» Hermes and Iris definitive series of Greece

Hermes and Iris definitive series of Greece

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During Christmas I worked my way through a small collection of Greece I had acquired earlier. At the same I put the specialized Hellas stamp catalog I have into proper use for the first time. All in all it was a very enlightening experience, as the specialized catalog had somewhat different view and lots more details than general catalogs. So let’s begin a journey into stamps of Greece with attractive ‘Hermes and Iris’ definitive postage stamps of 1911-1927.

Overview

The series consists of 4 different designs:

There are 4 designs in the series: Hermes, Iris, Hermes putting on his sandals, and Hermes holding his little brother Arkas.

On general level the series is divided into two distinct sets: the engraved stamps of 1911, and lithographic stamps of 1912-1927. The specialized Hellas catalog of course divides these into further prints. Additionally there are several overprints on these stamps.

As a general rule, most engraved stamps feel bit rough if touched with fingertips. But this is one of those series where this method does fail from time to time, and additional trick is needed. So arm yourself with some thin kitchen (aluminum) foil, place the stamp beneath the foil (face up), and rub the foil gently with (semi-hard) eraser till you see the perforation/edges of the stamp to show up. Lift up the foil, and look on the back: if the stamp is engraved, you will see embossed inscription and image of stamp on back of foil. If the stamp is lithographed, you’ll see nothing but blanc foil. This same method can be used to detect other hard-to-feel engraved stamps as well.

Engraved stamps

The first engraved series, issued on 1911, consists of sixteen different values (λ:1,2,3,5,10,20,25,30,40,50; Δ:1,2,3,5,10,25); all except the 10 and 25 drachma stamps are of somewhat low catalog value. The stamps are on unwatermarked paper with zigzag-perforation of 13¼; the perforation of these stamps is very notorious as it usually ranges from extremely bad to fair.

1911 Greece. Some stamps from 'Hermes and Iris' definitive series, engraved.

In 1919 the 3Δ, 5Δ and 10Δ stamps were reprinted. According to Hellas catalog these are of slightly different size. Unfortunately I don’t have any of these to show (yet).

Lithographic stamps

The First Balkan War led to an increase in demand for regular stamps, and the Greek government decided to reprint the existing definitives using lithography in order to save both funds and time. Like their predecessors, the lithographic stamps were printed on unwatermarked paper with zigzag perforation 13¼.

1st Lithographic series containing 10 stamps (λ:1,2,3,5,10,20,25,30,40,50) was issued in 1912. These values were reprinted time and again, and the Hellas catalog divides these into four subtypes based on type of paper and gum used.

1912 Greece. Stamps from the '1st Lithograpic issue'.

The second lithographic series issued in 1918-1923.contained two new values ((λ:15,80) and reprints of higher values (Δ:1,2,3,5,10,25). These have same characteristics (unwatermarked, zigzag-perforation) as previous issues.

Greece 1918/1923. Stamps from the '2nd Lithograpic issue'.

In 1926, the 25 and 40 lepta and 1 drachma values were re-issued using new plates. These so called “Vienna stamps” differ slightly in size, but they also have other unique characteristics too (as new plates were used). Unfortunately I don’t have any of these to show (yet).

Overprints during the First Balkan war (1912-1913)

Greece’s borders expanded greatly during the First Balkan War of 1912-1913. Until the so-called “New Territories” were formally incorporated into Greece, they were not permitted to use regular Greek stamps. In order to cover postal needs of these areas, Greece’s government ordered existing stamps to be overprinted with ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΟIΚΗΣΙΣ (Hellenic Administration). A special overprint, ΛΗΜΝΟΣ, was also ordered for use on the island of Lemnos.

Greece 1912/1913. Stamp with overprints for 'New Greece' and Lemnos.

The overprints were applied in three different colors (black, red and carmine) and multiple positions. As usual with overprints, forgeries exists.

Overprints during the National Schism (1916-1917)

The National Schism was a series of disagreements between King Constantine I and Prime Minister Venizelos regarding the foreign policy of Greece. Venizelos was in support of the Allies and wanted Greece to join the war on their side, while the pro-German King wanted Greece to remain neutral. In 1916 the the disagreement of the two men took the form of civil war.

In order to prevent Venizelos government from using stamps already in circulation, the Athens (royalist) government decided that stamps already in circulation should be overprinted with “E T” (Hellenic Posts) and royal crown. Overprints were performed on stamps 17 different stamps from both engraved and lithographic series: all except one are of minimal catalog value.

1916 Greece. E T overprint was used during the national schism.

As usual with overprints, forgeries exists.

Closing words

Once I manage to fill the gaps I have, I’ll try to remember to update the entry to display rest of the values and varieties. As usual, feel free to comment & ask questions if any.

Till next time, happy collecting.

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Jim Jackson wrote :

Hi Keijo

Really enjoyed reading your analysis of the Hermes and Iris series, especially utilizing the Hellas catalogue. Since I only have the Scott, what a treat.

Scott lists the perfs as Serrate Roulette 13 1/2 for the engraved series, and Serrate Roulette 10 1/2 X 13 1/2, & 13 1/2 for the lithographic series. I don’t know why they would differ from the Hellas catalogue.

The 3d and 5d ( minor numbers in Scott) and the 10d ( major number) for the engraved reprinted 1919 issue ( Scott has as 1921 issue date!) are priced used @ $35, $25, and $70 respectively: a bit costly. Scott does list the difference in issue size interestingly.

The 1926 “Vienna” 25 and 40 lepta and 1 drachma denominations re-issues are mentioned in Scott, but no details are given. Clearly one would need the Hellas catalogue to know more.

Keijo wrote :

@Jim…

I had to check this one, and there’s one set where Hellas doesn’t separately mention the perforation being 13¼: the second lithographic series issued in 1918-1923. There’s nothing about the perf for this series. However, all the copies I have match 13¼ perf, and catalog images seem to similar too.

Hellas doesn’t state anything about stamps with 10½x13½ perf on this series. However I do have a theory… For some other Greece stamps / series, there are errors where one side of the stamp (top/bottom or left/right) has perforation of 10½. I’ve been fortunate to own one such postage due for years… Likely Scott is taking this into account. Though Hellas doesn’t list such variety for this series, possibly other Greece specialized catalogs do (going back to question how nice it would be if there was just one catalog to rule them all).

As for comparison, Yverrt Classic catalog and Michel both state that perforation on these stamps is zigzag / rough. No specific perf is given (which is kind of wise decision, as I do have some stamps that look more imperf than perforated).

The 3d and 5d ( minor numbers in Scott) and the 10d ( major number) for the engraved reprinted 1919 issue ( Scott has as 1921 issue date!) are priced used @ $35, $25, and $70 respectively: a bit costly.

In Hellas these are priced at 45€, 15€ and 30€. But these are selling prices (unlike the inflated prices stated by Michel).

Clearly one would need the Hellas catalogue to know more.

Let’s just say there’s nearly 40 (bi-lingual) pages for these stamps alone There are occasions where I wish Hellas would be a bit more like Michel (with technical stamp facts placed in single easy-to-browse location), but all in all it’s an highly recommendable reference/catalog for anyone interested of Greece stamps.

Brian Weeks wrote :

Came across your blog by chance and am enthused by its contents. I collect Greece to show the development of modern Greece by its stamps and postal system. Your article (?) on the 1911-22 issue is right up my street. I have three Greek catalogues – Hermes, Vlastos and Hellas – as well as SG, which can be confusing at times. I decided on my topic because I felt that small and large Hermes heads were too technical but am now totally absorbed by this issue, which is extremely technical. Your method of identifying engraved/lithographed stamps sounds great and I look forward to using it. How did you get such good scans of your stamps? I have a number of errors and forgeries that I would like to include in my display and need to scan them to include them. I am also trying to research the various overprints of this series and have come across a number that are not in any catalogues that I have. I am left with the problem – are the forgeries or have they been missed?

Keep up the good work.

Brian

@Brian… Thanks for the compliments

I must say that I’d be more than interest to hear your opinions from Hermes and Vlastos compared to Hellas. I’ve heard about both, but never seen them in flesh… Anyway, my Greece collection is something I’ll hope / try to improve on upcoming year (should not be difficult considering how basic my current accumulation is)… The Hermes heads are something I have not gotten into; mainly because I’ve got only few of those. For what I’ve understood, they are diabolic to identify correctly.

How did you get such good scans of your stamps?

I’m doing pretty much all the basic tricks:

First, I use a good quality scanner. My current scanner is Epson Perfection 4490 Photo, and it’s one of the best scanners I’ve used. My previous scanner (Hewlet Packard Scanjet) was pretty decent too. The scanners included into “all-in-one” devices are pretty much rubbish IMHO.

Secondly, I scan my images at medium resolution (450-600dpi) and downsize them later for appropriate size. The higher the resolution, the more detailed image you get (but very rarely there’s need to select more than 600dpi).

Third… I place the items on scanner bed “as is”. If the stamp is wrapped inside a stock card (or mount, or anything made of plastic), it will add ‘dirty’ looking layer of distortion into image

Fourth… When scanning a stamp, leave the scanner lid in up position. This will make the background around the stamp “fully black” – giving you great contrast. It’s also recommendable to place the scannable items in middle of scanner bed to get maximum exposure.

And finally… When saving those files, choose appropriate file format. If you intend to publish images online, then JPG-file is the way to go. If you use them for print, or just on your local computer, then TIFF provides even more detailed storage options (but it’s also much more heavier than JPG).

That’s all there is in making great looking scans.

I am also trying to research the various overprints of this series and have come across a number that are not in any catalogues that I have. I am left with the problem – are the forgeries or have they been missed?

I’m not an expert with these, but for what I’ve read forgeries are very plenty with various Greece overprints. But so what if they are forgeries: they must have interesting story/background to share

mrprgrmr wrote :

Keijo,

Thanks for the aluminum foil trick for finding engraved stamps. I can’t wait to try it!

I will also try your suggestion to scan with the cover open. I have been using a piece of black paper behind the stamp but always have trouble keeping things square. The stamps always shift as soon as I put the lid down.

Happy New Year!

Thanks for your info on scanning. I think it means I will have to buy a new scanner since my present one is an all-in-one.

Although I have all those catalogues, I tend to use SG and Vlastos because most UK dealers use SG and Vlastos has, I think the best reproduction of stamps and the better English descriptions. Hellas runs it a close second except that I don’t think its coverage of National Resistance stamps and French POs in Crete is good enough. Hermes is not really good enough. Incidentally, if you wish to cover Crete in any depth, then Rienk Feenstra’s
book, ‘Crete’ is superb.

Off now to my foil work!!