Proofs and essays
In this chapter
I mean to expose part of those emissions that were overprinted like proofs
or essays to search the correct type of overprint. We do not forget, moreover,
that several overprint were carried out with the precise attempt of to
build rare stamps. The main scope of the Fascetti overprint, was made "to disfigure" the image of the King, with symbols of the new Republican
state. As we will see, instead, also stamps lacking in the real image
were overprinted. In spite of these philatelic and speculative attempts,
the world of the proofs and essays remains a fascinating complement to
the study of the RSI stamps. It is not possible to show all the existing
proofs knows, however that ALL the stamps belonging to the Imperial set
issued on 1929 were equipped of several overprints with several inks .Near
the end of war and then, someone entered into possession of the original
printing machines,making and overprinting stamps with speculative intents.It
is interesting the case of the 2 and the half 7 cents. that were overprinted
in spite of they were declared out of validity since4 years! Most of these
issues were executed at Verona but other cities like Genoa and Florence
carried out this kind of overprint proofs. |
Rome essays
Very scarce is the set,overprinted in Rome on January 1944, above showed. Only 200 stamps per type were issued.
Verona essays
|
The picture above shows some essays overprinted and issued on January-February 1944 at Verona. The very low quantity issued make these items very scarce and valued. Below are showed the quantity issued. 5c. - 100 items 10c. - 100 items 15c. - 100 items 20c. - 100 items 35c. - 300 items 1L. - 300 items 1,75L. - 200 items 2L. - 300 items 10L. - 200 items 20L. - 100 items 25L. 100 items |
Furthermore essays overprinted with black ink.
Another very scarce set. The picture above shows two Air Mail stamps overprinted with red ink in Verona. Only 100 stamps per type ( 1 sheet ), were overprinted.
Black fasces
About five hundreds stamps per type were overprinted with black fasces. The complete set is above showed. They are proofs.
These special delivery stamps were overprinted exploiting the zinc plate for the normal size stamps ( see the set above these stamps ), so a double overprint affected the stamps with this double size. Only 54 complete set are knowed, therefore they are very rare.
The stamp above showed is very rare, only 16 item were recently discovered, the history of this overprint is the same of the previous set.
Red fasces
Furthermore proofs were overprinted with a single fasces, but with red ink.
The proofs above showed, were overprinted with a three row inscription, only the 50 cent. will have this kind of overprint.
The kind of overprint showed above, was exploited only for 25 cent. and 75 cent. The stamps above are very rare proofs.
25 c. Big red fasces
This stamp
maybe was issued ( overprinted with red big fasces ) in Verona as a
proof on 1944, but we know some letters ( rare ) left from Toscana,the
item above presents, infact, all features of Verona overprinting. 10,000
items were issued, but a great quantity was lost. This kind of overprint
was then abandoned and replace with a little black fasces with the words
REPUBBLICA SOCIALE ITALIANA ( see chapter " Fascetti " to see this kind
of overprint ). For the slight quantity of this stamp on letter, we
could think about a philatelic speculation about this issue, but historical
documents prove that a wrong cliches was applied on these sheet. This
stamp is certainly a valued item. |
Verona's error
The history of
this stamp is somewhat singular, it was, in fact, regularly issued, but
because of a mistake. This stamp has the effigie of Giulio Cesar rather
than the King, rendering unfounded the motivations of overprint. The background
colour of the 20 cents. stamp is equal to 75c. ,stamp regularly overprinted
because had royal effigie. It seems therefore that the printer puts some
sheets of 20 cents under press machine, because background colour was
the same of 75 cents. Infact the kind of the adopted overprint is equal
to 75 cents of Fascetti issue. This is a very valued stamp when mint,
but extremely valued if it is on letter. It was issued on January 1944. |
Verona's 50 Lire
This stamp, overprinted on 1944, was issued exclusively for philatelic intents, the value from 50 Lire, in fact, was huge for the postal rates of the age. Original issue was of 5,000 stamps but 2,342 items were burned. It is,however a valuable stamp and, if regularly travelled on letter, very scarce ( letters are, even if always of philatelic origin, extremely rare ).
Florence's 50 Lire
Also at Florence there was a similar emission, obviously with the typical inks and printing styles of this city. Florence's inks exist of three various tonalities (lilac, lillaceous carmine and carmine). The Tuscany issue is rarest than Verona issue, items overprinted were, in fact, only 1,350. The stamp above is in lilac ink.
2 cent. Braille
The stamps above were overprinted only for philatelic purposes. The stamp above ( 2 cent. adopted in Braille mailing between blinds ), was no longer in circulation since 1940 !
15 c. Tete-beche
This was a typical overprint obtained for philatelic scopes. A double sheet ( 100 + 100 ) of 15 cents. stamps was overprinted with the press machine with the zinc slab of the War propaganda stamps, these stamps have double horizontal size than these, so this would have obviously overprinted a stamp and not the next ( see War prpaganda chapter ). After this first overprint the same sheet was put inverted in the same machine, this second print originated this nice variety. All stamps of the sheet were overprinted but, one with straight overprint and the following with inverted and so on for all positions of the sheet.The quantity issued was, therefore, 100 stamps with correct overprint and 100 with inverted. Both have the same value and they are very rare.
Genoa's essays
The zinc plate adopted to overprint double size stamps ( like special delivery ), was exploited to overprint normal size stamps. The complete set above showed is a sample, overprinted with black ink, in Genoa. This set is extremely rare.
Florence's essays
Like the previous set, the picture above shows an inverted red ink overprint performed in Florence.
