Ionian Islands. 1941 (May 13) Greek military postcard from an Italian "Black Shirt" in the P.M. 2 located in the Ionian Islands and sent to Reggio Emilia in the first two weeks of occupation, showing the pre-printed text and effigy of the King George of Greece crossed out, with adjacent manuscript text by the sender "A morte Re Giorgio - fu di Grecia - W il Duce" ("death to King George - who was of Greece - Long live the Duce"), showing the four-line tax handstamp reading "Da Consegnarsi con l'Applicazione della Tassa/Semplice Stabilita per le Corrispondenze per/l'interno (Autorizz, Ministle Postgen N° 52180/del 5 Settembre 940 XVIII)" (Astolfi p. 9), which is extremely rare used on mail from the Ionian Islands; illustrated on page 115 in the Sirotti handbook as "molto raro". (Image)

1941 (probably May) Postcard from Corfu with manuscript design at top left imitating a stamp "Z.O." ("Zona Occupata", occupied zone) and "Ellas", with four-line "Da Consegnarsi con l'Applicazione della Tassa/Semplice Stabilita per le Corrispondenze per/l'interno (Autorizz, Ministle Postgen N° 52180/del 5 Settembre 940 XVIII)" tax marking and postage due franking missing as the label -which covered the text and added during the application of the tax- was removed. An exceedingly scarce postmark used on mail form the Ionian Islands.. (Image)

1943 (June 21) 30c overprinted stationery postcard to Athens, uprated with 25c (2) and arimail 50c (2), tied by Kerkyra cds's and "Affari Civili/Censura Postale/Corfu" censorship marking, repeated below, paying 1.80 lire rate including 1.25 express and 25c airmail fees, the later reduced by half as it was already express (the "express" was not planned for the Ionian Island, but this service was applied occasionally). A very rare usage. (Image)

1943 (jan 15) Cover from Licsuri (Lixourion) with contents to Athens carried via airmail and Rome, franked by 1,25L and airmail 50c pair, tied by very fine strike of elusive Lixourion cds (Astolfi p. 11), with Argostoli transit cds and Rome censorship label and markings on reverse. Sirotti records only six airmail covers to Athens censored in Rome (August-December 1942), this being the only case in 1943, enhanced by the scarce cancellation. (Image)

1941 (Aug & Dec) Mail forwarded from a civilian P.O. to a military P.O., with two items, one being a large fragment of postcard from Leukas to Rome, correctly franked with Greek stamps tied by dispatch cds, entering the military mails with P.M. n° 37 cds (located in Arta) and tax marking as the franking was not accepted (signed Sorani, illustrated by Sirotti in his handbook on page 80); and cover from Ithaca to Italy franked by Italy 50c, tied by dispatch cds (Astolfi p. 9) and P.M. n°82 cds (then in Patras). A very rare duo, also including a most infrequent usage of a Kingdom of Italy stamp tied by a Greek cancellation. (Image)

1941 (Dec 12) Cover from Kerkyra to Rome endorsed "Via Aerea", at single airmail rate to Italy with postage due 1L, tied by cds on departure, censored in Corfu. The only usage recorded to Italy of a postage due on despatch properly paying the rate. (Image)

1942 (Feb 19) Cover from Argostoli to Zakyntos, bearing 50c on reverse, tied by dispatch cds, with the address of the destination being incomplete and consequently delivered almost three months later when the addressee could be found, and as a result of this, charged on delivery with postage dues 10c, 20c, 30c and 1l, all tied by Zakyntos cds, showing faint strike of the 17th Infantry Regiment which occasionally censored the correspondence. An exceptional and unique non-philatelic usage including the complete set of postage dues. (Image)

1942 (Nov 21) Registered cover from Zakyntos to Athens, correctly franked on reverse with 25c and 75c (2), tied by "Zakyntos/Sistimena" cds's (Astolfi p. 10), with censorship's label at top with the "Ufficio Affari Civili/Per l'Isola di Zante" circular hs in violet, with an additional clearer strike on front. Less than five items recorded with this censorship. (Image)

1943 (Jan 17) Cover from Asprogerakas to Lisbon, carried at single rate with 25c and 50c pair, tied by Asprogerakos dotted telegraphic cds (unlisted by Astolfi in the edition 1996 edition of his handbook) , with Argostoli transit on reverse and various censor's marks on front. An extraordinary destination further enhanced by the extremely rare cancellation. (Image)

1943 (March 12) Cover from Leukas to Volos bearing 5c, 10c, 20c and 25, tied by cds's (Astolfi p. 8) on departure, with bilingual label, circled "1" and "Affari Civili/Censura Postale/S. Maura" censorship markings in violet from Leukas (Santa Maura in Italian), Kerkyra transit and receiving cds on back; illustrated in the Sirotti handbook on page 155. Two items known by Astolfi and Sirotti. (Image)

1943 (April 30) Cover from Khionata (Cephalonia Island) to Athens, franked on reverse with 50c tied by "Xionata" cds (Astolfi p. 9) and Kerkyra transit alongside, censor's label associated with "Affari Civili/Censura Postale/Cefalonia" marking in violet. According to Astolfi and Sirotti, this is the only recorded with this censorship. (Image)

1943 (May) Cover from Stavros (Ithaca) to a prison in Aegina Island, farnked by 50c tied by dispatch cds, showing neat "Affari Civili/Censura Postale/Itaca" censorship mark in violet at lower left and "2" censor's mark at right, reverse showing two-line "Verificato/Per Censura" hs associated to the previous markings, Kerkyra and Ithaca cds's; illustrated in the Sirotti handbook on page 153. The only item recorded by Astolfi and Sirotti. (Image)

1941-43 Two items bearing Italy non-overprinted stamps, including "Postes Helleniques" cover to Leghorn (Italy) franked by "Imperiale" 50c, exceptionally accepted and tied by bilingual "Kerkyra/Corfou" cds (Astolfi p. 10), the other being a military envelope paying the airmail fee only with "Imperiale" 50c, uncancelled by Kerkyra cds (struck alongside), highlighted and taxed with "T" in red crayon, not charged on arrival in Italy as it was considered as valid. The usage of accepted non-overprinted stamps is very rare when overprinted stamps were in circulation. (Image)

1941-43 Cancellations collection: assembly comprising 29 covers/cards and few fragments showing a wide range of usages -up to p. 13 or R in the Astolfi scale of rarity), with items originating from Kerkyra, Karoussades, Lefkimi, Skriperon, Gaios, Lakka, Leukas, Ithaca, Stavros, Argostoli, Assos, Enossis, Khionata, Lixourion, Sami, Zakyntos, Makhairadon, Keramiai, some rural numeral handstamps 35, 46 and 64 being included as well; also featuring local censorships, better frankings, rare airmail correspondence to Athens censored in Rome; a very difficult and comprehensive collection formed during decades of search. Viewing recommended. (Image)

1941-43 Balance collection comprising 35 covers/cards and three newspaper wrappers, including military mail (one rare stampless postcard with CC.NN. cachet combined with Ithaca Greek P.O. cds), stationery postcards, a good variety of franking with several high unusual rates, local censorships, revenue stamps postally used, instructional marking for suspended service, registered mail demonetized Greek stationery, three items with Cephalonia and Ithaca overprints with one hand overprint example exceptionally used in rome on travelled correspondence and very rare mixed franking of the local overprint with Ionian Islands postage due, being insufficiently franked by 10L for the 3 dracma internal rate (Greek tax marking with "20" in red crayon for double the deficiency, which was paid on arrival by the recently overprinted "Isole Jonie" postage due 10c used in Gaios -corresponding to more than 20L but being the lowest denomination available of these dues-, demonstrating that while in Argostoli the "Cefalonia and Itaca" issues were in force, in other Ionian Islands the new general issues for theses Islands were already available and used (illustrated in the Sirotti handbook on page 54). Viewing recommended. (Image)

1941-45 Interesting assembly including 13 scarce newspaper wrappers sent to Trieste, 7 covers/cards with Italian stamps used in Argostoli in the early period of 1.5.41, three desirable and rare 1.11.43 covers from the Div. "Acqui" in "Carcere Argostoli" and "Caserma Mussolini" incl. one delivered on 11.6.44 (almost 8 months later) as it was addressed to Sicily, as well as various illustrated postcards from the islands.