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Mount Athos - Contemplated postage stamp issue

Mount Athos - Contemplated postage stamp issue: Encyclopedia II - Mount Athos - Contemplated postage stamp issue

In the winter of 1915 - 1916 the allied forces were considering occupation of the holy mountain. In anticipation of this they prepared a set of stamps which were intended for issue on the 25 January 1916 for the use of the Governing body of the Monastic Republic. These stamps were produced in sheets of 12, (3 rows of 4), on board the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. Six values were produced, ranging up to one shilling, and ...

Mount Athos: Encyclopedia II - Mount Athos - Contemplated postage stamp issue

Mount Athos - Contemplated postage stamp issue

These stamps were produced in sheets of 12, (3 rows of 4), on board the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. Six values were produced, ranging up to one shilling, and all were printed in black but on various different paper types.

The design of these stamps consisted of a square border with the name MOUNT ATHOS at the bottom in English, the left in Russian and on the right in Greek. At the top was in inscribed THEOCRACY. The denomination appeared at each corner with the English in the lower corners, Greek in the top left and Russian in the top right. The inner section showed a double headed Byzantine eagle with the effigy of the Madonna and child in an oval on its breast.

These stamps have no official status but fall into the category of prepared for use but not issued.

Two points of interest arise with these stamps:

They are the only issue to bear the currency and alphabets of three different languages.

They are the only issue to be produced on a warship in a time of war.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Contemplated postage stamp issue", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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