Neapolitan ProvincesFirst Postage Stamp

The King's Shadow

On 14 February 1861, just weeks before the Kingdom of Italy was officially proclaimed, the Neapolitan Provinces issued their first postage stamps. It was a brief transitional issue produced during the final stages of Italian unification, carrying the portrait of the man who would soon become the first King of a united Italy, Victor Emmanuel II. The stamps were typographed and beautifully embossed on bright white paper, giving the portrait a remarkable sculptural quality. I tried my best to do that embossing justice with the angled lighting in this photo. This issue consisted of eight values ranging from ½ tornese to 50 grana. The four Savoy crosses in the corners quietly remind us that this was a symbol of a new nation taking shape. Collectors should be cautious of forgeries. Many forgeries show irregular white spots in the margins, weak embossing, or poorly drawn crosses. Some, however, are very deceptive. Fournier and Sperati produced convincing forgeries of this issue. Another warning sign is the forged NAPOLI 16 MAGG 61 12 M and NAPOLI 19 MAGG 61 12 M cancellations, generally attributed to the forger Imperato. These forged cancellations also appear on forged Sardinian stamps and even occur on the forged colour varieties of the 5 grana, making them a good clue. A short-lived issue from a short-lived administration and one of the most elegant chapters in Italy's postal history.