early life :...
(1982), Andreas PapandreouAndreas PapandreouAndreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic...
(1997) and Constantine KaramanlisConstantine KaramanlisKonstantínos G. Karamanlís , commonly anglicised to Constantine Karamanlis or Caramanlis, was a four-time Prime Minister, the 3rd and 5th President of the Third Hellenic Republic and a towering figure of Greek politics whose political career spanned much of the latter half of the 20th century.-...
(1999). - Wars - Several commemorative singles and sets have been dedicated to the Greek War of Independence and Greece's role in World War II. Subjects include Lord Byron (1924), the fall of Missolonghi (1926), General Charles Fabvier (1927), the Battle of NavarinoBattle of NavarinoThe naval Battle of Navarino was fought on 20 October 1827, during the Greek War of Independence in Navarino Bay , on the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, in the Ionian Sea. A combined Ottoman and Egyptian armada was destroyed by a combined British, French and Russian naval force...
(1927–28), the centenary of Greek independence (1930), Greek participation in World War II (1947), the Battle of CreteBattle of CreteThe Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
(1950) and the anti-Axis resistance (1982). - Greek culture - Subjects have included the University of Athens (1937), the Mt. Athos monasteries (1963), the artist El GrecoEl GrecoEl Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
(1965), the University of Thessaloniki (1975) and actress/politician Melina MercouriMelina MercouriMelina Mercouri , born as Maria Amalia Mercouri was a Greek actress, singer and politician.As an actress she made her film debut in Stella and met international success with her performances in Never on Sunday, Phaedra, Topkapi and Promise at Dawn...
(1995). - Wildlife - Commemorative subjects have included the Nature Conservation Year (1970), Greek wildflowers (1978) and rare birds (1979).
- Archaeology - Stamps have been issued to commemorate Heinrich SchliemannHeinrich SchliemannHeinrich Schliemann was a German businessman and amateur archaeologist, and an advocate of the historical reality of places mentioned in the works of Homer. Schliemann was an archaeological excavator of Troy, along with the Mycenaean sites Mycenae and Tiryns...
(1976, 1990), as well as archaeological discoveries at TheraSantoriniSantorini , officially Thira , is an island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera...
(1973) and VerginaVerginaVergina is a small town in northern Greece, located in the peripheral unit of Imathia, Central Macedonia. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Veroia, of which it is a municipal unit...
(1979). - Airmail issues - Two sets of commemorative airmail stamps were issued in the 1950s; a 1952 set of four marking the third anniversary of the end of the Greek Civil WarGreek Civil WarThe Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
and a 1954 set of 3 for the fifth anniversary of NATO.
Charity stamps
During the National Schism of 1917, the Athens government ordered the surcharge "K.Π." and new values applied to Flying Mercury, Campaign and revenue stamps. At first, this only applied to those parts of Greece they controlled; for a short time after the Schism ended, use of these surcharged stamps was extended to the whole country.
In 1939, a set of three (10 and 50 lepta and 1 drachma) which depicted Queens Olga and Sophia
Sophia of Prussia
Princess Sophie of Prussia was Queen of the Hellenes as the wife of King Constantine I.-Princess of Prussia:...
was released.
A number of charity stamps were produced to benefit postal workers; initially proceeds went to the Postal Clerks' Tuberculosis Fund, to aid postal workers suffering from that disease. Later, starting in 1946, they were applied to the Postal Clerks' Welfare Fund. The first issue, a set of three (10, 20 and 50 lepta) depicting the goddess Hygeia, was released in 1934. It was re-released in 1935, with the inscription ΕΛΛΑΣ added at the top of each stamp. Use of these stamps was obligatory on all mail during four weeks of the year, including Christmas, Easter and the New Year, and year-round on parcel post packages. The 50 lepta stamp from the 1935 set was re-issued in 1939 with different colors; in 1941, Hygeia stamps were released with a surcharge of 50 lepta. In addition, from 1940 to 1945, surcharges and new values were applied to stamps from the 1927 Landscapes set, the "Historical issue", the 1939 charity set and 1942 definitives.
Other charity stamps included the Thessaloniki International Fair Fund issue, a 20 lepta stamp from 1934 which depicted St. Demetrius; its use was obligatory on domestic mail from Thessaloniki. It was re-issued with a 1 drachma surcharge in 1942. St. Demetrius was also depicted on a 50 drachmae charity stamp released in 1948; proceeds from its sale went toward the restoration of historic sites and churches destroyed during World War II.
Later issues included a 1953 set of two (300 and 500 drachmae) to raise funds for reconstruction in the Ionian Islands after an earthquake
1953 Ionian Earthquake
The Great 1953 Ionian Earthquake struck the southern Ionian Islands in Greece on August 12, 1953. In mid-August 1953, beginning on 8 August there were over 113 recorded earthquakes in the region between Kefalonia and Zakynthos, but the most destructive was the earthquake of August 12th...
and a 1956 set of two (50 lepta and 1 drachma) for the Macedonian Studies Society Fund, to help finance archaeological studies in the region.
Postal stationery
Postal stationery
A piece of postal stationery is a stationery item, such as a stamped envelope, letter sheet, postal card, lettercard, aerogram or wrapper, with an imprinted stamp or inscription indicating that a specific rate of postage or related service has been prepaid...
to be issued by Greece were postcard
Postcard
A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....
s in 1876, post paid envelopes and Lettercard
Lettercard
In philately a lettercard or letter card is a postal stationery item consisting of a folded card with a prepaid imprinted stamp. The fact that it is folded over gives the writer twice as much room for the message compared with a postal card. The message is written on the inside and the card is...
s were issued in 1894 followed by newspaper wrappers in 1901. Aerogrammes were first issued in 1967. Postcards and aerogrammes continue to be available to this day. The last issue of envelopes was in 1941. Three different values of newspaper wrappers were issued in 1901, in 1911 one new newspaper wrapper was issued and no further newspaper wrappers were issued after this date.
See also
- Hellenic PostHellenic PostThe Hellenic Post S.A. is the state-owned provider of postal services in Greece. It succeeded the former government Postal Service, founded in 1828. ELTA provides a universal postal service to all parts of Greece and is a member of the Universal Postal Union...
- Hellenic Philotelic SocietyHellenic Philotelic SocietyThe Hellenic Philotelic Society is a philatelic organisation in Athens devoted to promoting the philately of Greece and the Greek area.The society played an important part in the development of philately in Greece...
- Postage stamps and postal history of CretePostage stamps and postal history of CreteThis is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Crete.- Autonomy :In 1898 Crete obtained autonomy under Turkish suzerainty, but was nevertheless garrisoned by an international military force from Britain, France, Italy and Russia...
- Postage stamps and postal history of EpirusPostage stamps and postal history of EpirusThe postal history of Northern Epirus, a region in the western Balkans, in southern modern Albania, comprises two periods; 1912–1916 and 1940-41. Northern Epirus was under Greek administration during the First Balkan War , but it was then awarded to the newly founded Albanian state by the Florence...
Further reading
- Beckton, Walter DorningWalter Dorning BecktonWalter Dorning Beckton was a British philatelist who signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1921. He was a Manchester Solicitor by profession in the firm of Hockin, Beckton & Hockin.-Collecting:...
, & G. Duerst. The Stamps of Greece. Plymouth: W. Brendon and Son, 1897.