Page 1 - Greece - The Landscape Issues
P. 1

Landscapes Issues
                                                                          The design and varieties
                                                                                1927 & 1931-35




            The 1927 Landscapes issue, that was placed in circulation on the 1st of April,   production of the second set, consisting of seven values of re-issued stamps
            was an  eagerly awaited happening. This was the first definitive set since the   between the years 1931 and 1935. The second issue was produced by three
            1911 one. The decision to print and distribute the issue took a long time to   printing firms. Aspioti-Elka using plate from Thomas De  La  Rue this time,
            materialize as the call for proposals was published in September of 1923 with   Perkins Bacon and Co  ltd from Britain and the Polish  printing firm P.W.P.W.
            the tenders being evaluated the following month. Only two printing houses      The order and production rate of the second issue spanned over a five year

            showed interest at the time. The first being the G.  Aspioti Brothers, a Corfu   period. The only stamp being withdrawn from circulation of this issue was the
            based printing house and the other the well known British firm Bradbury        25 drachma stamp which like the first issue stamps was withdrawn on the 1st
            Wilkinson & Co  Ltd, with the latter's offer being the most economical for the   of September 1939. In  1934 and 1935 two further stamps were produced one
            Greek Government. However mainly due to national rather than economic          showing the Athens stadium and the later the Church of Pantanassa of Mystras
            criteria the decision was made to opt for the Greek printing firm.             both being considered as  part of the landscape set. Furthermore a number of

                                                                                           the low values of the set were overprinted and  used as taxed stamps for
            Aspioti worked with Thomas McDonald Ltd  in order to manufacture the
                                                                                           charity purposes.
            printing plates necessary for the production of the stamps, another reason
            taken into consideration in the allocation of the contract. The issue after    The collection aims to present the errors produced during the printing
            production was distributed in  installments to the Greek public three and a half  production and the steps taken to produce the stamps. In fact what caused the
            years after the acceptance of the tender. It was initially accepted with great   disappointment amongst the philatelists at the time is the area of study of this
            enthusiasm by the public and especially the philatelists as they were tired from  exhibit. The exhibit is arranged primarily in the chronological order of the

            the production of all the previous lithographic issues whose quality was not of   issues and in order of the value of the stamps within each  issue. The covers
            the highest standards due to the repeated use of the printing plates.          also show the variety in the postal rates being applicable during the life time of
                                                                                           the issues.
            This initial   enthusiasm was short lived as it was soon realized that the low
            quality of the paper used as well as the numerous perforation errors and the   Of particular interest and  rarity is the 5 drachma cover with the inverted center
            inadequacy of the Greek company to employ the double recess process for        and con.sidered t-o  be the rarest item in 20th century of Greek philately as the 5
            printing for the production of the stamps with the two  colour printing        lepta stamps being printed on both sides. This is believed to be one of a very
            produced a large number of printing errors. This   failure to produce well     few blocks in existence as it is thought that no more than a single sheet was

            centered stamps resulted in the  release of a large number of waste in the     printed on both sides. The 50 lepta un-issued stamp of which only three exam-
            market                                                                         ples have been recorded and the 1 lepton stamp which was  produced but not
                                                                                           circulated is of note worthy significance as well as the numerous accepted and
            The 5 and 25 lepta stamps from the 1927 issue were the only two values to be
                                                                                           unaccepted essays throughout the exhibit. Particular emphasis  must be noted
            withdrawn from circulation on the 1st of September 1939 as the other values
                                                                                           to the various hand painted essays  and other items in  red border, the majority
            were sold out well before this date. This was the main reason for the
                                                                                           of which being unique.



                               Frame 1           Unaccepted Essays,  stamps not issued, issue characteristics & 1927 - 5 lepta


                               Frame 2           1927 - 10 lepta, 20 lepta, 25  lepta & 40 lepta


                               Frame 3           1927 - 50 lepta,  80 lepta & 1 drachma


                               Frame 4           1927 - 2 drachmas, 3 drachmas, 5 drachmas, 10 drachmas, 15 drachmas & 25 drachmas


                               Frame 5           1931/35 - Photo Essays, all values of the 1931/35 issue, 4 & 8 drachma stamps
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