Lot 60297 – Greece – Large Hermes Heads: 1861-1886 Extensive, specialised and valuable collection

Greece – Large Hermes Heads: 1861-1886 Extensive, specialised and valuable collection neatly mounted and displayed on over 160 album pages, being housed in three beautifully presented leather bound albums each with there own slip case.

The extent of the collection covers proofs, specimens, mint and used singles, pairs, strips, plus blocks from four to twenty, generally all in above average condition many with good to very large to sometimes huge margins, In addition there is a wonderful range of covers showing single, multiple frankings, also three colour, four colours and one five colour franking, with a useful array of newspaper usages spread throughout the collection.

The highlights included the following: Ionian Island 1859 unused and used singles, Hermes Head hand illustrated essay apparently from the Burrus collection of an unknown status, Large Hermes Head proofs showing array of 30 with all values presents some printed both sides, Paris Print unused and used of all values, 10L without control figures, 1L on newspaper, plus eight covers including four colour franking. First Athens Coarse & Fine Prints many values present both unused and used, Fine print four colour franking and 1L on newspaper, Consecutive Athens all values present unused and used, fine array of 1L and 2L mint multiples, plus eighteen covers with one five colour franking and four with four colour frankings, plus some useful other usages including three newspaper usages, Clean Plates unused and used, 1L and 2L unused multiples, fine array of nineteen covers, nine of which are three colour frankings and one newspaper, Special Printing to Meshed Paper unused and used plus newspaper usages with 1L or 5L frankings, also over 30 covers many three colour frankings also 20L single on cover showing double control figures, New Values unused and used, plus two usages of the 60L on cover, Later printings with extensive unused and used some useful mint multiples and covers. Finally an array of combination frankings with Russia, Austrian Levant, Belgium and France, also some forgeries etc.

An excellent basis for study and expansion.