THE STAMPS OF THE MODENA AND PARMA DUCHIES AND PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENTS
At Bolaffi’s philately auction held in Turin from 29th to 31st May, two particularly accurate collections of stamps from the Duchies of Modena and Parma were presented. The small Duchy of Modena, which historically belonged to the Este family, was occupied by Napoleon during the Italian Campaign and was definitively granted to Francis IV of Habsburg-Este after the Congress of Vienna (1815). Its first and only series of stamps was issued on 1st June 1852, under Francis V.
Among the most remarkable items sold last May there was an envelope, stamped with a light suede-coloured 25 cent stamp without a decimal point after the digits. It was sent from Modena to Livorno on 1st June 1852, on the same day as the issuance of the Este stamps. Very few letters sent on that day are known and only two are stamped with a 25 cent stamp. The rarity of this item, its excellent state of conservation and the sharpness of the cancellation raised the price of this letter from 25,000 euros to 55,200 euros, the top price of the whole auction. The classic stamps of Modena are not particularly rare, with the exception of the first series of 40 cent stamps without a decimal point after the digits, of the characteristic sky-blue colour instead of dark azure. The collection presented at the auction included four letters stamped with this stamps. They have all been sold for 3,200 to 5,300 euros, depending on their destination and state of conservation.
New white 1 Lira highvalue stamps can be easily found, but they are much more sought after if used on documents. This stamp was issued for the most expensive postage and was usually sent to foreign countries. For instance, a letter dating back to 3rd June 1858, sent from Carrara to Philadelphia, in the US, which was stamped with a dark azure 40 cent stamp next to the 1 lira stamp, has been sold for 4,800 euros. The 1 lira Modena stamping included in the catalogue was one of the best. It has been signed by experts Giulio Bolaffi, Emilio Diena and Alberto Diena for its high quality and was included in the precious “Pedemonte” collection, which was sold at the Bolaffi’s auctions in 1991.
In 1859, a new series of stamps was issued, carrying the Savoy coat of arms in the centre, when the Habsburg-Este family fell, after the defeat of the Austrians in Magenta, during the second Italian War of Independence and the subsequent transfer of the territory of the former Duchy to the kingdom of Victor Emmanuel II, under the provisional government of Luigi Carlo Farini, who was appointed Governor of Emilia to represent the Kingdom of Sardinia.
The stamps of the provisional government of Modena, as well as those of the Duchy, are not particularly rare if new, with the exception of some colour variations and shades of common specimens. They are more interesting if on a letter, since the period of postal validity of these stamps was quite limited. Among the items of this category, there was a small envelope sent on 19th November 1859 from Reggio to Pontremoli, with a green 5 cent stamp and a brown/black 15 cent stamp. It used to belong to the Gumpert collection and has been sold for 9,720 euros. Documents stamped with at least three stamps of different colours are very sought-after: two recorded delivery letters, which were sent from Modena to Reggio and Sassuolo and stamped with a 5 cent, a 20 cent and a 40 cent stamp have been sold for 4,800 euros each.
In Parma, the capital city of the small Duchy next to Modena governed by the Bourbons, after the death of Marie Louise of Austria in 1847, stamps were issued on 1st June 1852 in three different series. In the collection sold, a set of four pink 15 cent stamps with original gun of the first series reached 6,600 euros. A 25 cent brown red stamp of the sheet edge on the right, without gun, belonging to the second series, has been sold for 7,800 euros, from a starting price of 3,500 euros. A horizontal couple of vermilion 15 cent stamps with group interspacing on a letter to Genoa, belonging to the same series, has been greatly appreciated. In this case, a particular variety drew the attention of collectors. It sent up the price of its lot from 5,000 to 15,000 euros.
The taxation stamps for the newspapers coming from outside the Duchy are another type of Parma stamp. There were issued in different values: light blue 9 cents in 1853 and pink 6 cents in 1857. If new, these stamps are easily found, by they are very rare on newspapers, with the postmark of the destination offices. A 6 cent stamp on a copy of “L’Armonia” of 20th April 1859, cancelled at its arrival with the double circle of Pontremoli, has been sold for 4,800 euros. When the reigning dynasty was exiled and the territory was annexed to the kingdom of Victor Emmanuel II, after the second War of Independence, the provisional government stamps were issued in August 1859.
As it happens for the Modena stamps, Parma’s provisional government stamps are more sought after if they are used on a document, rather than new, because of the limited period of their postal validity. At last May auction, a letter to Padua with a light-blue 20 cent stamp and a vermilion 40 cent stamp of excellent quality has been sold for 20,400 euros, from a starting price of 8,000 euros. Another letter to Rome, with a single brick-red 40 cent stamp has been sold for 12,000 euros.
By Alberto Ponti
Among the most remarkable items sold last May there was an envelope, stamped with a light suede-coloured 25 cent stamp without a decimal point after the digits. It was sent from Modena to Livorno on 1st June 1852, on the same day as the issuance of the Este stamps. Very few letters sent on that day are known and only two are stamped with a 25 cent stamp. The rarity of this item, its excellent state of conservation and the sharpness of the cancellation raised the price of this letter from 25,000 euros to 55,200 euros, the top price of the whole auction. The classic stamps of Modena are not particularly rare, with the exception of the first series of 40 cent stamps without a decimal point after the digits, of the characteristic sky-blue colour instead of dark azure. The collection presented at the auction included four letters stamped with this stamps. They have all been sold for 3,200 to 5,300 euros, depending on their destination and state of conservation.
New white 1 Lira highvalue stamps can be easily found, but they are much more sought after if used on documents. This stamp was issued for the most expensive postage and was usually sent to foreign countries. For instance, a letter dating back to 3rd June 1858, sent from Carrara to Philadelphia, in the US, which was stamped with a dark azure 40 cent stamp next to the 1 lira stamp, has been sold for 4,800 euros. The 1 lira Modena stamping included in the catalogue was one of the best. It has been signed by experts Giulio Bolaffi, Emilio Diena and Alberto Diena for its high quality and was included in the precious “Pedemonte” collection, which was sold at the Bolaffi’s auctions in 1991.
In 1859, a new series of stamps was issued, carrying the Savoy coat of arms in the centre, when the Habsburg-Este family fell, after the defeat of the Austrians in Magenta, during the second Italian War of Independence and the subsequent transfer of the territory of the former Duchy to the kingdom of Victor Emmanuel II, under the provisional government of Luigi Carlo Farini, who was appointed Governor of Emilia to represent the Kingdom of Sardinia.
The stamps of the provisional government of Modena, as well as those of the Duchy, are not particularly rare if new, with the exception of some colour variations and shades of common specimens. They are more interesting if on a letter, since the period of postal validity of these stamps was quite limited. Among the items of this category, there was a small envelope sent on 19th November 1859 from Reggio to Pontremoli, with a green 5 cent stamp and a brown/black 15 cent stamp. It used to belong to the Gumpert collection and has been sold for 9,720 euros. Documents stamped with at least three stamps of different colours are very sought-after: two recorded delivery letters, which were sent from Modena to Reggio and Sassuolo and stamped with a 5 cent, a 20 cent and a 40 cent stamp have been sold for 4,800 euros each.
In Parma, the capital city of the small Duchy next to Modena governed by the Bourbons, after the death of Marie Louise of Austria in 1847, stamps were issued on 1st June 1852 in three different series. In the collection sold, a set of four pink 15 cent stamps with original gun of the first series reached 6,600 euros. A 25 cent brown red stamp of the sheet edge on the right, without gun, belonging to the second series, has been sold for 7,800 euros, from a starting price of 3,500 euros. A horizontal couple of vermilion 15 cent stamps with group interspacing on a letter to Genoa, belonging to the same series, has been greatly appreciated. In this case, a particular variety drew the attention of collectors. It sent up the price of its lot from 5,000 to 15,000 euros.
The taxation stamps for the newspapers coming from outside the Duchy are another type of Parma stamp. There were issued in different values: light blue 9 cents in 1853 and pink 6 cents in 1857. If new, these stamps are easily found, by they are very rare on newspapers, with the postmark of the destination offices. A 6 cent stamp on a copy of “L’Armonia” of 20th April 1859, cancelled at its arrival with the double circle of Pontremoli, has been sold for 4,800 euros. When the reigning dynasty was exiled and the territory was annexed to the kingdom of Victor Emmanuel II, after the second War of Independence, the provisional government stamps were issued in August 1859.
As it happens for the Modena stamps, Parma’s provisional government stamps are more sought after if they are used on a document, rather than new, because of the limited period of their postal validity. At last May auction, a letter to Padua with a light-blue 20 cent stamp and a vermilion 40 cent stamp of excellent quality has been sold for 20,400 euros, from a starting price of 8,000 euros. Another letter to Rome, with a single brick-red 40 cent stamp has been sold for 12,000 euros.
By Alberto Ponti