Lot 30078 – TAMEION: 1896 Olympics 1l mint block of four with Patras “Tameion” treasury hs on reverse and used 25l with Syros “Tameion” hs

TAMEION: 1896 Olympics 1l mint block of four with Patras “Tameion” treasury hs on reverse (some perf. splitting so fragile), and used 25l with Syros “Tameion” hs and cds, fine to very fine.

Note: In order to prevent these stamps from being used in Greece to the detriment of the revenue during the 1897-98 Greco-Turkish War, orders were issued that all stamps still in the hands of the Greek Government should be overprinted with a special Treasury cachet to mark their validity. The cachet was normally applied to overprint four small stamps or two large ones. Later, in order to a void confusion with used stamps, the cachet was applied to the backs of the stamps.