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Auction: 26015 - "The Treasure of the Eagles" Collection of Albania - Part I
Lot: 3121

(x) First Independent Albania (1912-1914)
Third Issue
An Uncatalogued Great Rarity and Gem of Albania - Only Four Known Examples
1913, 10pa. green (Turkey, 1901 inland mail, Michel 87), overprinted with the black double eagle, mint with large part original gum, exquisitely centred, with a light and very clear impression and good perforations for this issue. A couple of light creases are of no significance whatsoever for this great rarity. Only four examples of this stamp are recorded, of which two bear the regular black overprint, including one on cover, and two show varieties, namely the overprint in red and the same overprint inverted (the latter two offered as the following two lots in this sale). This is one of the three rarest issued stamps of Albania. The double-eagle overprint on this 1901 stamp has not been published to date and consequently has not yet been entered in the catalogues. This is the first time that this stamp and its varieties are offered on the public market. Cert. Otto Graf (2026).

provenance: Minister Lef Nosi
note: This stamp is not listed in any standard catalogue and requires an explanation. When the new state of Albania established its postal service in May 1913, un-overprinted Turkish stamps were initially used alongside handstamped envelopes. However, the circulation of large numbers of Turkish stamps threatened one of the few sources of revenue for the newly formed Albanian state. To address this, the authorities decided to recall the remaining Turkish stamps from post offices and apply the double eagle handstamp overprint to create distinctly Albanian issues. Most overprinted stamps were from the contemporary Mohamed V issue, with some from the older Abdul Hamid II issue, and exceptionally from an earlier issue, such as the 1901 issue in this case. While Ottoman regulations recognized only the Mohamed V stamps as valid postage, this had no bearing on the Albanian postal authorities, who used the overprinting process to establish their own stamps. These 1901 examples are great rarities, and it is recorded that the Albanian Minister of Posts, Lef Nosi, acquired few for his personal collection. We trust that the appearance of this stamp on the market through this auction will lead to its inclusion in the catalogues with the significance it deserves.


Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£10,000 to £20,000

Starting price
£9000