ITALY King Victor Emanuel III (Vittorio Emanuele III)

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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.

1901 King Victor Emanuel III

  10 c red
  20 c orange
  25 c blue
  25 c green (1926)
  40 c brown
  45 c green
  50 c lilac
  75 c red (1926)
  1 L brown and green
  1.25 L blue (1926)
  2 L ('LIRE DUE') grey and orange (1923)
  2.50 L blue and red (1926?)
  5 L blue and red
  10 L ('DIECI LIRE') black and red (1911)

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

Postal forgeries of the 10 c and 40 c values seem to exist (without watermark), but I have never seen them. The 1 L exists with a 'Columbia' advertisement label attached to it in the colour blue (imperforated between label and stamp, issued in 1924).

Surcharged 

  'C.15' on 20 c orange (1905)
  'Cent. 25' on 45 c green (1924)
  'Lire 1,75' and bars on 10 L black and red (1925)

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

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

Overprinted "BLP" in fancy letters (1921)
  1 L brown and green

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

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

With overprint "CROCIERA ITALIANA 1924"

  1 L brown and green 
  2 L grey and orange

Express stamp (larger size)

  25 c red (EXPRESSO)
  50 c red (1920)
  'CENT. 60' on 50 c red (1922)
  60 c red (1922)
  'Cent. 70' on 60 c red (1925)
  70 c red (1925)
  1.25 L blue (1926)

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

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

For these stamps with overprint in 'centesimi di corona' or 'corona' click here. The 25 c express stamp was overprinted "ESPERIMENTO POSTA AREA MAGGIO 1917 TORINO ROMA ROMA TORINO" in 1917 (value: unused *, used: ***). This stamp was used for tests with airmail:

Stamps with overprint "LA CANEA" were issued for Crete.

Fournier forged overprints, image taken from a 'Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries' (reduced size), maybe used for forged inverted overprints?

1906 King Victor Emanuel III, facing the right

  15 c black
  20 c orange (1916)

There are three types of the 15 c. The 15 c has perforation 12, 13 1/2 or 13 x 13 1/2 (according to the type) and the 20 c 13 1/2 (no watermark) or 14 (watermark 'Crown').

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

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

Surcharged

  '= CENT.20 =' on 15 c black (1916)

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

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

Overprinted "BLP" in fancy letters (1923, war victims fund)

  20 c orange

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

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

1906 King Victor Emanuel III, facing the left

  5 c green
  10 c red
  15 c black (1919)

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

Surcharged

  "DIECI" and bars on 15 c grey (1925)

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

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

Overprinted "BLP" in fancy letters (1923)

(Reduced size)

  10 c red (overprint black or blue)
  15 c black (overprint red)

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

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

The values 10 c and 15 c exist with overprint "IX CONGRESSO FILATELICO ITALIANO TRIESTE 1922" (9th Italian philatelic congress 1922, value: ***):

With overprint 'CROCIERA ITALIANA 1924' 
  10 c red

The 15 c value exists with advertisement labels attached to it (always imperforated between the stamp and the label, issued in 1924); the following labels exist: Campari Bitter (in blue), Campari Cordial (in black), and Columbia (in blue).

15 c black with two different Campari lables ('Bitter' and 'Cordial')

I've seen a postcared "BIGLIETTO POSTALE DA 5 CENTESIMI" with an image identical to the 5 c green stamp printed on it. Futhermore I have seen a 10 c "CARTOLINA POSTALE ITALIANA (CARTE POSTALE D'ITALIE)" in the 10 c red design.

Stamps with overprint "LA CANEA" were issued for Crete.

Postal forgeries:

Two postal forgeries of the values 15 c and 10 c

Two postal forgeries of the value 10 c exist and one postal forgery of the 15 c value. All postal forgeries don't possess a watermark and are printed rather badly (lithographed). The lettering is not perfect. A full description of all 3 postal forgeries can be found in the book: 'Postal Forgeries of the World' by H.G.L. Fletcher. All these forgeries have perforation 11 1/2 instead of 14.

1908 King Victor Emanuel III, facing the left, larger size

  20 c orange (1925)
  20 c green (1925)
  20 c brown (1926)
  25 c blue
  25 c green (1927)
  30 c brown (1922)
  30 c black (1925)
  40 c brown
  50 c violet
  55 c lilac (1920)
  60 c red (1918)
  60 c blue (1923)
  60 c orange (1926)
  85 c brown (1920)

These stamps have watermark 'Crown' and perforation 14. The stamps have either white inscription "CENT POSTE ITALIANE" or the inscription in colour on a white background.

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

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

Surcharged

  'Cent. 7 1/2' and bars on 85 c brown (1924)
  'CENT 20' and bars on 25 c blue (1925)
  'Cent. 25' and bars on 60 c blue (1924)
  'CENT 30' and bars on 50 c violet (1925)
  'CENT 30' and bars on 55 c lilac (1925)
  'Cent. 50' and bars on 40 c brown (1923)
  'Cent. 50' and bars on 55 c lilac (1923)

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

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

Overprinted "BLP" in fancy letters (1923, war victims fund)

  25 c blue (overprint red)
  40 c brown
  50 c violet
  60 c red

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

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

With overprint "CROCIERA ITALIANA 1924" 
  30 c brown
  50 c violet
  60 c blue
  85 c brown

Express stamps (larger size)

  30 c blue and red (EXPRES, 1908)
  '25' on 40 c violet (ESPRESSO URGENTE, 1917)
  'LIRE 1,20' and bars on 30 c blue and red (1921)
  1.20 L blue
  'Lire 1,60' and bars on 1,20 L blue and red
  2 L blue and red (1925)
  2.50 L blue and red (1926)

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

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

These stamps exist with advertisement labels attached to it (1924):

The following values exist with these advertisement labels (labels in different colour from the stamps, imperforated between stamp and label):
25 c blue with Abrador (in blue), Coen (in green), Piperno (in brown), Reinach (in green), Tagliacozzo (in brown).
30 c brown with Columbia (in green),
50 c violet with Coen (in blue), Columbia (in red), De Montel (in blue), Piperno (in green), Renach (in blue), Siero Casali (in blue), Singer (in red, see image above), Tagliacozzo (in green), Tantal (in red).

The values 25 c and 40 c exist with overprint "IX CONGRESSO FILATELICO ITALIANO TRIESTE 1922" (9th Italian philatelic congress 1922, value: ***):

The express stamp 25 c on 40 c was overprinted "IDROVOLANTE NAPOLI - PALERMO - NAPOLI 25 CENT 25" in 1917 for a test with airmail (value: *; 100,000 stamps issued):

For these stamps with overprint in 'centesimi di corona' click here. Stamps with overprint "LA CANEA" were issued for Crete.

Unofficial Postage Due Stamp 60 c overprinted "T"; issued for the Italian occupation of Austria

Airmail (1926 onwards), inscription "POSTA AEREA"

Airmail stamp as issued from 1926 onwards in a similar design, inscription "POSTA AEREA"; Click here for more information on airmail stamps

Pneumatic post "POSTA PNEUMATICA" (1913 onwards)

Click here for more information on pneumatic post stamps

Postal forgery:

A postal forgery of the 60 c value

A postal forgery of the value 60 c exists. It doesn't possess a watermark and is printed rather badly (lithographed). The lettering is not perfect. According to the book: 'Postal Forgeries of the World' by H.G.L. Fletcher, it exists used in Rome around October 1927. I've also seen this postal forgery largely misperforated.

Possibly another postal forgery of the 50 c value. If my information is correct, this could be a Livorno postal forgery.

Probably a fiscal stamp, 50 c with overprint "PRESTITO NAZIONALE 1917"

Forged "B.L.P." overprint made by Sperati.

1925 25 years reign of Victor Emanuel III in general uniform, portrait of King with inscription "MCM - MCMXXV"

  60 c red
  1 L blue
  1.25 L blue (1926)

These stamps exist with overprint "ERITREA" to be used in Eritrea and with overprint "CIRENAICA" and "SOMALIA ITALIANA".

1 L with 'ERITREA' overprint

1927 New design with King Victor Emanuel III

  7 1/2 c brown (1929)
  15 c orange (1929)
  35 c grey (1929)
  50 c brown and black
  50 c violet (1929)
  1.75 L brown
  1.85 L black
  2.55 L red
  2.65 L violet

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer