Lot 85318 – 1896 Athens 2l block 8 and pair piece Tameion hs adn Syros cds

2 Lepta rose, block of eight and pair on fragment the stamps had been previously handstamped ‘TAMEION’ in large double-ring handstamp, a full cancel covering four stamps, so one complete strike and several part, also with five Syros cds, rare.

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 avoid confusion with used stamps, the cachet was applied to the backs of the stamps.