Stamps of the Kingdom of Italy

by Tony Clayton

Red Cross Issue of 1915.

Overprinted Jubilee issue <<-- : -->> 1921 Dante Issue

Main Index

Early on during the First World War, an issue of two values was made, 10c and 15c, each with a surcharge of 5c to raise money for the Red Cross.

10c + 5c carmine Sassone 102.

15c + 5c slate Sassone 103.

Three months later, in February 1916, the letter rate went up from 15c to 20c, and so a provisional 20c stamp was issued by overprinting the redundant 15c. A definitive 20c was issued a month later. The overprint is known inverted, and also displaced over the 5 in the bottom right corner.

20c on 15c + 5c slate Sassone 104.

20c + 5c orange Sassone 105.

The watermark of all four stamps is a crown sideways pointing right viewed from the back. The 15c (unoverprinted) is also known with the crown pointing left. An unwatermarked version of the 15c is a contemporary postal forgery, not known unused. The stamps remained valid until 30th September 1921, and were also issued in the Dodecanese and some Levant Post Offices.

Overprinted Jubilee issue <<-- : -->> 1921 Dante Issue
Main Italian Stamp Index
Kingdom of Italy Index