Local and Unofficial Issues
The first stamps of independent Epirus were issued in Chimarra in February 1914. The set of four (1 lepton and 5, 10, and 25 lepta) was imperforate, featuring a double-headed eagle along with a skull and crossbones, and inscribed ΕΛΛ. ΑΥΤΟΝ. ΗΠΕΙΡΟΣ - ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΑ Η ΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ - ΑΜΥΝΕΣΘΑΙ ΠΕΡΙ ΠΑΤΡΗΣ (Greek Autonomous Epirus - Freedom or Death - Defend our Country). Produced manually with a handstamp, they also bore a control mark in the lower right corner consisting of a blue oval with the letters "ΣΠ" inside, after Spyros Spyromilios, the commander at Chimarra. Though this set was intended for local use, specimens are known with cancellations for Delvinon (ΔEΛBINON) and Agioi Saranta (AΓIOI ΣAPANTA). Some experts argue that it does not qualify as an official stamp issue.
Stamps for local use were also issued in Argyrokastro, by overprinting Turkish stamps with ΑΥΤΟΝΟΜΟΣ ΗΠΕΙΡΟΣ and new values in Greek currency. The overprints were applied vertically in black or red, reading either up or down. This issue was withdrawn from sale on March 6, 1914.
On August 28, in Chimarra, stocks of Greek stamps from 1911 and 1913 were overprinted with ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ 1914 ΧΕΙΜΑΡΡΑ (Greek Chimarra 1914). This set exists both with and without the letters "ΣΣ" (for S. Spyromilios) in manuscript. Counterfeits of both this and the first Chimarra set from February are plentiful.
Four unofficial issues were also produced in 1914; one consisting of overprinted Albanian stamps (six values), the other three bearing new designs of varied quality. These three were produced for Erseka (seven values), Koritsa (three values) and Moschopolis (fifteen values). They were likely issued for publicity and propaganda purposes; their regular postal use is questionable, though cancelled specimens of the Erseka and Moschopolis issues and examples of these stamps on covers exist. An additional design dates from 1920, long after Epirus' postal system had ceased to exist.
Read more about this topic: Postage Stamps And Postal History Of Northern Epirus
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