10c + 5c, normal and inverted overprints
Issued July 1916
Sassone 19 and 19a.
Close-up of the overprints
Normal at top, Inverted below
Libya <<-- : -->> Tripolitania
The inverted overprint is said to be false by Stanley Gibbons. Sassone gives no prices, but the specialist CEI catalogue does, and does not make reference to possible fabrications (which it often does). A close look at the scans reveals no significant differences that I can observe. Interesting.
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10c + 5c, normal and inverted overprints
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Close-up of the overprints
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One of the scarcest commemorative stamps of Italy or the Colonies is the 5 lire value of the 1924 Manzoni set. For Italian Somalia and the other colonies (Tripolitania, Cyrenaica and Eritrea) only 3,750 were printed for each, compared with 35,000 for Italy. However, demand is less, so these scarcer colonial stamps catalogue lower in value than that for Italy.
Somalia 1924 Manzoni issue, 3 rupie on 5 lire |
Somalia 1925 Holy Year issue, 1 rupie 50 besa on 5 lire
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The stamps of Italy commemorating the King's Jubilee in 1925 come with two perforations, Perf. 11 and Perf. 13.5., and have three values: 60c and 1 lire issued in 1925, and 1.25 lire in 1926.
They were also issued with overprints for Cirenaica, Tripolitania, Eritrea, Oltre Giuba (Jubaland) and Somalia, but not all of the 6 types were overprinted for all countries, and indeed some combinations are very rare indeed.
A list of the known colonial varieties is as follows:
Those indicated as rare are valued at several thousand euro.
Somalia Perf 11 |
Somalia Perf 13.5 |
Starting in July 1926, Italian Somalia had a set of the standard Italian definitives issued with the overprint Italian Somalia in small capital letters (the change to Italian currency had taken place the previous year). The key stamp of the mint set is the 75 centesimi.
Somalia 1926 Definitive issue, 75 centesimi |
In 1927, 1929 and 1930 there were three successive issues of what are known as the Milizia sets. The Colonies had some of the stamps printed in different colours to those of Italy before being overprinted. In all cases the third set is the most scarce, the top value scarcest, and properly used stamps from the colonies are harder to find than mint.
Somalia 1930 Third Milizia issue, 5 lire + 1.50 lire used |
In 1934 King Victor Emmanuel III visited Italian Somalia. The opportunity was taken on 1st January 1935 to issue a long set of 14 stamps all of the same design except for the top value, which is not only much larger but also had the high face value of 25 lire plus 2.75 lire surcharge. 10,000 sets were printed, with more of the lower values.
Somalia 1935 Royal Visit, 25 + 2.75 lire |
For all the colonies, acquiring the Postage Due and Parcel issues is a daunting task, as not only are these items rarely encountered (except for the low values), but they came out in various combinations and styles. The 2 lire with the overprint at the bottom is one of many tricky stamps to find.
Somalia 1920 Postage Due issue, 2 lire, used |
Libya <<-- :
-->> Tripolitania
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