Postage Stamps of Italian Post Offices in the Levant

by Tony Clayton

Constantinople

Crete <<-- : -->> Durazzo

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The three Italian Post Offices in Constantinople (Galata, Pera and Stambul) opened in June 1908. The offices finally closed in 1923 after several short periods of closure.

The first stamps were overprinted locally, and this first issue, with numbers from 49 for the 20 piastre on 5 lire, to just 999 for the most common, the 10 para on 5c, are all very scarce.

First local issue. 10 para on 5 centesimi Sassone 1.	Second local issue. 10 para on 5 centesimi Sassone 8.
Third local issue. 4 Piastre on 1 lire Sassone 16.	Third local issue. 20 Piastre on 5 lire Sassone 17.
Fourth local issue. 4 Piastre on 1 lire Sassone 16.	Fourth local issue. 20 Piastre on 5 lire Sassone 17.

Forgery of Fourth local issue. 4 Piastre on 1 lire Evidence: 4's too far apart; PIASTRE much too wide; postmark dated in the 1920's long after the issue was replaced in 1909; postmark clearly not of Constantinople type.

Fifth local issue. 1 Piastra on 5 centesimi Sassone 28.

Eighth local issue. 7½ Piastre on 85 centesimi. Error: PIASIRE instead of PIASTRE (position 98) Sassone 63c.

Eighth local issue. 45 Piastre on 5 lire Sassone 66.

45 Piastre on 5 lire, used Sassone 66.

Eighth local issue. 90 Piastre on 10 lire Sassone 67.

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Stamps of Italian Post Offices - Constantinople / Copyright reserved by the author, Tony Clayton
v5a 31st March 2010