ALBANIA 1913-1915

Shqipnija - Shqiperia - Albanien

Return To Catalogue - Albania 1916-1919 - Albania 1920 onwards - Due, locals etc. - Koritza local issue - Italian stamps used in Albania

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

1913 Inscription 'Postat e Qeverries se Perkoheshme te Shqipenies', imperforated

  (1 Piaster) black

Envelopes in the same design exist.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 Pi	RR	RR	Also exists with primitive perforation

With eagle overprint

  10 pa violet
  20 pa red and black
  1 G black
  2 G blue and violet
  5 G violet and blue
  10 G blue

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
10 pa	*	*
20 pa	*	*
1 G	*	*
2 G	**	**
5 G	**	**
10 G	**	**

Forgeries of these stamps exist:

The next forgeries have a wavy inner line below the word 'Postat' (but so does the above certified genuine stamp...). I've only seen them with the cancel 'VLONË 20-11-1913 SHQIPËNIË':

1913 Stamps of Turkey overprinted with a double headed eagle

Genuine overprint

inverted overprint

  2 pa olive
  2 pa on 5 pa brown
  5 pa brown
  10 pa green
  20 pa red
  1 Pi blue
  1 Pi black on red
  2 Pi black
  2 1/2 Pi brown
  5 Pi lilac
  10 Pi red

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
2 pa	RR	RR
2 pa on 5 pa	RRR	RRR
5 pa	RR	RR
10 pa	RR	RR
20 pa	RR	RR
1 Pi blue	RR	RR	With red or blue or violet overprint: RRR
1 Pi black on red	RRR	RRR
2 Pi	RR	RR
2 1/2 Pi	RRR	RR
5 Pi	RRR	RR
10 Pi	RRR	RRR

Surcharged with arabic text aswell (arabic 'B')

Genuine

  10 pa green
  20 pa red
  1 Pi blue

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
10 pa	RR	R
20 pa	RR	RR
1 Pi	RRR	RR

Surcharged with '10'

Picture reproduced with permission from: http://www.sandafayre.com/html

  '10' on 20 pa red

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
10 on 20 pa	RRR	RRR

I have seen a postcard of Turkey (20 pa red) with the same eagle overprint.

Reprints:

Reprints were made with the genuine eagle cancel, in watery black to grey colour. They were also cancelled to order with a Vlone cancel with violet or oily black ink.

Forgeries:

Forgeries

Forged overprint!
(Forged overprint, reduced size)

Fournier forged overprint and forged cancel, images obtained from a 'Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries'.

Zoom-in of the Fournier forged overprint.

Attention: many forged overprints exist (among them Fournier forgeries)! For more information on these forgeries see: http://www.tughranet.f2s.com/stamps/aps/dlbeagle.htm It seems that about 95% of all the double-eagle overprints are forgeries. According to the above mentioned website maybe even many hundreds of forgers have tried to forge these stamps! This is partly due to the fact that the original stamps can be obtained very cheaply, even today.

I've been told that this is a Sperati forgery

Another fantasy overpint on a stamp of Turkey:

1913 Double headed eagle

(Reduced size)

20 pa red and black

  10 pa green and black
  20 pa red and black
  30 pa violet and black
  1 G blue and black
  2 G black

These stamps have perforation 11 1/2. The frame, value and eagle seem to have been handstamped seperately.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
All values	**	**

Some 'misprints': 20 pa green and black and 30 pa red and black; the origin of these 'misprints' is quite dubious.

1913 Skanderbeg issue

  2 q brown and yellow
  5 q green
  10 q red
  25 q blue
  50 q violet and red
  1 F brown

These stamps have perforation 14 1/2 x 14. I have seen postcards in a similar design (5 q green and 10 q red); the 5 q with inscription 'SHQIPËNIË KARTË POSTARE' and the 10 q with inscription 'SHQIPËNIË - ALBANIE KARTË POSTARE - CARTE POSTALE'.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
2 q to 10 q	c	c
25 q to 1 F	*	*

Surcharged (1914)

1 GROSH on 25 q blue
Reduced size

I've seen all surcharged stamps with this cancel(?) 'ZYRA E POSTES VOCKOPOJE' with a double headed eagle in the center

  5 p on 2 q brown and yellow
  10 p on 5 q green
  20 p on 10 q red
  1 G on 25 q blue
  2 G on 50 q violet and red
  5 G on 1 F brown

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
5 pa on 2 q to 20 pa on 10 q	c	c
1 G on 25 q to 5 G on 1 F	*	*

Overprinted '7 Mars 1461 RROFTE MBRETI 1914'

  2 q brown and yellow
  5 q green (violet overprint)
  10 q red
  25 q blue (violet overprint)
  50 q violet and red
  1 F brown

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
All values	**	**

These stamps overprinted with 'TAKSE' and 'T' are postage due stamps. Some of these stamps (2, 5 and 10 q unsurcharged and all the surcharged ones) were overprinted with an ellipse with an arabic text. They were used locally in 1915. The surcharge exists in red, blue or black.

(Local overprint for Scutari on a postage due stamp with 'T' overprint)

Another overprint exists for Scutari (see picture below), I've seen it on the values 5 p on 2 q brown and yellow, 10 p on 5 q green, 20 p on 10 q red, 1 G on 25 q blue and 2 G on 50 q violet and red. I've only seen this overprint in red.

(Other overprint for Scutari)

Overprinted 'POSTE D'ALBANIE' in a circle with arabic text and star in the center; issued for the muslim party in Valona (1914). All unsurcharged and surcharged stamps seem to exist with this overprint.

Albania 1916-1920