Crete Stamps Postmarks Postal History

In March 1905 a group of so-called Rebels or Insurgents took control of some villages in the NorthWest of Crete. They want Crete to be a part of Greece. Their headquarter was in Therison. Although there was no postal need, they decided to produce their own Stamps in order to give their so-called revolutionary government an official status. This Decision including the description of the first issue is part of a document with date 30th August 1905. Because of that all publications mention the 30th August or even the 1st September 1905 as first day of the Therison" first issue. In fact the first day of the first issue must have been earlier in August. The following picture shows a genuine 5 Lepta Stamp of the first issuev with a genuine postmark    (ΘΕΡ)ΙΣΟΝ (?)6  (Α)ΥΓ. (19)05 

Not only the single lots but also nearly every part of the larger lots in this unbelievable with love created collection - find it here  https://www.heinrich-koehler.de/de/366-auktion-m%C3%A4rz-2018?f%5B0%5D=field_catalogue_part%3A3466 - deserves its own article in this blog. One example: This page gets the title "Early greek postmarks in Xania/Crete"   It begins with a 5 Lepta Great Hermes Head bearing the scarce postmark of the greek post office, which works in Chania only 1881. first/last known postmark date 3. March/30. November 1881 here October 1881 followed by three stamps first issue independent crete each bearing the one circle cretan postmark, used in Chania 1900 to 1905 first/last known postmark date 1. March 1900/27. Januar 1905 here September 1900, 20. March 1900 (early usage) and 1901 followed by two stamps gothic ellas issue independent crete both bearing the double circle postmark, used in Chania 1900 to 1913 first/last known postmark date 4. Februar 1905/11....

Let's leave the issue dates for a while and visit Ierapetra. In order to imagine the area around " the southernmost town of Europe" in the 1970ies see https://cretepostalhistory.blogspot.com/2021/05/a-forgotten-world.html The town itself is dusty, the time seems to run very slowly in this mixture of "High Noon" and "Alexis Zorbas". In the two little habour tavernas -  one "for the tourists" and one for the old men of the town - we got fresh fish from  the local fishermen. The known Postal History of Ierapetra begins 100 years earlier - Crete belongs to the Ottoman Empire - with one gem of Cretan Philately. The Pictures and the following description of the cover by Mr. A. Galinos are found in a special catalogue of the 366. Heinrich Koehler Auction "Griechische Gebiete Die Sammlung Johann Ulrich Schmitt" Hierapetra 1871: "YERAPETRA" black hexagonal postmark in Old-Turkish, tying a 20pa 1868 (perforated 13¼) on entire fol...

  Statement: The  values 1 Dr., 2 Dr. and 5 Dr. of the first set with black overprint can be divided in two issues (or the issue and a reprint); the second issue ( = the reprint) can be dated January/February 1901  ( Catalogues "Karamitsos" and Vlastos ) and can be identified by the  look of the overprint. "Karamitsos" even lists the so-called re-issues with own catalogue numbers. Facts: Very few of the three values occur with an overprint which is either very  faint (some overprinted letters might be nearly invisible) or has letters with diffuse typographic characters. In this cases the overprint color seems to be greyish. All the other stamps have clear bordered letters in black color which sometimes seems to be greyish and sometimes occurs in deep black. The left one of the following stamps is unused and  shows the usual look of the black overprint. The right one with a very faint XANIA  one circle postmark  shows an overprint that is tending t...

 High Values are these stamps: 25 Lepta 50 Lepta lilac 1 Drachma 2 Drachma 5 Drachma They were issued without overprint   https://cretepostalhistory.blogspot.com/2021/06/issue-date-high-values-of-first-set.html  or overprinted with the word ΠΡΟΣΩΡΙΝΟΝ. The overprint has a red or a black colour. Statement: These stamps with red  overprint  and those with black overprint were issued at 1st March 1900 ( All catalogues ) Facts: The first known postmarks on stamps with black overprint are XANIA                     8 MAIOΣ    1900     on 25 Lepta HPAKΛEION          11 MAPT     1900     on 50  Lepta HPAKΛEION           7 MAPT      1900    on 1 Drachma XANIA                     3 MAPT      1900  ...

  High Values are the 25 Lepta, the 50 Lepta lilac, the 1 Drachma, the 2 Drachma and the 5 Drachma.   Statement: The "Feenstra" and the "Karamitsos" are listing these stamps under the 1st March 1900. Facts: 1. These stamps must have been on Crete already on 23rd February 1900, because a law with that date  was published on 29th February 1900 and became valid on 30thMarch 1900, which  allows to use these stamps as Revenues; that use was forbidden since 29th January 1901, because then a set of Revenues all with the color bistre-yellow was  available 2. 1 Drachma stamps were used as Revenues already on 6th April 1900, see picture 486 in the "Feenstra" 3. The first known postmarks occur much later: XANIA     30 NOEM 1900   on 5 Drachma XANIA     13 ΦΕΒΡ 1901    on  25 Lepta XANIA      3 MAPT 1901  on all five stamps together as franking of a registered letter The November 1900 Postmark I...