Crete

The following stamps are (I think) from Crete. But are they real stamps? I can't find them in the Scott's catalog and don't know the dates either. Would sure appreciate any help you can give me.
Thanks so much!
Donna

They've appeared here several times...here's a good thread:
https://goscf.com/t/7380

[edit: Some here can probably i.d. your stamps based on your scan, but for us mere mortals, close-up scans would be useful, if you want opinions on reprint/forgery status.]

Sorry about that first photo (it was pretty awful), hopefully these will show more detail and thanks for the link to the other thread.
Why are there forgeries and reprints of these particular stamps? And is there a reason why they are not in Scott's?
Thanks again.
Donna

Hi Donna,

I'm sure these stamps were created essentially as propaganda items rather than practical postage stamps.

This so-called "Revolutionary Assembly" or "Provisional Government" wasn't a government at all. However, it was a serious political movement that controlled a few villages around Theriso for a few months in 1905 and its actions affected Cretan and Greek history for years.

These stamps were the third set produced after some unissed stamps with a handstamped map of Crete design and another set with a handstamped deseign including a statue of Victory.

This last set was only available for use for 26 days before the revolution was suppressed.

There were 50,000 each of the low values produced and 10,000 of the 50 lepta and 1 and 2 drachma values.

This wasn't enough for the stamp trade of the time so the printers (Grundman & Stangel in Athens) produced lots of reprints and then various forgers got in on the act and produced many more forged stamps.

Scott doesn't list them because they say they "were of no postal value whatever". I supect the revolutionaries used some just because they could but it wasn't a serious postal service. SG lists all three sets.

While this mini-revolution was happening life continued as usual in the rest of Crete and letters were delivered bearing the regular Cretan stamps of the time.

Well, these stamps certainly have historical value if not monetary! I thank you so much for the information. They really are neat stamps.
Donna