Issue date High Values first set "Independent Crete" with Black Overprint
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 on 2 Drachma
XANIA MAIOΣ 1900 on 5 Drachma
On the same values with red overprint and on the low values occur 1 MAPT 1900 postmarks from various post offices. In Chania and Iraklion whole sheets or partial sheets got 1 MAPT 1900 postmarks by favor.
"The red surcharge was in use first and so few were overprinted that the stock was soon exhausted" (Poole 1913)
Feenstra (1986) mentions a first-day postmark from Iraklion on the 2 Drachma stamp with black overprint but he doesn't repeat this in the 2nd edition of his book 2001.
Result:
The issue date 1st March 1900 is right for the stamps with red overprint but wrong for the stamps with black overprint.
The values with red overprint were sold out at different days between March and May 1900; these are the issue dates of the corresponding values with black overprint,
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