A cover from Greece

Sent : 2018.05.18

Received : 2018.05.22

Stamps used on the cover are the following ones : (from right to left)

1 € stamp issued in 2017 to commemorate the Battle of Elektriki, in which greek resistance movement ELSA prevented the destruction of the electric factory situated in Keratsini, and which provided Athens and Pireaus with elctricity. The battle took place in Octobre 1944.
http://www.elta.gr/Business/eshop/tabid/558/CategoryID/237/List/1/catpageindex/11/Level/a/ProductID/1220/language/en-US/Default.aspx

https://colnect.com/en/stamps/stamp/718939-Solon_of_Athens-Seven_wise_men_of_Antiquity-Greece

https://colnect.com/en/stamps/stamp/744778-Charilis_Binos_1909-1978-Figures_of_Greek_Philately-Greece

https://colnect.com/en/stamps/stamp/744777-Alexandros_Argyropoulos_1883-1962-Figures_of_Greek_Philately-Greece

https://colnect.com/en/stamps/stamp/744780-Georgios_Papastephanou-Provatakis_1890-1978-Figures_of_Greek_Philately-Greece

https://colnect.com/en/stamps/stamp/665075-Origanum_Dictamus-Blooming_herbs_of_Greece-Greece

Thanks a lot Sylvia !

Literature On Greek Postal History (Part 3)

Some very detailed study on the "Hermes" head stamp written by Mr. Louis Fanchini, member of the Academie de Philatélie in France is available here (in french) and here (in english).

Check out as well the numerous articles in the bibliograpical section.

Some of Mr. Fanchini's conferences for the Académie and related to Greek Postal History are available online as well here. (french only)

Enjoy the read!

By the way Mr. Fanchini will give a conference on the Large Hermes Heads during Paris Philex on June 7th.

FDC 1982.11.08, National Resistance series

I received this FDC earlier on this week from Sylvia.

It's related to the National Resistance series issued in 1982, more specifically November 8th 1982.

The first day cancellation took place in Athens.

It features 4 stamps of this series : (from left to right)

- the resistance fighters in Thrace,

- the resistance fighters of Crete,

- the 25th. March 1942 Student's demonstration,

- the execution of Greek activists by the Nazi's on May 1st, 1944/ Struggle for Northern Greece

4 more stamps were issued but are not present on this FDC.

All 8 stamps depict a stand of resistance against Nazi Germany over whole Greece : Thrace, Crete, Athens etc....

What does the Hellas catalog has to add on these stamps?

First of all these stamps are categorised under the numbers 1611 - 1618.

All stamps were issued in different quantities. The Kessariani stamp was issued on 7.200.000 copies while the Struggle for Northern Greece stamp (as labeled in the Hellas catalog) was only issued on 837.967 copies. A rather odd number, aren't they normally round numbers? Must pay more attention to that.

The stamps were also issued on 2 different minisheets of 4 stamps each, as shown here and here.

The Hellas catalog doesn't give any details about perforations. Strange for a national catalog would I  think. *

A little note on the drawing and text on the left of the cover.

The date : 1821-1941 refers to the start of the Greek revolution / fight for independence in 1821 and the invasion by Nazi Germany of Greece in 1941.

Under the very detailed and find drawing where a soldier of 1821 encourages a soldier in 1941 to keep on fighting is a text which means the following :
"ΧΑΙΡΕ Ω ΧΑΙΡΕ ΛΕΥΤΕΡΙΑ"
 "HAIL, O, HAIL LIBERTY"

This refers to the greek national anthem, the Hymn to Liberty, composed by Dionysios Solomos.

The final text on the left of the cover indicates its issued by the Hellenic Post Office and that it's well ... a First Day Cover.

Thanks so much Sylvia for this FDC and for the detailed translation and information on greek history!!!

-----------
*Avez-vous une idée Nicolas pourqoui le catalogue Hellas ne donne aucune indication sur la dentelure des timbres?

Hermes Heads

They arrived, more about it later on when I have had to verify what they are exactly.

But needless to say a very nice addition of my collection of old greek stamps (which was not existing before this ;-))

Comments welcome.

Hellas 2018 catalogue

The Hellas catalogue issued by A. Karamitsos edition 2018, arrived last week friday.

I just had a fast look at them but it seems the old classic section is real detailed and well explained.

Now I'm ready to go;-) only have to find time.

It's great to know that the greek editor of stamps catalogue realises that collectors are stressed because of the daunting tasks they are up too.

I'm tempted to reserve a holiday in the Sani resort already, anyway the publicity changes from the usual more classic (read boring) publicity in / on the french catalogues.

Literature on Greek Postal History (Part 2)

I checked Stampboards and found some posts dedicated on greek philately.

One concerns an identification of a cancelation :
http://stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=60966&hilit=greece

Another concerns a stamps for prostitutes?
http://stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=29235&hilit=greece

The last one is the most interesting one as it's related to perforation varieties for the 1990 Prefecture definitives series :
http://stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=29377&hilit=greece

Recommended literature for this series !

My small collection of the Prefecture Stamps issued in 1990

Enjoy the read!

Literature on Greek Postal History (Part 1)

Besides the bibliographical works mentioned by my fellow blogger Nicolas on his (french) blog called "Philatélie Hellénique", as well as his own blogposts which are real helpful and very instructive, a beginner like me always looks around the net what kind of (specialised) literature might be available to help cultivate once knowledge of Greek Stamps.

You have a nice introduction on Greek Postal History at Wikipedia.

But of course Jim Jackson of the Big Blue 1840-1940 blog has written three detailed articles on Greek Postal history.

The first one written on June 14th 2012 is dedicated to the Hermes heads series :
http://bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.fr/2012/06/greece-hermes-heads.html

Hardly a week later Jim wrote about the greek stamps issued between 1896 and 1940 :
http://bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.fr/2012/06/greece-1896-1940.html

And he finished (for the moment?) his quest into greek stamps with a an article on AirPost, Postage Due, Postal Tax and Balkan Wars :
http://bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.fr/2012/06/greece-air-post-postage-due-postal-tax.html

Check these articles out if you want to learn more about greek stamps.

Links will be posted on the left of the bog in the 'Philatelic Links' section.

Enjoy!

* Part 1 : the author hopes to be able to concentrate a maximum of articles on greek stamps on this blog, so more articles (when found and freely available on the net) on this subject might be posted in the (near) future.

Hercules Deeds - Hercules and Geryon

Ancient Greek Art stamps on Olympic Torch Flight

Olympic Torch Flight Cover from Athens to Australia canceled on November 2nd 1956.

The cover has two stamps :

Voyage of Dionyssos

                                                          

Bust of Homer

                                     
Both were issued on July 10th 1955 and are part of the Series of Ancient Greek Art.
 
Here are the stamps from the cover and the postmark in detail which is nice as such but misses a bit of ink.