Italian Aegean Island stamps year 1912 Italian Stamps Overprinted “Lipso”

Italian Aegean Island stamps year 1912 Italian Stamps Overprinted “Lipso” MNH (**)

The 1912 “Lipso” overprinted stamps are part of a significant philatelic series issued during Italy’s occupation of the Dodecanese Islands. Following the Italo-Turkish War, Italy occupied these islands in 1912 and released stamps overprinted with the names of individual islands, including “Lipso” for the island of Lipsi. These overprints were applied to standard Italian stamps and were valid for use throughout the Dodecanese.

1912 “Lipso” Overprinted Stamp Series

The initial “Lipso” series, issued on December 1, 1912, comprised the following denominations:

• 2 centesimi brown
• 5 centesimi green
• 10 centesimi red
• 15 centesimi black and grey
• 20 centesimi orange
• 25 centesimi blue
• 40 centesimi brown
• 50 centesimi violet

Among these, the 15 centesimi and 20 centesimi values are considered uncommon, especially in mint condition. A particularly rare variety is the 40 centesimi stamp with the top portion of the design missing (referred to as “mancante” in Italian). This error is known for Lipso, Nisiro, Piscopi, and Stampalia, and is especially scarce in unused condition.

Later Issues and Commemoratives

In subsequent years, additional issues featured the “Lipso” overprint:

• 1916: A 20 centesimi stamp without watermark, differing in perforation from the standard Italian issue.
• 1921: A similar 20 centesimi stamp, this time with a crown watermark and different perforation characteristics.
• 1930: Commemorative stamps, such as those honoring Francesco Ferrucci, were overprinted with “Lipso” and issued primarily for collectors.

For collectors, these stamps offer a fascinating glimpse into the postal history of the Aegean region under Italian administration. Detailed catalogs and resources, such as those by Tony Clayton and the Klaseboer Catalogue, provide extensive information on these issues.