Help - Newbie Questions (D'annunzio Stamps)

Hey folks!

I suppose I should start by informing you guys that I'm a total newbie to stamps, hence why I'm here to ask some undoubtedly silly questions.
Some backstory: After several readings of D'Annunzio biographies, I decided on whim to get a couple of D'Annunzio stamps, to place in one first edition biography. However, checking the listings on e-bay has left me quite confused.
The same D'Annunzio stamp with a "quality of 100" is listed many times for just over a euro. However, there are also listings for the same stamp for well over 100 euros. The most expensive one I've seen goes for over 200. Are the cheap ones fake?

Cheap red D'annunzio head stamp:
http://www.ebay.at/itm/Fiume-1920-S...AOSwa~BYSXiT

Expensive one:
http://www.ebay.at/itm/Fiume-1921-S...AOSwUsJYWrM1

Now I'm aware of the fact that the expensive one has a different "stamp text" to the first, the ones with "Govverno" do on average cost more, between 20 and over 200 euros.. How come? Which should I get? I'd rather not shell out for a fake / crappy one.

Also if anyone has any additional information on D'Annunzio stamps, or can enlighten me as to what those terms might mean, or share some lore / backstory, I'd much appreciate it! I can't make heads or tails of these listings here, but I'd like to walk away with a couple genuine D'Annunzio stamps (preferably without shelling out over 100 per stamp)

Thanks in advance for your help!

Vie87, welcome to the forum. If I may, you are confused because you are comparing apples and oranges. The two stamps you show are first of all different because of the overprint, and secondly because one is used, the other mint.
You say you are new to this. Why did you pick a somewhat difficult area to begin with?

Peter

Hey there, and thanks for the quick reply! I thought I'd given the backstory already... I wanted some stamps with D'Annunzios likeness on it to put in a book on the man. I'm not intending currently of getting into stamps in general, call this thread fishing for buying advice on a one-time basis only. :)

I'll have to google what overprint means, I'm with you on mint though. I'm supposing the expensive version is the one in mint condition. I suppose I'll just go with the ones that please me then, or is there something more to watch out for? At the risk of sounding stupid again, but which ones would you guys recommend? Any general info is also appreciated. I'll probably go for a set of the cheaper ones in all the colors they come in.

If that is all you want, yes, go for the cheaper ones.

Peter

Overprinting is the "GOVERNO ..." added printing in black. You probably will prefer ones without -- you can see D'annunzio better. Be aware that there are fakes of this issue, which I think you do not want. The most common one is detectable by an oval-shaped leaning "O" in "POSTALE" in the upper right corner. That fake also has the leaves behind the head much less distinct vs. the original. A less common fake also has less distinct leaves behind the head.

There are 14 values to the whole set without overprint; same design, different colors and values, if you don't know that already. All you have to do is collect good-quality scans, but you might want to buy some stamps for yourself.

Good luck on your book project!

EDIT: If you are not confident with identifying the fakes, just post scans here when you have accumulated a bunch.

You can look at some stamps here, wander through the thread.

https://goscf.com/t/18625#179274

"Fiume or death"

https://goscf.com/t/18625&whichpage=3#438370

First off, thanks so much, hy-brasil, for the very helpful post! (If there was a way to give rep on this forum, I would) And yes, I think I'll indeed go for a set of the used stamps without the overprint, for the reasons you mentioned as well as for reasons of price! Unfortunately, nobody seems to be offering a full set, so I'll have to buy them individually.
(I found a full set of ones with the overprint which look good, too, though a little bit on the expensive side.)

And thank you for the kind offer of identifying some stamps I pick out. The tips you gave me on recognizing fakes sounds like I won't have too much trouble with it myself, I'll just have to take a little longer to compare them all, and look very closely! I'll also get the commemorative from the 60's, as that one's gorgeous too.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Italy-Gener...AOSw241YVyg8

I'm definitely buying all the stamps, as I do want physical copies :)

Cheers

You should look out for the Italian 1996 stamp showing D'Annunzio's Inkwell, Pen and Manuscript. That sounds appropriate for what you want. There's a grubby picture of it here:

http://www.canstockphoto.com/manusc...2221700.html

Hello Rod, thank you for the links, interesting reading, and some of those stamps look great! Having read a lot about Fiume already, I definitely have a context for some of these stamps, and the additional info is neat.
Too bad there seem to be quite a few fakes amongst the Fiume stamps, and a know-nothing like me can't just walk in, pick up a set and be satisfied that they're all genuine. (If I ever set out to collect more stamps after the D'Annunzio ones, Fiume ones in general would be one way of naturally expanding this particular interest.) Is this kind of stuff a big problem with stamps in general?

Thanks, 22crows! I love D'Annunzios crazy paraphernalia-ladden abodes, strange I haven't seen a listing for that one, yet. It's definitely of interest though.

Not a "big' problem, it comes with the territory though.
For most stamps of common values, you should be fine, as the scarcity increases so do the forgeries.
For me, forgeries are fine, if they turn up, they can be collectible for study purposes, and oft have surprising values.

If it mean a lot to you, perhaps purchase from dealer.
or, perhaps google "Fiume forgeries" to see what may exist.

A good place to start is always our member Jim and "Big Blue"
He offers great overall information on countries

http://bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.co...2/fiume.html

Here is a cover from my collection that should help you .

Should of added ,mine are favor canceled ,real used stamps in a set are very rare . If you want to see fakes verse real ones let me know .

Yes Mr. Floortrader, please show us the fakes.