Italian Aegean Island stamps year 1912 Italian Stamps Overprinted Stampalia MNH (**)
Historical Context
After the occupation of the Dodecanese Islands by Italy in 1912, stamps were issued for 13 of the islands by overprinting with the name of the island. The original set was issued on 1st December 1912 for each of the 13 islands and had seven values from 2 centesimi up to 50 centesimi.
About Stampalia
Stampalia (also known as Astypalaia in Greek) was one of the Dodecanese Islands in the Aegean Sea that came under Italian control during the Italo-Turkish War of 1912. The island stamps were created by overprinting regular Italian stamps with “STAMPALIA” to indicate their specific postal use for that island.
Stamp Details
The 1912 Stampalia overprints were part of the first series issued for the Italian-occupied Aegean Islands. These stamps were valid for use throughout the Dodecanese and were used concurrently with Italian stamps between 1912 and 1924.
From the catalog information found, these stamps are catalogued in both Scott and Michel catalogs. For example, Scott catalog #6 from the 1912 Stampalia series had a catalog value of $1.60 US in 2018.
Collecting Information
These stamps are sought after by collectors of Italian postal history, Aegean Islands philately, and those interested in overprinted stamps from military occupations. The stamps exist in various conditions, from hinged to mint never hinged (MNH), with values varying accordingly.
The Stampalia overprints are part of a larger collecting area that includes all 13 islands of the Dodecanese that received similar overprinted stamps during the Italian occupation period from 1912 to the end of World War II.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.