Panayotis D. Cangelaris - Greek Diplomat and Collector
 

"GREEK ISSUES OF THRACE 1920"

Philatelic Exhibit
 
 Hellenic Administration Post Offices in Thrace 1920
 Post Offices in Thrace during the Hellenic Administration
 











 
 

Thrace High Commission Overprint


Western Thrace Administration Overprint



Inverted Overprints













Thrace Administration Overprint

 To view the exhibit online, please click here
This exhibit is part of Panayotis D. Cangelaris Greek and New Territories stamps collection.  He started collecting these stamps in the early '60s, just after his family settled permanently in Greece.  Since 1966, parts of this collection were presented to the public at national, international and world philatelic exhibitions (competitive or not) at which he showed the following exhibits:  Greek Charity Stamps (1966) in one frame at the youth philately class, this one (since 1966) in (three to) five frames at the youth and traditional philately classes, Varieties on Greek Stamps (since 1977) in five (to eight) frames at the traditional philately class, The Glory Issue of Greece (1945) (since 2007) and The Western Thrace Autonomous Government "Muhtariyet" Issue (1913) (since 2009) in one frame each at the traditional philately class (one frame).
Hellenic Administration of (Western and Eastern) Thrace

Objective of this exhibit is to show the stamps, varieties, errors and usages of the overprinted issues of the Hellenic Administration of (Western and Eastern) Thrace (1920), including a collection of cancels (Greek, Ottoman and other) used in the local Post Offices.

The succession of the Inter-allied Thrace Administration under the French General Charpy by the advance of the Greek Army in Western Thrace (1920), created in the region between the rivers Nestos (Mesta) and Evros (Maritsa or Meriç) the Hellenic Administration of Western Thrace.  This operation was completed with an exemplary order in only two days (May 14 and 15) and the civil Authorities under Charissios Vamvakas established their headquarters at Gumuldjina (Komotini).  A three-lined overprint «Διοίκησις Δυτικής Θράκης» (Western Thrace Administration) on Greek stamps was then introduced.

Following the revolt of Jaffer Tayyar (March 17) and his proclamation of an Autonomous Eastern Thrace (June 12), the Greek Army advanced and finally liberated Eastern Thrace too.  On July 1, the High Commissioner for Eastern Thrace Antonios Sactouris arrived in Dedeagatch (Neapolis or Alexandroupolis) and later (July 12) established his headquarters in Andrinople (Edirne), where the following day he received King Alexander I of the Hellenes.  A three-lined overprint «Υπάτη Αρμοστεία Θράκης» (Thrace High Commission) with new values on Ottoman stamps was then introduced.

Two months after its liberation and a month since the signing of the Treaty of Sèvres (August 10), Thrace was annexed to the Kingdom of Greece (September 10), save Tchataldja and Constantinople.  The High Commissioner became its first Governor General.  A two-lined overprint «Διοίκησις Θράκης» (Thrace Administration) on Greek stamps was then introduced.  The Armistice of Mudanya (October 11, 1922) ended this Administration and Eastern Thrace together with Karagatch were ceded to Turkey..

All Greek stamps that were overprinted in 1920 for use by the Hellenic Administration in Thrace were zig-zag perforated.  With the circulation of the «Engraved» issue in Greece (1911), this then new stamp perforation form (zig-zag roulette) was introduced in Greek postage stamps production.  Here perforation cuts resemble the teeth of a saw which leave evenly shaped pointed teeth on stamp edges.  No paper is removed during this process.  Although normal perforation can be defined as a series of holes punched between stamps, the roulette type applies a series of closely spaced cuts between them, allowing the stamps to be torn or pulled apart along the lines of the rouletting.  As a result, separation of zig-zag perforated stamps is not always the best possible ever.

The letters E.T., from the words ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΝ ΤΑΧΥΔΡΟΜΕΙΟΝ (Hellenic Mail) surmounted by the royal crown, consisted this special overprint on stamps of the «Engraved» and «Lithographic» issues and was introduced in 1916 for use in areas controlled by the royalist (then legitimate) government of King Constantine I as a measure of prevention against the use of Greek stamps by the provisory (then rebel) government of Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos in Salonica.  Stamps of this issue were later (1920) further overprinted to be used by the Hellenic Administration in Thrace.
 
 

To view the exhibit online, please click here

Greek Issues of Thrace 1920 Philatelic Exhibit Online View

 

 

Ελληνικά

 

 

 

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