NaplesFirst Postage Stamp

A kingdom stamped just before it vanished

Before Italy unified, southern Italy formed the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, split between Naples and Sicily, ruled by the House of Bourbon, a powerful European royal family of French origin. These stamps carry that identity in full, with a bold coat of arms that feels almost defiant in hindsight. Issued on 1 January 1858, this was Naples’ only series. Seven values, printed in letterpress on thin, sometimes bluish paper. Early printings come in lighter shades, later ones deepen into rich red-browns. The engraver Giuseppe Masini hid his name across the set, G MASINI, seven letters, one per denomination following the order of their value. Each stamp carries its own teeny tiny letter. It’s the kind of thing you don’t notice at first… then can’t stop looking for. Good luck spotting the “M” on the one featured here. The series didn’t last. By 1861, Naples was absorbed into unified Italy. But the stamps endured, bold, simple, and heavily forged. The 2 g, 10 g, and especially the 20 g were forged early. Fournier and Panelli both tried their hand. Boxed or manuscript cancels help, but the hidden letters remain one of the best tells in my opinion. There also exists a reprinted series of the ½ g, 1 g, 5 g, 10 g, 20 g, and 50 g on paper without watermark, in pink colour. A year later, Sicily issued its own set, different design, same fate: a short-lived series from a kingdom that wouldn’t last long.