ITALY, DUE STAMPS

Return To Catalogue - Italy

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1863 Inscription 'SEGNA TASSA' in an ellipse

First image certified genuine by Raybaudi. Second stamp certified genuine (by Dieter Newiger). The last stamp might be a forgery.

  10 c brown to yellow

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Usually these stamps are uncancelled, since the postoffice reckoned that they could not be reused anyway by the public. Nevertheless cancelled ones exist (although most of the cancelled stamps are forgeries), especially from the towns of Rieti and Spoleto. Example:

(with 'RIETI' cancel)

Forgeries of this stamp exist. Genuine stamps have 50 beads (although some forgeries also have 50 beads, other forgeries have 49 or 51 beads). Also a forged cancel 'RIETI 21 LUG 63' is mentioned in the Serrane Guide.

Forgery with 51 beads in the outer ellipse, genuine stamps also have a shorter right hand side of the letter 'N' when compared to the left hand side.

The 'Almanach du Timbre-Poste' of J.B.Moens (1886) states that a certain stamp dealer G.Crecchi of Livorno sold forgeries of these stamps by the thousands.

Modern forgery

I don't know who made the above modern forgery, but it is often offered together with other Italy States modern forgeries.

More information on this stamp and its forgeries can be found on: http://www.webalice.it/audinoi/Il_Segnatasse_da_10_cent_del_1863.html (in Italian).

A forgery with exactly the same cancel 'ORBETELLO 2 GEN 63' is shown on the above mentioned site. I presume this is also a total forgery from the same source.

1869 Inscription 'SEGNA TASSA'

  10 c orange

This stamp has watermark 'Crown' and perforation 14.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1870 Inscription 'SEGNATASSE', value in other colour

  1 c orange and red
  2 c orange and red
  5 c orange and red
  10 c orange and red
  20 c orange and red (1894)
  30 c orange and red
  40 c orange and red
  50 c orange and red
  60 c orange and red
  60 c orange and brown (1926)
  1 L blue and brown
  1 L blue and red (1894)
  2 L blue and brown
  2 L blue and red (1894)
  5 L blue and brown
  5 L blue and red (1894)
  10 L blue and brown
  10 L blue and red (1894)

These stamps have watermark 'Crown' and perforation 14. The values 2 c, 3 c, 6 c, and 30 c in different colours are provisional fiscal stamps issued in 1908 (I have never seen them).

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Surcharged (1890)

  '10' on 2 c orange and red
  '20' on 1 c orange and red
  '30' on 2 c orange and red

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

(Inverted value, reduced size)

For the specialist: inverted value imprint exists for most of the non-surcharged stamps. The values 5 c, 10 c and 60 c were reprinted with inverted centers in 1920 in whole sheets. Forged inverted centers exists by bleaching out the central value and reprinting it upside down. The surcharged stamps also exist with inverted surcharge (except the '10' on 2 c).

These stamps exist with overprint 'Libia' and 'Colonia Eritrea' to be used in Libya and Eritrea. They also exist with overprint 'Somalia Italiana Meridionale' and 'Somalia Italiana'. Some values with black value inscription also exist with overprint 'Somalia Italiana'.

Forgeries exist of these stamps made by Spiro:

The easiest way to recognize them is by their strange cancels and the absence of watermark (there should be a crown watermark).

Some other forgeries with very bad lettering:

I've seen the 1 L forgery with a cancel consisting of 4 concentric rings.

The 'Almanach du Timbre-Poste' of J.B.Moens (1886) states that a certain stamp dealer G.Crecchi of Livorno sold forgeries of these following values 20, 30, 40, 50 ,60 Centesimi (also of the 1863 issue, actually Moens says 'Lire' not 'Centesimi', I'm not sure if this is some kind of joke).

Fournier forged overprints, image taken from a 'Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries' (reduced size)

1884 Larger stamps, inscription 'SEGNATASSE'

  50 L green
  50 L yellow (1903)
  100 L red
  100 L blue (1903)

These stamps have watermark 'Crown' and perforation 14.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

The 50 L yellow and 100 L blue exist with overprint 'Colonia Eritrea' to be used in Eritrea

1934 New design (arms), inscription 'SEGNATASSE'

With fasces

Without fasces

  5 c brown
  10 c blue
  20 c red
  25 c green
  30 c orange
  40 c black
  50 c violet
  60 c blue

Slightly different design
  1 L orange
  2 L green
  5 L violet
  10 L blue
  20 L red

The whole set was re-issued in 1945 without fasces besides the cross.

Overprint for the Italian socialist republic (axe) and with further overprint 'Florence welcomes the allies 1- 8 -1944' for the Italian socialist republic

The above stamps overprinted with 'mPHA GOPA' were issued for the Italian occupation of Montenegro. The overprint 'ISOLE JONIE' was used for the Ionian Islands. These stamps also exist with overprint 'ERITREA', 'LIBIA' and 'SOMALIA ITALIANA'. These stamps with overprint 'Deutsche Besetzung Zara' (vertically) and 'ZARA' (between horizontal lines) were issued for Zara. Stamps with overprint 'A.O.I' were used in the Italian colonies in Africa.

Zara overprint and 'A.O.I' overprint for the Italian colonies in Africa

Example of stamp used in Montenegro with 'mPHA GOPA' overprint

The values 1 L orange, 5 L violet, 10 L blue and 20 L red (all without fasces) exist with overprint 'A.M.G. F.T.T.' (issued for Trieste).

'A.M.G. F.T.T' overprint for Trieste

The following values exist with an eagle and 'LAIBACH' overprint (for Ljubljana) some overprints in the same color as the stamps: 20 c, 25 c, 30 c on 50 c, 40 c on 5 c, 50 c, 1 L, 2 L, 5 L on 5 c and 10 L.

1947 Inscription 'POSTE ITALIANE SEGNATASSE, value in center surrounded by ornaments

  1 L orange
  2 L green
  3 L red
  4 L olive
  5 L violet
  6 L blue
  8 L violet
  10 L blue
  12 L light brown
  20 L lilac
  25 L red
  30 L grey
  40 L olive
  50 L light blue
  100 L light brown
  500 L blue and red
  900 L red and light blue
  1500 L brown and orange

All values exits with overprint 'A.M.G. F.T.T.' or 'AMG-FTT' (Trieste).

'A.M.G. F.T.T.' and 'AMG-FTT' overprints for Trieste.

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