Early Greek Hermes Stamps

Over the years I've collected alot of Greek stamps but left the early issues alone .Now I've started to fill these holes and realize how difficult to tell the issues apart .Maybe it would help to have pictures of the fine and coarse issues side by side .They all look the same .Maybe my eyes are failing .Appreciate any tips .Bernie

My contribution.
Source: Stanley Gibbons.

Download and toggle between the two, with your mouse, to see minor differences.

see also :
https://goscf.com/t/18134

Also, this might be helpful, from Jim's blog:

http://bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.co...s-heads.html

Chris

...and here

http://www.stamp-collecting-world.c...s_1861d.html

Get the Vlastos catalog first ,it cost about $13.00 on ebay that is the standard everybody uses . About 10 or 12 years ago I put together a decent collection of early Greece with all my purchases from the Vlastos website ,they even signed all the better stamps .A lot of material both at auction houses in collections and on ebay was questionable back when I was putting my album together .

I am assuming your are talking about the Small Hermes here. There's unfortunately more divisions to the Large Heads than just the Paris and local prints.

Belgian (fine) print:


Athens (coarse) print:


Belgian (fine): Outer frame is even and sharp. Portrait background has minimal white spots/graininess. Neck and chin shading is sharp and clear. Lines behind ELLAS at top are sharp and clear.

Athens (coarse): Overall design has a clear number of ink blobs/spots, plus uninked spots, often a grainy look to the stamp. Outer frame has tiny blobs of ink (here overinked) and can look broken in spots from underinking. Portrait background has a noticeable number of white/uninked spots/graininess. Neck and chin shading have tiny blobs of ink at least, or overinked (liked this) to merge together in places. Lines behind ELLAS at top have blobs of ink or merge together.

Thanks to all.

Nice addition HB, Thanks.

Vlastos Catalogue...looks like bilingual

Bought a catalog .

hi; Can you post some pics of the stamps you are confounded with?

I have a bunch but over the years I've had no luck getting my pictures online .None at all.

why?