Samos
Sometimes philately can provide you with a mystery. Take this stamp for example. What kind of stamp is it, and what is the significance of the “Samos Turkey 1926” imprint?
Nowadays it is very handy that you can enlist the aid of a specialised association to help your investigation – in this case the Greece Stamp Club.
The Stamps
When looking at an auction site for police-related stamps, I came across these two blocks of stamps.
The inscription on the stamps reads: “Police Fee Revenues”. This gave me the suspicion that they were “police tax stamps”. I sent a scan to the Greece Stamp Club to see if they could enlighten me further. The answer came quickly: “They are tax stamps for police pensions from 1955(!). Never seen used. I have them too.”
The overprint is a piece of propaganda. I asked the stamps’vendors and some other Greeks for an explanation but received no reply. In 1912 Samos became a Greek region; So why “Samos Turkey 1926”, I do not know. On the stamps is in any case: a value, and the imprint as a proof of payment for infantrymen and military police.
The Island of Samos
Samos is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, off the coast of Turkey.
When I was on holiday in Turkey, I sailed past Samos. The island has a rich history. Over the years it was part of the Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire, after which it became part of Greece in 1912 (why, then, on this stamp is Turkey imprinted, because in 1926 the Greeks and Turks were not on friendly terms).
The Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras, known for the Pythagorean Theorem (a2 + b2 = c2), was born on the island.
The town of Pythagorion in the south-east of the island is located on the coast, and named after him since 1955.
My friend, Fried Strolenberg (staying on Samos!) writes the following about this:
Very nice, I had no explanation for it. I have seen those stamps before. I think at Delcampe, but I couldn't place them. Samos has indeed been part of Greece since 1912/1913. A commemorative book was published in 2014; I have that. There have also been fiscal stamps, e.g., on tobacco from Samos. Turkish tobacco from Samos.
In 1922, the Great Exchange took place here, meaning that all Muslims had to leave Greece for Turkey and all Greek Orthodox Christians had to move from Turkey to Greece. Many families and friends were torn apart then. Until 1922, Samos still had good connections with, for example, Smyrna. But then came Atta Turk with his mass migration. Many people from Asia fled to Greece and had to leave all their possessions behind. That also marked the rise of rebetica (mourning music about the loss of Asia Minor).
In Turkey, the year 1922 is still celebrated as a holiday. To the dismay of the Greeks. If something goes wrong here on the island, the Turks did it.
Names were even changed so that it was no longer possible to tell that the people were from Asia Minor.
A few years ago, the Turks hung a large Turkish flag on Mikale, the point closest to Samos (1,5 km). In the Samos newspaper, this was explained as outright provocation. When the flag was torn to shreds by the wind, there was loud laughter here on the island.
The relationship is still difficult, with a lot of old resentment. A very large army to protect Samos against the Turks. Nevertheless, a ferry goes to Turkey and back every day in the summer. In the winter, a few times a week.
We want to visit the remains of the Greek temples in Asia Minor by car next year.
Initially, we wanted to do that with our Greek car, but we were advised against it.
The year 1926 and the inscription Turkey remain a mystery. At first, I thought of forgeries. I will inquire again at the Pythagorio post office. I met a collector there who also sells on Delcampe under the name Evangelis. Perhaps he knows more. I will let you know.
By the way, as of September 1st, I am also a member of the Greek Philatelic Society in the Netherlands. They have a large collection of historical data. I am curious to see what it brings.
'@ Jos: thanks for your efforts. Nice story from Fried