An international force of British and French troops took over the city between 17 November 1918 and 12 September 1919.[1]
Personification of "Italy", 1919Semi-postal overprinted “Valore globale”
The first postage stamps for Fiume were issued 1 December 1918 by the Italian National Council which governed the city. They were produced by overprinting “FIUME” on the contemporary stamps of Hungary. Both handstamping and printing presses were used. In January 1919, two postage due and a savings bank stamp were surcharged as well. These stamps—even the most common values—were extensively forged. Serious collectors will require close examination of all stamps.
January also saw the first appearance of an issue produced specifically for Fiume. It consisted of 17 values, ranging from 2 centesimi to 10 corone, and used four designs: a figure representing “Italy”, the town clock tower with an Italian flag hanging from it, an allegory of “Revolution”, and a sailor raising the Italian flag. The first printings were inscribed just “FIUME”, while in July they were redesigned with the inscription “POSTA FIUME”, along with other minor changes. Meanwhile, a set of 12 semi-postal stamps was issued 18 May, commemorating the 200th day of peace since the end of the war.
Later in 1919 the higher values were surcharged with lower values, and the semi-postals were overprinted “Valore globale” for use as regular stamps.
The Regency of Carnaro
This confusing situation was exploited by the Italian poet Gabriele d'Annunzio, who entered the city on 12 September 1919 and began a 15-month period of occupation. On 8 September 1920, d'Annunzio established the Italian Regency of Carnaro in Fiume. On 12 September, 1920, the first anniversary of the city’s takeover by the forces of Gabriele d’Annunzio, the city government issued a series of 14 values featuring a portrait bust of d’Annunzio, intended for regular use. A set of four with various allegorical designs was issued, intended for the use of the legionnaires on that day only.
On 18 November, the set of four of 12 September were overprinted “ARBE” and “VEGLIA”, marking the occupation of the islands of Arbe and Veglia, and on 20 November, more were overprinted “Reggenza / Italiana / del / Carnaro” (Italian Regency of Carnaro), and with new values.
A dagger severing the Gordian Knot
Stamp overprinted “Reggenza / Italiana / del / Carnaro”
Free State of Fiume
2nd constituent assembly issue, 1922
In January 1921, Italian troops put an end to d’Annunzio’s rule, and the subsequent provisional government overprinted the d’Annunzio heads with “Governo / Provvisorio”.
On 24 April 1921, the 1st constituent assembly of the Free State overprinted the semi-postals of 1919 with “24 - IV - 1921” and “Costituente Fiumana”. The following year the 2nd assembly added a “1922” to the overprints.
On 23 March, 1923 a new issue put an end to the flurry of overprints. Its 12 values, inscribed “Posta di Fiume”, used four designs, a Venetian sailing ship, a Roman arch, St. Vitus, and a rostral column, all printed over a buff-colored background. After the Treaty of Rome assigned Fiume to Italy (27 January), these stamps were overprinted “REGNO / D’ITALIA” (Kingdom of Italy) on 22 February and then “ANNESSIONE / ALL’ITALIA” (Annexation by Great-Italy) on 1 March. Subsequently Fiume used the stamps of Italy.
Antoniazzo, Vincenzo and Umberto Riccotti. Catalogo Storico-descrittivo dei Francobolli di Fiume. Pavia: Giorgio Migliavacca, 1981 ISBN88-85047-02-5 69p. Reprint of a catalogue from 1923.
Dehn, Roy A. The Stamps and Postal History of Fiume 1600-1924. Norwich: R. Dehn, 1998 ISBN0-9532797-0-7 120p.
Gilbert, J. F. The Postmarks of Fiume 1809-1945. Teddington: Italy and Colonies Study Circle, 2007 162p. Series Title: Fil-italia handbooks; no. 4.
Gilbert, J. F. Postmarks of the Province of Fiume 1924-1943, Including Precursors. Teddington: Italy and Colonies Study Circle, 2009 134p. Series Title: Fil-italia handbooks; no.7.
Grgurić, Mladen, and Melita Sciucca. Riječke Marke: Fiume: 1918-1924. Rijeka: Muzej grada Rijeke, 2002 90p.
Martinas, Ivan. The Stamps of Rijeka, Fiume 1918-1924 = Postanske Marke Rijeke, Fiume 1918-1924. Zagreb: OBOL-naklada, 2006 ISBN953-6388-09-X 250p.
Oliva, Guglielmo. Razionale Catalogazione dei Francobolli di Fiume conprezzi Indicativi del Mercato Italiano. Genova: Rivista filatelica d'Italia, 1956 56p.
Ore, Tønnes. Indeficienter: The Story of Fiume to 1918. Earlston: The Yugoslavia Study Group, 2010 Series Title: Jugoposta Monographs; no. 8.
General Gabriele D'Annunzio, Prince of Montenevoso, sometimes written d'Annunzio as he used to sign himself, was an Italian poet, playwright, orator, journalist, aristocrat, and Royal Italian Army officer during World War I. He occupied a prominent place in Italian literature from 1889 to 1910 and later political life from 1914 to 1924. He was often referred to under the epithets il Vate and il Profeta.
An overprint is an additional layer of text or graphics added to the face of a postage or revenue stamp, postal stationery, banknote or ticket after it has been printed. Post offices most often use overprints for internal administrative purposes such as accounting but they are also employed in public mail. Well-recognized varieties include commemorative overprints which are produced for their public appeal and command significant interest in the field of philately.
This article deals with the stamps and postal history of the Austrian Empire, Cisleithania within Austria-Hungary, and the Republic of Austria.
This is an introduction to the postal and philatelic history of Italy.
This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Iraq. It includes special uses under the Ottoman Empire as well as occupation issues.
This article provides an overview of the Austrian post-offices presence in Crete and the use of French currency on Austrian stamps in the Ottoman Empire.
Each "article" in this category is a collection of entries about several stamp issuers, presented in alphabetical order. The entries are formulated on the micro model and so provide summary information about all known issuers.
Each "article" in this category is a collection of entries about several stamp issuers, presented in alphabetical order. The entries are formulated on the micro model and so provide summary information about all known issuers.
The Italian Regency of Carnaro, also known in Italian as Impresa di Fiume, was a self-proclaimed state in the city of Fiume led by Gabriele d'Annunzio between 1919 and 1920.
Russian stamps have been extensively forged. Both rare and common stamps have been forged and certain stamps, for instance those of the Army of the North, are more common forged than genuine.
The postage stamps and postal history of Armenia describes the history of postage stamps and postal systems in Armenia. Czarist Russian postmarks and stamps were in used in the territory of Armenia from 1858. The early postmarks were composed of dots in different shapes. Dated postmarks with city names soon followed. Many counterfeit postmarks are known. From 1909 until 1918 a few Russian stamps were overprinted identifying the Armenian Post. The Armenian letters H & P are intertwined, representing the initials of hai post, the Armenian Post Office.
This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Croatia.
Poczta Polska, the Polish postal service, was founded in 1558 and postal markings were first introduced in 1764. The three partitions of Poland in 1772, 1793 and 1795 saw the independent nation of Poland disappear. The postal services in the areas occupied by Germany and Austria were absorbed into those countries' postal services. In 1772 the area occupied by Austria was created into the Kingdom of Galicia, a part of the Austrian Empire. This lasted till 1918. The Duchy of Warsaw was created briefly, between 1807 and 1813, by Napoleon I of France, from Polish lands ceded by the Kingdom of Prussia under the terms of the Treaties of Tilsit. In 1815, following Napoleons' defeat in 1813, the Congress of Vienna, created Congress Poland out of the Duchy of Warsaw and also established the Free City of Kraków. Congress Poland was placed under the control of Russia and the postal service was given autonomy in 1815. In 1851 the postal service was put under the control of the Russian post office department regional office in St Petersburg. In 1855 control was restored for a while to the Congress Kingdom but following the uprising in 1863 again came under Russian control from 1866 and continued until World War I. In November 1918 the Second Polish Republic was created.
This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Slovenia.
The postal history of the British Cameroons falls into two essential parts: the occupation of German Kamerun by Anglo-French forces in 1915, when German Colonial stamps were issued with an overprint and surcharge; and the situation following a 1961 plebiscite, after which the former British Cameroons, today known as Ambazonia, was divided between Cameroon and Nigeria.
The Italian National Council of Fiume was a political body that governed the city of Fiume between 1918 and 1924.
The Province of Fiume was a province of the Kingdom of Italy from 1924 to 1943, then under control of the Italian Social Republic and German Wehrmacht from 1943 to 1945. Its capital was the city of Fiume. It took the other name after the Gulf of Carnaro.
The Bloody Christmas of 1920 was a series of clashes in Fiume, which led to the conclusion of the Fiume campaign that was carried out by the Italian poet and adventurer Gabriele D'Annunzio in 1920.
The island of Cyprus first issued revenue stamps in 1878 and continues to do so to this day. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus also issues its own revenue stamps.
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