EPIRUS (HPEIROS)

Return To Catalogue -Epirus, local and bogus issues - Greece - 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.


A region in the north of Greece and the south of Albania

1914 Crossbones and double headed eagle, overprinted with monogram

Possibly genuine Certified genuine 10 l red and black (blue overprint)

  1 l black and blue
  5 l blue and red
  10 l red and black
  25 l blue and 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
1 l *** ***  
5 l *** ***  
10 l *** ***  
25 l *** ***  

Attention: many of these stamps are forgeries! For example, the Spetsiotis brothers (Spetsiotis Frères) made forgeries using the original rubber handstamp (however, on different paper). I am not sure if the above shown stamps are genuine.

I've been told that the next stamps are forgeries:

Spetsiotis reprints


Spetsiotis reprints


Highly suspicious cover from the Spetsiotis brothers.....

I've been told that the above four stamps are Spetsiotis reprints, illegally made with the genuine printing plates and with a genuine 'Agioi Saranta' cancel. However, the control overprints are forged.


Some other very dubious stamps, a pair of two 25 l stamps, with no control overprint. The stamp on the right hand side is even doubly printed.

According to http://www.numonesidentifier.com/country/37/, all covers with these stamps addressed to Carilao Kongakis (in Greek, French or Italian) are forged.

 

1914 Shooting man

Inscription 'AUTONOMOS HPEIROS'

5 l green

  1 l orange
  5 l green
  50 l brown
  1 D violet
  2 D black
  5 D green

Slightly different design, inscription 'HPEIROS'

10 l red

  10 l red
  25 l blue

These stamps have a zig-zag perforation.

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 l c c  
5 l c c  
10 l c c  
25 l c c  
50 l * *  
1 D * *  
2 D ** **  
5 D ** **  

 

1914 Eagle in color with a white cross on a blue background

5 l green and blue

  1 Lepton brown and blue
  5 Lepta green and blue
  10 Lepta red and blue
  25 Lepta dark blue and blue
  50 Lepta violet and blue
  1 Drachma red and blue
  2 Drachma orange and blue
  5 Drachma green and blue

The values 25 l and 50 l exist with overprint 'KORITZA' (in greek):

 

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 l c c  
5 l c c  
10 l c c  
25 l c c  
50 l * *  
1 D * *  
2 D * *  
5 D * *  
Koritza overprint
25 l * *  
50 l * *  

 

1914 Stamps of Greece (large sized stamps: view of Athens with cross and eagle attacking snake), overprinted 'B.HPEIROS' (North Epirus)

  1 l brown
  2 l red
  3 l orange
  5 l green
  10 l red
  20 l violet
  25 l blue
  30 l green
  40 l blue
  50 l blue
  1 D 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
1 l * * With red overprint: **
2 l * * With red overprint: **
3 l * * With red overprint: **
5 l * * Exists with double overprint: ***
or red overprint: **
10 l * * Exists with double overprint: ***
20 l ** **  
25 l ** **  
30 l *** ***  
40 l *** ***  
50 l *** **  
1 D R R  

 

1914 Stamps of Greece of 1911 (ancient greek gods) overprinted 'B.HPEIROS' (North Epirus)

5 l green 20 l black

  1 l green
  2 l red
  3 l red
  5 l green
  10 l red
  20 l black
  25 l blue
  30 l red
  40 l blue
  50 l lilac
  1 D blue
  2 D red
  3 D red
  5 D 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
1 l * *  
2 l * * Two types of the basic stamp
3 l * * Two types of the basic stamp
5 l ** **  
10 l * *  
20 l *** ***  
25 l *** ***  
30 l ** **  
40 l *** ***  
50 l *** ***  
1 D *** ***  
2 D *** ***  
3 D R R  
5 D R R  

These stamps further overprinted with an eagle were issued for Albania:

 

Epirus, local and bogus issues


Copyright by Evert Klaseboer