ALBANIA Miscellaneous

Return To Catalogue - Albania 1913-1915 - Albania 1916-1920

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POSTAGE DUE STAMPS

1914 Postage stamps of 1913 overprinted 'TAKSE'

With bar on top of 'TAKSE' and large 'T'

  2 q brown (overprint blue)
  5 q green (overprint red or violet)
  10 q red (overprint blue)
  25 q blue (overprint red)
  50 q violet 

Surcharged and overprinted 'TAKSĖ'


No 'T' overprint; only 'TAKSE'

  10 pa on 5 q green
  20 pa on 10 q red
  1 Gr on 25 q blue
  2 Gr on 50 q violet

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 * *  
5 q * * blue overprint: ***
10 q * *  
25 q * *  
50 q ** *  

Surcharged

10 pa on 5 q * *  
20 pa on 10 q * *  
1 G on 25 q * *  
2 G on 50 q * *  


Mystery stamp with 'T' overprint and Scutari overprint in red.

 

1919 Fiscal stamps overprinted with 'T' and 'AXE' and 'POSTA'


Reduced sizes

  4 q red
  10 q brown on green
  20 q on 2 k orange
  50 q on 5 k 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 ** **  

 

1920 Stamps with inscription 'TAXE', with posthorn overprint in upper left corner

  4 q olive
  10 q red
  20 q brown
  50 q black

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
4 q * *  
10 q * *  
20 q * *  
50 q * **  


These stamps exist without the posthorn overprint.

 

1921 Double headed eagle, inscription 'TAKSE'

  4 q black on red
  10 q black on red
  20 q black on red
  50 q black on red

Overprinted 'Republika Shqiptare' in white

  4 q black on red
  10 q black on red
  20 q black on red
  50 q black on red

The 10 q also seems to exist with non-issued yellow overprint (I have never seen it).

 

1925 Inscription 'REPUBLIKA SHQIPTARE' with oveprint 'QIND.AR' in red

10 q blue

  10 q blue
  20 q green
  30 q brown
  50 q brown

 

1930 Arms with inscription 'POSTAT SHQIPTARE TAKSE TAKSE'

  10 q blue
  20 q red
  30 q violet
  50 q green

 

1936 Postage stamp of 1930, overprinted 'Takse'

  10 q red

 

1940 Arms (similar to 1930 issue), but with inscription 'MBRETNIJA SHQIPTARE TAKSE TAKSE'

  4 q orange
  10 q violet
  20 q brown
  30 q blue
  50 q red

Express Stamps

1939(?) King Victor Emanuel III, inscription 'MBRETNIJA SHQIPTARE POSTAT EKSPRES

  25 q violet
  50 q orange

Overprinted '14 Shtator 1943' in red (1943)

  25 q violet

LOCAL ISSUES

1915 Tarabosh issue, overprinted with a circle, inscription 'ALBANIE CENTRALE TARABOSH 1913', view of mountains and the Scutari lake


(Non issued stamps of Tarabosh overprinted with a circle)

  2 pa brown
  5 pa violet
  10 pa green
  20 pa red
  40 pa blue (with black or red circle)
  100 pa red
  5 Pi black

 

1915 Similar issue with same inscriptions, but with a view of the Tarabosh mountains only


I've seen many of these stamps with this cancel 'BERAT 10 DEZ 1915' with a 'bulge' at the left side (the cancel is not perfectly round).

  1 pa green
  20 pa red
  50 pa blue
  3 Pi red
  6 pi brown 

Non issued stamp of 1952, inscription 'KOMITIT TE QINDRESES' with Roosevelt, Kastrioti and Churchill, (other values exist):


Independent Republic Korce

Click here for the Albania Koritza local issue


Example


Local and bogus issues

1914 Koritza issue, inscription 'COMMISSION DE CONTROLE PROVISOIRE KORCA', double headed eagle

Genuine, signed by Prendushi \

  '10 PARA 10' (red) on black (or violet)
  '25 PARA 25' (red) on black (or violet)

These stamps were handstamped on letters.

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 RR  
25 pa RR RR  

Forgeries and reprints with little value exist, examples:


Forgeries, reduduced sizes.

 

1921 Non issued two headed eagle for the Mirdites Republic, Inscription 'POSTA VETEKEVERRIA E MIRDITIES'

  5 q green
  10 q red
  25 q blue
  50 q dark brown
  1 F orange

Surcharged

  '25 QINT' on 1 Frank orange

Overprinted 'TAKSE' and the word 'POSTA' is barred

10 q red 25 q blue "TAKSE" overprint

  5 q green
  10 q red
  25 q blue
  50 q dark brown
  1 F orange

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 c -  

These stamps were supposed to be issued during a revolt in Mirdicia in 1921. However, later it was found out that the stamps were printed after the insurrection had already been suppressed.


Even essays exist of this issue, a block of nine (3 x 3) 10 q stamps with the inscription removed from the centre column.

 

1914 Bogus issue, soldier and view of a city (Valona)

  5 pa yellow (orange)
  10 pa green
  20 pa red
  1 Pi blue (center light blue)
  2 Pi violet and orange
  5 Pi red and grey
  10 Pi brown and lilac
  25 Pi grey and yellow

I've seen these stamps with a 'Valona' in a circle cancel (with additional arabic text and date 16 OCT 1914). These stamps also exist with overprint 'T' (postage due), but I have never seen them personally and I don't know which values exist with this overprint.

 

1914 Bogus issue, made in France, boat with crown, inscription 'ALBANIE'

  5 p brown
  10 p black
  20 p red
  40 p blue
  60 p violet
  80 p violet

This bogus issue was made and cancelled in Paris, I've also seen it overprinted with a large blue 'T'. These stamps are also mentioned in 'Les Timbres de Fantaisie' by Georges Chapier (in french).

 

Non issued stamps:


(Reduced sizes)

The above stamps were rejected, because the eagle only has one head instead of two in the arms of Albania.

 

A provisional issue for Durres (?)

 

Bogus postage due stamp(?), inscription 'TIMBRE TAXE 5 fr':

 

Bogus stamps of Epirus, overprinted with 'SHQIPENIA', a double headed eagle and value in cents or Franc, pretending to be an issue of Albania:

I have seen the values 2 c on 1 l orange, 5 c on 5 l green, 10 c on 50 c brown, 25 c on 25 l blue, 50 c on 2 D black, 1 F on 1 D violet.


Postal Stationery

Envelope with a seal of the Postal Ministry:

 


Fiscal stamps

Examples:


Stamp with inscription 'ADMINISTATA E FINANCAVE E SHZYPENIES FINANZVERWALTUNG ALBANIENS' and a fiscal stamp of Turkey, overprinted 'Albanien Oe. U. M. O.'

 

1941 Inscription 'MBRETNIJA SHQIPTARE TAKSE MONOPOL', arms, value in 'FR.SHQ'

  0.04 Fr lilac
  0.08 Fr green
  0.30 Fr red
  1 F brown

Other values exist, also with value inscription in 'QIND' instead of 'FR.SHQ'.


Other fiscal stamps of Albania.

 

Literature:
'The Alnis Guide to Albanian Revenues' by Relbnar, 1987 (34 pages)
Albania & Greece Revenues J.Barefoot Ltd 2002 (116 pages)


Copyright by Evert Klaseboer