ParmaFirst Postage Stamp

Before Italy was Italy

Before the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed in 1861, the Italian peninsula was divided into numerous independent states. One of them was the Duchy of Parma, which issued its first postage stamps on 1 June 1852. The first issue consisted of five values ranging from 5 to 40 centesimi. Printed by Stefano Rossi-Ubaldi using typography, the stamps feature the ducal coat of arms in black on coloured paper, with each denomination assigned its own paper colour. Following the duchy's annexation in 1859 during the movement toward Italian unification, its stamps were withdrawn and replaced by those of the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1860, before Italy adopted its first national issues after unification. The issue has attracted numerous forgers over the years, and more than seven different forgery types have been documented. The Spiro Brothers' forgeries can be identified by the two dots following STATI PARM, while François Fournier and the Senf Brothers also produced convincing imitations. These heraldic stamps offer a glimpse into a time when Italy was still a patchwork of independent states, each with its own postal system and identity.