20c with retouch
Sassone 1a.
The normal 20c
Sassone 1.
Cyrenaica <<-- : -->> Tripoli Fair Issues
In 1923 the Italian Colony of Libya was split into two provinces, Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, under two separate Governors. This arrangement ceased in 1934 when the two provinces and the Military area of Fezzan where once again merged into the Colony of Libya.
While Tripolitania and Cyrenaica issued separate commemorative and airmail stamps, definitive, parcel, postage due and express issues continued to be in the name of Libya.
In 1923 the first issue of the separate province of Tripolitania was the overprinted Propaganda Fide issue. One stamp of each of the 20c and 30c values in position 17 has a notable retouch behind the head of Jesus. The 50c and 1 lire stamps do not show this flaw. 25,000 sets were issued.
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20c with retouch
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The normal 20c
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The March on Rome issue used the Italian set in the same colours suitably overprinted. 10c and 30c used the same design as the 50c shown, and the 1 lira used the same design as the 2 lire. 30,000 sets were issued.
50c red and 2 lire brown
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The top value, 5 lire blue and black
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In 1924 a set was issued to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Death of Manzoni.
In all its variants the top value, the 5 lire, is a very difficult stamp to find. As only 3750 were ever issued for each of the four colonies Eritrea, Somalia, Cyrenaica and Tripolitania, one can understand why. Only 7500 of the 1 lire were issued.
The top three values are known with a rare line perforation instead of the usual comb perforation.
1 lire
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5 lire
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The six stamps issued by Italy were overprinted TRIPOLITANIA in a curve matching the frame of the design. 30,000 sets were issued.
1 lire + 50c
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The 60c and 1 lira were issued in 1925; because of the airmail rate change the 1.25 lire was issued seven months later in 1926. Two different perforations are known: The 1.25 lire with perf 11 is very rare while the 60c is only known with perf 11.
As with all issues of this set, while normally without watermark the 60c and 1 lira are known with letters from the sheet edge and, even more rarely, two stamps on these sheets have a sideways crown.
60c perf 11 and 1 lira perf 13½
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The very rare 1.25 lire, perf 11 and unmounted mint
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For the first time one of the values of this set (5+2.50 lire) was printed in a different colour to that issued for Italy. Two overprint styles were used. 25,000 sets were issued.
20c green and 1.25 lire blue
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In common with those issued for other colonies, this is a very common set of 6 values. 200,000 sets were issued.
1 lire + 5c blue
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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.
Proofs are known of the second series with the large overprint used for the first series.
Tripolitania 1927 First Milizia issue, 60 centesimi + 30 centesimi
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Tripolitania 1930 Third Milizia issue, 5 lire + 1.50 Lire
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All three issued values were printed in colours that differed from the Italian equivalent. The 50c is known with the stop after the value. 36,000 sets were issued.
20c violet
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50c orange with dot after value
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50c orange with additional inverted Somalia overprint
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25,000 sets of 4 values were issued.
20+5c green
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13,000 sets of 7 values were issued. Once again colours differ from those issued in Italy.
75+15c brown
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50,000 sets of 3 values were issued.
1.25 Lire + 25c carmine
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20,000 sets of 5 postage values plus 3 air mail values were issued.
5+2 Lire postage and 5+2 Lire Air Mail
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The Postage set was issued almost a year late in November 1930, while the Air Mail set was issued a year after that in December 1931.
20,000 sets of 5 postage values plus 5 air mail values were issued.
1.75 Lire + 20c Postage
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5+2 Lire Air Mail
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20,000 sets of 9 postage values plus 4 air mail values were issued on 4th December 1930. The top two values of each set were printed in recess.
10+2.50 Lire Postage
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9+2 Lire Air Mail
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10 centesimi Concessional Letter Post
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10 centesimi Concessional Letter Post
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20,000 sets of 7 values were issued on 7th May 1931.
5+2.50 Lire Postage
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Four values were issued in each of two designs, the first for values of less than 1 lire, the other for higher values.
75 centesimi
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5 Lire
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20,000 sets of 6 values in three designs were issued on the 5th May 1933. All are scarce used, and rare on cover.
12 Lire
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15 Lire
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20 Lire
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20,000 sets of 2 values were issued on the 1st June 1933. All are scarce used, and rare on cover.
19.75 Lire
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44.75 Lire
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40,000 sets of 4 airmail values were issued on 20th January 1934, using overprints on the 5 lire Air Mail definitive printed in new colours.
10 Lire on 5 Lire rose carmine
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Just 5,000 sets of 5 airmail and 2 air express values were issued on 1st May 1934, using overprints on some of the 8th Tripoli Fair issues.
The two top values (10+2 lire and 25+3 lire) are very scarce both mint and used.
L'Aereo Club della Tripolitania had organised a competition involving a 1,463 km circuit around Tripolitania.
5+1 Lire brown
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100,000 sets of 6 postage values and 6 airmail values were issued on 16th October 1934.
For some reason this very common set is valued more highly than some of the scarcer earlier sets.
60 Centesimi Postage
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10,000 sets of 10 airmail values were issued on 5th November 1934.
25+2 Lire green
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Cyrenaica <<-- :
-->> Tripoli Fair Issues
Italian Colonies Index
Italian Stamps Home Page
Stamps of Italian Colonies - Tripolitania
Copyright reserved by the author, Tony Clayton
v12 24th May 2022
