New Albanian.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 67, 21 March 1938, Page 9

New Albanian.

Albania, small south-eastern Eurc- (J pean monarchy opposite the heel of . Italy on the Adriatic Sea, and just . north of Greece, has recently issued|, a nine-value set of stamps marking twenty-five years of independence. , Albania issued its first stamps in . June, 1913, Turkish stamps of the!< 1908 issue overprinted with the ] double-headed Albanian eagle. The ] next few months more Turkish stamps were hand-stamped with! j overprints and in December the first new Albanian designed stamp appear-, i ed featuring patriot Scanderberg. The < June, 1913, issue is Albania's most / valuable. During the World War the ruling prince and the international commission advisers left Albania, it was oc-: cupied by Italian troops, and proclaimed an independent republic. Pro- j visional stamps with the double-head-: ed eagle were issued in 1917 by the j new republic, and various overprinted J and surcharged issues of these stamps < and similarly designed stamps continued to appear till 1920, when new i stamps came from the presses. In 1922 i a pictorial set with views of the coun-: try, and the subsequent overprints! show revolution and the opening of I the legislature. One issue was overprinted especially to prevent a large quantity of stamps stolen during the revolution being used.

President Ahmed Zogu first appear- i ed on Albanian stamps of 1925. These , stamps were also overprinted and surcharged later, and a new issue marking the change *rom republic to mon- < archy was printed in 1928, showing the president as King Zog I. These were overprinted for various purposes right from the start. In 1930 another pictorial set was issued, and was overprinted in 1935. Albania’s air mail, postage due and charity stamps have suffered likewise from frequen ; over-] printing. i

A Handy Hint. j Carry one of each of your duplicaions in a stockbook which fits your •oat pocket when going trading at a riend’s or at a stamp club.