Cefalonia and Itaca. 1941 Back of envelope bearing machine oveprinted "Mithology" single 2d and 50L+50L, "Previdenza" single 50L, used outside the Ionian in Islands and tied by Lehena cds (Patras) and "2" within small circle. Greece disagreed for the usage of its stamps overprinted by the Italians in occupied territories, and in a show of protest, some post offices in Continental Greece exceptionally and very occasionally accepted the Cephalonia and Ithaca overprinted values; these usages are very rare. Signed Chiavarello. (Image)

1941 (May 20) Cover to Genoa (Bessin correspondence) bearing machine overprinted "Mythology" 5d+5d and airmail 2d+2d and 5d+5d, all being marginal and each tied by Argostoli cds on the first day of issue, with arrival on reverse. (Image)

1941 (May 31) Greek 2d non-overprinted stationery card apparently travelled to the Italian Navy Command in Patras, correctly paying the domestic rate and the tax of 10 lepta with hand overprinted "Previdenza" 10L single postage due with previous overprint, tied by Keramiai (Cephalonia) dotted cds (Astolfi fig. 1, p. 10). A remarkable item for the following reasons: a very infrequent early mail in May, a very scarce usage of the overprinted Greek postage due (two items known being regularly travelled), the very unusual mixed franking and the cancellation on these issues. (Image)

1941 (July 4) 2d stationery postcard with machine overprint to Vicenza, cancelled in transit with P.M. n° 167 cds, which was located in Brindisi, where part of the correspondence from Ionian Islands was forwarded to Italy; the cds does not cancel the franking as it was not acknowledge as valid, but the postcard was not taxed nevertheless. Illustrated in the Sirotti handbook on page 136. Very scarce. (Image)

1941 (July 11) Cover to Genoa (Bessin correspondence) bearing machine overprint "Previdenza" 50L+50L in combination with hand overprint 5d, both being marginal examples and tied by Argostoli cds's, showing receiving cds on back. Signed A. Diena. A rare combination of machine and hand overprints. (Image)

1941 (End July) Cover from Sami to Argostoli paying the single rate up to 20 grams with Argostoli hand overprinted "Mythology" 2d(+2d) single and 50L+50L, plus "Previdenza" 50L(+50L) single tax, tied by Sami cds (Astolfi fig. 2 p. 10), slight vertical crease through one stamp in centre; illustrated in the Sirotti handbook on page 63. A very rare usage of the Argostoli local hand overprints in this small locality. (Image)

1941 (Aug 3) Single weight cover from Argostoli to Athens paying the internal rate plus the 50 lepta tax with machine overprinted "Mithology 20L+20L pair and single 20L, 2d single and "Previdenza" 50L single, tied by dispatch cds's, backstamped on arrival. A very scarce regularly travelled mail. Signed A. Diena. (Image)

1941 (Aug 15) Cover to Athens bearing on reverse machine overprinted "Mythology" vertical pair of 80L+80L (slightly overfranked by 20 lepta for the 3 dracma domestic rate), and "Previdenza" 50L single paying the required tax, tied by Argostoli cds's, showing arrival of Athens above three weeks later. A very scarce regularly travelled mail. (Image)

1941 "Previdenza" 10L+10L red, double machine overprint, tied to fragment by Aghia Ephimia cds (Astolfi p. 13) on 17 August, repeated at top; a scarce variety enhanced by the very rare cancellation. Sassone €5'000. (Image)

1941 (Aug 23) Cover from a member of the "43° Batg. CC.NN. da Sbarco" to Italy, franked by "Mythology" 2d+2d tied by P.M. n° 3450 cds, corresponding to the "Concentramento di Bari" (base F.P.O. of Bari), occasionally used as a distributing location for mail originating from the Ionian Islands. Rare. (Image)

1941 (Aug 25) Cover to Athens bearing "Mythology" machine overprint 50L single in pair, 2d single and "Previdenza" 50L (postal tax of Greece) single, tied by Argostoli cds's, backstamped on arrival. (Image)

1941 Group of 23 stamps used on fragments with machine overprints, comprising come combined on fragment, others as singles on fragment (incl. four with "Corfu" overprint), also off fragment including one rare "George II" 30d+30d mint (Sassone 71 catalogued at €4'000, signed A. Diena, Fiecchi and Oliva), as well as unused 3d+50L Greek overprinted stationery envelope unused (Filagrano BU1) and 5d greek stationery postcard with "Previdenza" hand overprinted. A very unusual lot. (Image)

Cefalonia and Itaca. 1941, Previdenza Sociale, 10 l. rosa lilla, emissione di Itaca, soprastampa a mano, coppia verticale bordo di foglio in cui l'esemplare inferiore presenta una doppia soprastampa, annullato su piccolo frammento con doppio cerchio di Itaca. Molto bello e raro. Cert. A. Diena (1969), Enzo Diena (2004) ed Avi (2020). (Image)

Continental Greece. 1926 (May 10) Cover with contents from Preveza to Alessandria (Italy), with manuscript notation at top right "Zona sprovvista di francobolli" denoting the non availability of stamps, with "310° Battaglione Terr. Mob./Comando" cachet in blue and the rare "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)" four-line handstamp indicating single tax to be applied; illustrated on page 81 in the Ionian Islands handbook by Sirotti and described as "rarissimo uso". An exceedingly scarce usage of the tax handstamp from Greece. (Image)

1941-43 group of 15 covers/cards in continental Greece (and islands non occupied by the Italians) and two documents, including military with Navy cachets and cancellations, one airport marking Italian censorships in Greece, German censorship in Mytilene, demonetized Greek stationery, etc.

Corfu. 1941 (June 5) Group of the six overprinted postcards, all except one unused, including "Mythology" 2d unused and 5d used from Kerkyra to Milan, 1d and 2,40d, each unused represented by two examples with the front and back side of the reply card; very fine. Filagrano €1'525. (Image)

1941 (June 6) Postcard to Alessandria franked by two "George II" 3d singles, tied by Kerkyra cds, as well as by framed "Verificato/Per Censura" hs, with "3" censorship marking from Corfu at left. According to Astolfi, the earliest usage recorded of this overprint on postal document. (Image)

1941 (June 13) Overprinted 1d stationery postcard (back side of the reply card) to Athens, uprated with "George II" 1d and "Previdenza" 10L, tied by Kerkyra cds's, showing framed "Verificato/Per Censura" & "3" censorship marks from Corfu and Athens cds at lower left; minor cover edge imperfections, very scarce. Signed A. Diena. (Image)

1941 (June 14) Overprinted 1d stationery postcard (front side of the reply card) to Athens, additionally franked for the single rate with "George II" 1d and "Previdenza" 10L, tied by Kerkyra cds, "Verificato/Per Censura" framed and "3" censorship mark adjacent, all applied on dispatch. Very scarce. (Image)

1941 (June 15) Cover from the Banca Commerciale Italiana to Milan, franked by fie examples of first issue 2d, tied by P.M. no. 2 cds. As a significant Italian company in an occupied territory, this bank benefitted from the service of the Italian military mail, which offices were supposed to only accept Italian metropolitan stamps, although exceptions were tolerated during the first months of occupation; illustrated in the Sirotti handbook on page 90. An exceedingly scarce usage. (Image)

1941 (June 15) Overprinted 1d stationery postcard (back side of the reply card) addressed to Paris, uprated for the 5 dracma external rate with "Mythology" 2d (2) and the required tax with "Previdenza" 10L, tied by Kerkyra cds's, Salonica cds and framed "Verificato/Per Censura" censorship hs at left, with accompanying "3" below, German censorship also tying part of the franking (probably from Vienna), with application of German "Zurück/Retour" & "Umzulässig/Non admis" instructional return markings as certain postal documents (as the postcards) were not admitted to be sent to the occupied France. Some slight wrinkles not affecting the stamps, a very rare usage. Signed Sorani. (Image)

1941 (June 17) Postcard with neat small cachet "Comando Marina/Corfu" in violet from the Italian Navy, bearing first issue 2d, uncancelled as it was not acknowledge as valid, and surprisingly not taxed, with alongside various censorship markings. Illustrated in the Sirotti handbook on page 98. (Image)

1941 (June 24) Cover to Venice bearing "George II" 1d & 3d, "Mythology" 2d & 5d, and "Previdenza" 1d, overpaying the 8 dracma external rate and tied by Kerkyra cds's, Corfu censorship markings alongside and arrival on reverse. Very rare. (Image)

1941 (July 31) Cover from Kerkyra to Athens, franked on reverse by "Mythology" 20L, 40L and marginal 80L vertical strip of three, tied by dispatch cds's and partly by framed "Verificato/Per Censura" marking, with paper seal at right and "3" mark on reverse, all applied by the censorship in Corfu; paying the internal fee and not the tax which was not always required by the Italians (indeed they will not included in the new tariffs). A very scarce non-philatelic franking. (Image)

1941 (Aug 7) Postcard to Rome paying the 2 dracma postcard fee with "Mythology" 40L and two 80L, tied by Kerkyra cds's, with censorship markings of Corfu below. Very fine and scarce. (Image)