[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.4″ custom_padding=”10px|||||”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||9px|||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”]<\/p>\n
Our Winter auction series from November 30th to December 4th features a wealth of rare and beautiful Greek philatelic material in our All World and Rarities of the World catalogues. Read on to learn more about this fascinating area of philately.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.davidfeldman.com\/dfsa-auctions\/2020-december-auction-series\/2020-rarities-of-the-world\/?soff_category=7686″ button_text=”Browse the Greece Lots in our Rarities Catalogue” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”17px” button_text_color=”#043882″ button_bg_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” button_border_width=”2px”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.davidfeldman.com\/dfsa-auctions\/2020-december-auction-series\/europe-autumn-2020\/?soff_category=7686″ button_text=”Browse the Greece lots from the General Catalogue” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”17px” button_text_color=”#043882″ button_border_width=”2px”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_5,2_5″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ custom_margin=”-6px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”24px||21px|||”][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.4.4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.1″]<\/p>\n The first stamps of Greece were issued on October 1st 1861. <\/strong>However lot 40069<\/a> in our upcoming auction is the famous 30th of September cover<\/strong> which was sent the day before and is one of the most important items of all Greek philately. They were designed based on original essays and trials by the company Ernest Mayer of Paris (see lot 40062<\/a>). They took the existing French first issue which portrayed Ceres in a circle and rectangular frame (see lot 70080<\/a>, illustrated adjacent) and replaced the portrait with that of the Greek God Hermes, which was most appropriate as he was known as the Messenger God, who delivered messages between the Gods and the mortals with his golden flying sandals. [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.4.4″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.davidfeldman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Greece-Ceres-Head-Essay.jpg” title_text=”Greece Ceres Head Essay” url=”https:\/\/www.davidfeldman.com\/dfsa-auctions\/2020-december-auction-series\/2020-rarities-of-the-world\/70080\/1861-paris-print-1858-french-ceres-essayessay-00-i\/” url_new_window=”on” _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ custom_padding=”1px|||||”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.4.4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.1″]<\/p>\n The printing plates had been made by the prominent\u00a0French engraver Albert Barre, of J.J. Barre, producer of the first French postage\u00a0stamps of\u00a01849. Subsequently, the plates were transferred\u00a0to Athens where they were used for printing of all the Athens editions until 1886. That first Paris issue was produced in a beautiful\u00a0series of single colours for different\u00a0face values of\u00a0the stamps; 1 lepton brown, 2 lepta bistre, 5 lepta green, 10 lepta orange, 20 lepta blue, 40 lepta mauve and 80 lepta carmine, with all those colours produced over the\u00a0period coming in a variety\u00a0of shades.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.4.4″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.davidfeldman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/greece_sheet_stamps_187577_full.jpg” title_text=”greece_sheet_stamps_187577_full” url=”https:\/\/www.davidfeldman.com\/dfsa-auctions\/2020-december-auction-series\/europe-autumn-2020\/40068\/1861-barre-proofs-80-lep-carmine-plate-proof-of-bl\/?soff_session_keywords=40068&soff_session_page=1&soff_auction_browse=1″ url_new_window=”on” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.6.1″ custom_margin=”2px||1px||false|false”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-1px|||||”]<\/p>\n Lot 40068<\/a>: 80 lepta plate proof in block of forty from the bottom of the sheet inscribed in the the margin \u201cTimbre poste grecs, specimen d\u2019impression\u201d in the engravers\u2019s own handwriting and signed \u201cAlbert Barre 1860\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.4.4″ custom_padding=”1px||6px|||”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.4.4″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.davidfeldman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Greece_cover_Lot70084_Rarities_188888_full.jpg” alt=”Greece rarity cover” title_text=”Greece_cover_Lot70084_Rarities_188888_full” url=”https:\/\/www.davidfeldman.com\/dfsa-auctions\/2020-december-auction-series\/2020-rarities-of-the-world\/70084\/1861-62-first-athens-print-20-lepta-important-usag\/?soff_session_keywords=70084&soff_session_page=1&soff_auction_browse=1″ url_new_window=”on” _builder_version=”4.6.1″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.4.4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.1″]<\/p>\n Very soon the stamps were selling out and there was\u00a0an urgent\u00a0need for replacement, especially for the 20 lepta which\u00a0covered the popular domestic letter rate. A “copy” style of the Paris printing was hurriedly produced in Athens which is called the “provisional printing” (see lot 70084<\/a>, which is a very rare usage of this stamp). Whilst on sale, an interesting and novel idea was introduced to prevent forging and to facilitate the ease in the recognition\u00a0of the value of each stamp; to print the face value figure on the back of each stamp.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.4.4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.1″]<\/p>\n So the first regular Athens printing was a complete set of those “Large Hermes” portraits with figures at the back (see lot 40079<\/a> for an attractive five-colour franking with this issue). These stamps were also soon sold out and\u00a0other values were needed, and over the next 20 years that the Large Hermes Heads spanned, many different printings were made and have been identified by specialists based on the printing impression and the paper. [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.4.4″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.davidfeldman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Greec_cover_187566_full.jpg” title_text=”Greec_cover_187566_full” url=”https:\/\/www.davidfeldman.com\/dfsa-auctions\/2020-december-auction-series\/europe-autumn-2020\/40079\/1861-62-first-athens-print-fine-prints-1-lep-2-5-2\/?soff_session_keywords=40079&soff_session_page=1&soff_auction_browse=1″ url_new_window=”on” _builder_version=”4.6.1″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”4px|||||”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.davidfeldman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Greece_cover_187585_full.jpg” alt=”Greece cover 1871″ title_text=”Greece_cover_187585_full” url=”https:\/\/www.davidfeldman.com\/dfsa-auctions\/2020-december-auction-series\/europe-autumn-2020\/40108\/mixed-frankings-romania-greece-1871-a-prepaid-cove\/” url_new_window=”on” _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”]<\/p>\n The Large Hermes Head stamps have also proved very popular and fascinating\u00a0with international collectors. Their simple but elegant design, the variety of colours, the availability of blocks and even complete sheets and of course the extensive correspondence written from Greece as well as going into Greece. At the time, the Greek Postal Administration did not have postal agreements with other foreign administrations and so letters franked with foreign stamps coming\u00a0from abroad were not recognised as having postage paid. <\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”3px|||||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”]<\/p>\n Accordingly “postage due” was raised and this was paid by affixing the regular Large Hermes stamps on the cover and letters on arrival. All of this gave an enormous\u00a0wealth of colourful correspondence frankings and mixed issue frankings with many other countries, such as lot 40108<\/a>, sent from Romania to the island of Syros.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Previous Auction Catalogues<\/strong><\/p>\n Greece, The Large Hermes Heads: The Collection (I), David Feldman SA, Feb 2002<\/a> Greece: The Grand Prix Collection, David Feldman SA, May 2003<\/a> (prices realised<\/a>)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Our Winter auction series from November 30th to December 4th features a wealth of rare and beautiful Greek philatelic material in our All World and Rarities of the World catalogues. Read on to learn more about this fascinating area of philately.The first stamps of Greece were issued on October 1st 1861. However lot 40069 in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":30625,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[627,624],"tags":[187],"class_list":["post-30603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-auction-highlights","category-digest_articles","tag-greece"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
Greece, The Large Hermes Heads: The Collection (III), David Feldman SA, May 2004<\/a>
Greece, The Large Hermes Heads: The Collection (IV), David Feldman SA, Nov 2004<\/a> (prices realised<\/a>)
<\/a>Greece, The Large Hermes Heads: The Collection (V), David Feldman SA, May 2005<\/a> (prices realised<\/a>)
Greece, The Large Hermes Heads: The Collection (VI), David Feldman SA, Nov 2005<\/a> (prices realised<\/a>)
Greece, The Large Hermes Heads: The Collection (VII), David Feldman SA, Jun 2006<\/a><\/p>\n