WELCOME

I am a Postal History collector. With this site I would like to share on the web the material I have gathered, focusing on the Italian Republic while Italian Lira was used (1945/46 – 2001).

This site contains lists of Italian postal objects categories, postage rates and stamps which can be useful for Postal History amateurs, Philately enthusiasts and Postmarks Collectors. Surfing among the pages, in fact, readers can find:

  • the list of all the official rates from 1945 to 2001 for sending the most common postal objects within Italy or abroad, cross-checked and integrated according to several available sources: all this can be found in the Postal Objects menu;
  • the complete list of the stamps issued in Italy from 1945 to 2001, including also some services and the postal stationeries: all this in the Frankings menu;
  • some in-depth analysis about some Italian Republic Postmarks which, according to my knowledge, are not available on the web yet: machine postmarks with slogan plate, Travelling Post Offices Postmarks and the so-called Fraction Handstamps; all this, and other materials, in the themes part.

This site was created mainly to keep my objects in order but some parts are opened to other collectors as well, in order to provide to readers a more complete information for some aspects. For the moment I am planning to open my site to external contribution for the pages dedicated to Travelling Post Offices Postmarks, for which I do not have any reference about their use from 1945 to the definitive shutdown of the service at the beginning of 1990’s. All readers are welcome to provide material and all contributions will be duly mentioned.

For other clarifications please refer to FAQ page.

A short note about the English version: this site was born in Italian. In order to facilitate English and French readers, the main pages were translated, in particular:
– this home page,
– the info section, with sitemap, FAQ , bibliography and copyright rules,
– the first pages of three main parts (postal objects, franking and themes).
The rest of the site is in Italian and all the links in the above mentioned pages are referring to sub-pages which are, for the moment, mostly in Italian.

Enjoy this website,
Giorgio Mastella