Greek definitive stamps

A Greek definitive stamp is a regular postal issue designed to serve the everyday postal requirements of Greece across an extended period of time. These regular series provide a range of denominations intended to cover prevailing postal charges. In Greek postal history, the definitive tradition began with the classic Hermes Heads, a long-running and extensively studied series that forms the foundation of the country's regular postage issues, followed in later decades by definitive series including those of 1911 and 1913.

Production of Greek definitive stamps involved both foreign and domestic printing houses. The earliest Hermes Heads printings were executed in Paris, with subsequent issues produced in Athens. In the twentieth century, production of many Greek stamps was entrusted to the firm Gerasimos Aspiotis Bros. of Corfu. During the First Balkan War in 1912, regular Greek stamps were adapted for use in newly occupied areas known as the New Territories by overprinting them with ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΟΙΚΗΣΙΣ (Hellenic Administration), followed in 1913 by the newly issued Greek Campaign issue.

Greek definitives were also employed during subsequent military administrations in neighbouring regions. In November 1914, Greek Campaign issue stamps were released with a horizontal black overprint reading B. ΗΠΕΙΡΟΣ for use in Northern Epirus, alongside red overprints that were prepared but remained unissued. In December 1915, Greek definitive stamps of the 1911 and 1913 issues received vertical overprints reading either upwards or downwards with the same inscription. Forgers subsequently targeted these overprinted issues, producing numerous counterfeits.

Because definitive stamps function as regular postal workhorses and undergo repeated printings to satisfy public demand, they frequently exhibit variations in printing quality, watermark papers, and perforations. For the classical Hermes Heads, collectors differentiate between the original Paris impressions and later Athens printings by evaluating the quality of the impression and looking for control figures printed on the reverse of the stamps.

For overprinted 1911 and 1913 issues, the vertical alignment and authenticity of the overprint text must be verified.