Hermes (Greek stamp)

The Greek god Hermes, messenger of the Gods in the Greek mythology, is the representation chosen, in 1860, by the Kingdom of Greece to illustrate its first postal stamps.
The first type, the "large Hermes head", was issued in October 1861, and stayed in circulation up to 1886, it was then replaced by the second type, the "small Hermes head".
The "large Hermes head" stamps, have been reissued, overprinted, in 1900 and 1901 in order to mitigate the delay of shipment of the stamps of the third type, the "flying Hermes" by the British printer J. P. Segg & C°.
In 1902, a fourth type showing Hermes effigy was issued for international "metal payment".
Finally, in 1912, a fifth type showing various Hermes representations was issued and stayed in circulation up to 1926.
Starting early 1920s, the subjects used to illustrate the Greek postal stamps are becoming diversified and let down the Hermes effigy.

The postal stamps of the "large Hermes head" type are issued in application of the law of 1853 on the stamping of the mail by the sender and by this of May 24, 1860 on the postal rates. A decree, dated on the following June 10, announced the choice of Hermes, messenger of the Gods in the Greek mythology as the effigy of the stamps. The stamps depict a profile of the Greek messenger god Hermes (Mercury) in a frame strongly resembling that used for contemporary stamps of France.

The nine values of the stamps of the "large Hermes head" are printed during more than twenty years (from 1861 to 1882) from the same nine typographic plates and stayed in circulation for 25 years (from 1861 to 1886) before to be used again, overprinted, in 1900/1901. The first set was issued on October 1, 1861. It consisted of seven denominations (1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 lepta). The 30 and 60 lepta stamps were introduced in 1876.

The "large Hermes head" stamps are non perforated, with the exception of the two overprinted sets of 1900/1901, in imperforate sheets of 150 stamps.The individual stamps were separated at the counter using scissors, resulting in defects in a large proportion of them (cutting off part of the image). However unofficial perforations were produced locally. The most commonly found is the so-called Athens perforation (11½).

The drawing of the mock-up, the engraving of the dies as well as the manufacturing of the typographic plates of the first seven values have been realised between July 1860 and September 1861 by the Chief Engraver of the Paris Mint: Désiré-Albert Barre (1818–1878).

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