Why do you get Mail: Chapter 3
Greece Commemorative UPU 75th Anniversary Stamps
David Silverstein, MD
Retired Pulmonologist & Honorary Medical Staff
In following with different countries participating in the 75th Anniversary of the UPU I next include Greece at the request of a fellow physician...yes, it was Elias.
Originally, back in 1947 the head of the Polish postal administration proposed that an identical set of stamps be issued by all countries of the Union on its 75th anniversary, to draw attention to the principle that it constituted a single postal territory. Although the delegates recognized this boldness and supported him in principle, it was obvious that full implementation would require a near unattainable degree of international cooperation. Thanks to the delegates of Greece, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Lebanon a recommendation followed that each country should choose the design, denomination, number and printing of its stamps for itself. On June 20, 1947, the congress agreed to adopt an unopposed joint resolution as follows: “With a view to commemorating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Universal Postal Union, the Congress of Paris expresses the desire that the Administrations of the Union will find themselves able, in 1949, to issue a series of stamps to celebrate this event.” Thanks to Greece, and the above 3 other nations, we ended up with a remarkable and huge amount of over 700 commemorative stamps and souvenir sheetlets from more than 120 countries, territories etc… all commemorating this anniversary.
Greece had many interesting varieties (Greek authorities indicated that it was the result of the hiring of inexperienced workers that ended up placing paper in printing machines upside down, put thru more than once, out of register, etc…). Regardless, the resulting "errors" ended up creating a very limited number of varieties and mistakes that today, if found, are worth a lot more than the normal printed stamps, creating a great market for specialty collectors… Perhaps the “inexperienced” hired workers were a lot smarter than they are given credit for.
GREECE (Sc 524; SG 687; Mi 577; Hellas 707)
Date of Issue: May 21, 1950
Value(s): δρ1,000 (drachma)
Perforation(s): 13 x 13½ and imperforated (see below)
Paper: Watermarked (multiple crowns diagonally either upright or downwards)
Process: Recess printed from engraved plates made in London by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd. and lithographed with the dates “1874 1949” in white formed by the absence of ink on a buff background made by Aspioti Elka Graphic Arts Co. Ltd. in Athens.
Designer: Giannis (John) Kefallinos (born January 1, 1893, in Alexandria; died January 1, 1957). He was Professor and Director of the Engravers Studio of the High School of Fine Arts in Athens.
Engraver: Thomas De La Rue, Co., London
Printer: Aspioti Elka, Athens.
Notes: Joined UPU July 1, 1875. A total of 5,195,000 stamps were printed but a decision to change colors was decided upon after the printing and only 2,672,050 stamps were issued (53,441 sheets). Printed in sheets of 50 (10 X 5). The event was commemorated with a Postal Presentation sheet and FDC cancel. The original date of issue was February 20, 1950; but because of a strike of postal employees, it was postponed. The strike resulted in other workers not having the necessary expertise being used and leading to many printing errors. A buff protective background was applied by Aspioti Elka during the printing; and at times, because of inexperienced workers, this was put thru the printing upside down (inverted dates), put through twice (double dates), out of register/misplaced (shifted dates), missed entirely (no dates), etc… leading to many varieties. A reported variety with the dates missing with the buff background present is the result of misplaced dates (buff background out of register) coinciding with the upper lattice of the frame of the stamp appearing over the dates; thus concealing the dates that are present, which can be seen if carefully studied with a magnifying lens. Dates on the buff background are created by the absence of ink; therefore, anything printed over them would conceal them (like the lattice on the top of the frame). Stamps were removed from sale November 20, 1950, and the remainder of stamps destroyed (burned and counted in front of a committee). In addition, some reports suggest that only a total of about 60-70% were sold because a change in postal rates eliminated the need for a 1000 drachma stamp for inland letters. No commemorative cancellations are known. An overprint is known on this stamp reading “AKYPON” in red, dark blue or black (known also on other Greek stamps). Because the stamps were considered “security worth papers” this overprint (which in Greek means invalid or void) was applied by the printer (Aspioti Elka) as a marking for specimen stamps. Reportedly about 450-700 stamps were overprinted with the word AKYPON. Special thanks to Alex Marianos, Secretary, Hellenic Philatelic Society of Great Britain and to Dimitris Perdikis from the Hellenic Philatelic Society in Athens for their invaluable assistance and knowledge.
Known varieties: Many, but not all, are related to the mishandling of the buff protective underprint (damaged buff protective underprint or misapplication of the buff protective underprint by putting the sheet thru the press more than once, not putting it thru, putting it thru upside down or out of alignment, etc...):
Inverted dates (sheet put thru upside down).
Dates omitted (either because it is missing the buff background or had it misaligned so dates “hidden” under upper frame/lattice).
Double dates (sheet put thru twice).
Double dates, one inverted (sheet put thru twice, once upside down).
Double dates, one inverted with the “4” of the inverted “1874” missing (sheet put thru twice, once upside down with a damaged buff protective underprint).
1874 missing with “1949” printed centrally (marked misalignment of buff protective underprint).
Misplaced dates (buff background out of register/misaligned).
Dates show as “1949 1874” instead of “1874 1949” (marked misalignment of buff protective underprint).
Double impression of center (one inverted).
10) Printed on gum side or as “recto-verso” or with marked offset printing.
11) Imperforate from a single known sheet discovered at the post office of
Didymoteichon, of which only a horizontal strip of 5 is known to have been
salvaged and was affixed to a postal card. This strip was later cut into a pair
and a triple before being resold.
The following are some examples of varieties collected by the author:
