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Rare Italian stamps

Rare Italian stamps and the Italian States

The rarest Italian stamps come from the Italian States before unification: the 1859 Sicily ½ grano printed in blue by mistake, of which only two are known, the 1860 Tuscany 3 lire, the 1859 Parma 80 centesimi and the Naples Trinacria and Savoy Cross ½ tornese. From the Kingdom and Republic, the 1933 Balbo 'return flight' triptych and the 1961 Gronchi Rosa are the famous names. Most later Italian stamps were printed in huge numbers and are common.

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Which Italian stamps are rare?

Before 1861 Italy was a patchwork of states, and each issued its own stamps: Sardinia, Tuscany, the Papal States, Naples, Sicily, Parma, Modena and Romagna. Their classic issues hold nearly all of Italy's great rarities, often because a value was barely used or a plate was altered in a hurry during the upheavals of 1859 and 1860.

They are also some of the most forged stamps in Europe. Fernand Serrane counted more than 100 counterfeits of the first two Tuscany issues alone. Treat any Italian States stamp that looks valuable as unproven until an expert has seen it.

9 notable rare Italian stamps

Listed roughly in date order, not ranked by price. Figures are only given where a named source records them.

  1. Sardinia first issue: 5, 20 and 40 centesimi

    1851

    Why it is rare
    Sardinia's first series of three values appeared on 1 January 1851, with an embossed profile of Victor Emmanuel II and no state name. Genuine copies in good condition are scarce, and unofficial reprints of 1863 and 1877 muddy the market.
    What drives the value
    Value, margins, the clarity of the embossing, and the cancellation. Reprints and forged cancels mean certification is standard for better copies.
    How to recognize it
    A colorless embossed profile of the king on a colored ground, values in centesimi, no state name, imperforate: 5 centesimi black, 20 blue, 40 red.

    Sources: Wikipedia, Wikipedia (Italian), Evert Klaseboer

  2. Sicily ½ grano blue error of color

    1859

    Why it is rare
    The ½ grano should be orange. Some were printed in blue by mistake, and only two are known today.
    What drives the value
    There are only two, so provenance and certification decide everything. A light-blue essay on thin paper also exists and is not the error.
    How to recognize it
    The portrait of King Ferdinand II (the 'Bomba' head) with values in grana. Genuine used Sicily stamps often show the horseshoe-shaped cancel designed to avoid defacing the king's face.
    Documented figures
    Sold for €1.8 million at Galerie Dreyfus in Basel in June 2011 (swissinfo.ch). Wikipedia's list of the most expensive philatelic items records the price as $2,190,000 on 10 June 2011.

    Sources: swissinfo.ch, Wikipedia (Italian), Wikipedia, Evert Klaseboer

  3. Sicily 50 grana on cover

    1859

    Why it is rare
    The 50 grana was the top value of the Sicily issue. Italian Wikipedia records only 75 letters franked with it, most of them addressed to Genoa.
    What drives the value
    Covers above all. Single used copies also need careful checking for forged cancellations.
    How to recognize it
    The Ferdinand II design in the 50 grana value. The whole 1859 Sicily issue ran to about 2,850,000 stamps, so the lower values are far more common.

    Source: Wikipedia (Italian)

  4. Parma provisional government 80 centesimi

    1859

    Why it is rare
    Issued by the provisional government of 1859. Italian Wikipedia calls a used 80 centesimi the greatest rarity among Italian stamps, and Evert Klaseboer's forgery catalogue records just one letter and five used singles.
    What drives the value
    Used or unused, certification and provenance. Jean de Sperati forged it, along with the 5 and 40 centesimi.
    How to recognize it
    Inscription STATI PARMENSI, value 80 centesimi, imperforate. On genuine stamps the I of STATI has no cross-stroke at the top, a detail simpler forgeries get wrong.

    Sources: Wikipedia (Italian), Evert Klaseboer

  5. Tuscany provisional government 3 lire

    1860

    Why it is rare
    The top value of the 1860 provisional government issue. English Wikipedia calls the 3 lire in mint condition the most valuable Italian stamp.
    What drives the value
    Unused or used, margins, color and certification. It is among the most forged Italian stamps.
    How to recognize it
    The arms of Savoy instead of the Tuscan lion, the value in lire, yellow to ochre, imperforate, on paper watermarked with wavy lines.

    Sources: Wikipedia, Evert Klaseboer

  6. Naples ½ tornese 'Trinacria'

    1860

    Why it is rare
    Made in a hurry by altering the ½ grano plate, a half-sheet of 100 subjects: the G of grano was recut into the T of tornese. Italian Wikipedia ranks it as one of the two top rarities of Naples.
    What drives the value
    Genuineness first: forgeries are common, and an 1884 facsimile by Senf sometimes turns up with the word FACSIMILE erased or hidden under a fake cancel. Then condition and margins.
    How to recognize it
    Blue, value ½ tornese. On genuine stamps a trace of the old G can still be seen as a small blotch behind the T.

    Sources: Wikipedia (Italian), Evert Klaseboer

  7. Naples ½ tornese 'Savoy Cross' (Crocetta)

    1860

    Why it is rare
    The same plate was then recut again to show the cross of Savoy, the royal house of the new Italy. Italian Wikipedia ranks it with the Trinacria as the two top rarities of Naples.
    What drives the value
    Condition, margins and certification.
    How to recognize it
    Blue ½ tornese with the cross of Savoy at the center in place of the Bourbon arms.

    Source: Wikipedia (Italian)

  8. Balbo transatlantic flight triptych, 'Volo di Ritorno' overprint

    1933

    Why it is rare
    The three-part airmail stamp for Italo Balbo's North Atlantic formation flight was printed in 200,000 copies, each overprinted with an aircraft registration such as I-BALB. Another 500 were overprinted 'Volo di Ritorno New York-Roma' for the return flight but went unused because US authorization did not arrive in time. Only three of those are known on paper with the 'letters' watermark.
    What drives the value
    The return-flight overprint, the watermark, never-hinged condition and certification.
    How to recognize it
    A wide triptych issued 20 May 1933. The left panel carries an aircraft registration overprint; the rare version also has 'Volo di Ritorno NEW YORK-ROMA' overprinted on the right panel.
    Documented figures
    The 2009 Sassone catalogue quoted the never-hinged return-flight triptych at €57,000 (Italian Wikipedia).

    Source: Wikipedia (Italian)

  9. Gronchi Rosa, 205 lire pink

    1961

    Why it is rare
    The 205 lire stamp for President Gronchi's visit to South America showed Peru with the borders it had before its 1941–1942 war with Ecuador. It was issued on 3 April 1961 and withdrawn the same day, after 79,625 complete sets of the three stamps had been sold. A corrected grey version replaced it.
    What drives the value
    Genuineness and condition. By numbers sold it is not a great rarity, but it is Italy's most famous modern error, and a forgery is known.
    How to recognize it
    The 205 lire from the 1961 Gronchi South America set, printed in pink. The grey corrected stamp is the common one.

    Source: Wikipedia

What are most Italian stamps worth?

Most Italian stamps are common. Kingdom definitives were printed in enormous runs: Italian Wikipedia gives a print run of 522,501,000 for the 1867 20 centesimi. Republic-era definitives such as the Siracusana series served everyday mail for decades, and the 1954 100 lire is rated very common.

Value in the Italian States is concentrated in specific values, errors, provisional issues and covers, which are exactly the stamps forgers target. An ordinary used Kingdom or Republic stamp is usually worth very little.

How to identify Italian stamps

These checks narrow a stamp down to the exact issue. That matters because a rare variety and a common one often share the same design.

1

Find the state from the inscription

STATI PARMENSI is Parma, FRANCO BOLLO POSTALE ROMAGNE is Romagna, FRANCO BOLLO POSTALE with tiara and keys is the Papal States, and BOLLO DELLA POSTA NAPOLETANA is Naples (1858). Sardinia's first issue has no name at all.

2

Use the currency

Soldi and crazie mean Tuscany up to 1859; bajocchi and scudi the Papal States and Romagna; grana and tornesi Naples and Sicily; centesimi and lire Sardinia, Parma, Modena, the 1860 provisional governments and the Kingdom.

3

Check the watermark

The 1863 De La Rue Kingdom series carries a crown watermark. The Siracusana definitives began with a winged-wheel watermark in 1953 and were later printed on paper with a pattern of stars.

4

Perforation as a date check

Imperforate is normal for the Italian States classics. Kingdom stamps were perforated from 1862.

5

Trieste overprints

A.M.G. V.G. (1945) and A.M.G. F.T.T. (1947–1954) overprints on Italian stamps belong to Allied-administered Venezia Giulia and Trieste.

For a broader walkthrough, see the Italian stamp identification guide and the checklist on how to identify rare stamps.

Fakes, reprints and forged overprints

Tuscany has been forged more than any other Italian state: Fernand Serrane counted more than 100 counterfeits of its first two issues, and Fournier forgeries are common.

Jean de Sperati forged the Parma 1859 5, 40 and 80 centesimi. Private reprints exist for Naples (made in Turin in 1896 from the original plates, on thicker unwatermarked paper), for Romagna and for Sardinia (1863 and 1877). Klaseboer notes that blocks of four of Romagna are always forgeries.

A quick first check from Italian Wikipedia: if the paper is fluorescent or unusually bright, the stamp is a fake. A forgery of the Gronchi Rosa is also known.

Rare Italian stamps FAQ

What is the rarest Italian stamp?

The 1859 Sicily ½ grano printed in blue instead of orange. Only two are known, and one sold for €1.8 million at Galerie Dreyfus in Basel in 2011. The used Parma 80 centesimi and the mint Tuscany 3 lire are the other names usually cited.

Is the Gronchi Rosa rare?

It is Italy's most famous modern error rather than a great rarity. The pink 205 lire was withdrawn on its first day, 3 April 1961, but 79,625 complete sets had already been sold. Make sure you do not have the corrected grey version, and beware of forgeries.

Are old Italian stamps worth money?

Some are. Classic Italian States stamps from 1851 to 1861 can be valuable, especially specific values, provisional issues and covers, but they are heavily forged. Kingdom and Republic definitives were printed by the hundreds of millions and are usually cheap.

What does 'Volo di Ritorno' mean on an Italian stamp?

It marks the 1933 Balbo triptych overprinted for the planned return flight from New York to Rome. Only 500 were overprinted, and they were never used. The 2009 Sassone catalogue quoted it at €57,000 never hinged.

Sources & References

A useful estimate, not a professional appraisal

Stamp values are estimates for general reference. Actual value depends on condition, centering, cancellations, gum, authenticity, provenance and current collector demand. For rare or potentially valuable stamps, consult a qualified philatelic expert or appraiser.

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