The "S. Andrew Cross"


I said in the general introduction of the first and second issues that the sheets of stamps presented in the last row not 8 stamps like in the previous rows but 4 stamps and 4 S. Andrea's Crosses, in substance 4 big "X" in place of the stamps.
To understand the reason of the presence of these Crosses we have to make a step back: the stamps in use in Lombardy-Venetia were the same used in Austria; they differ only for the indication of the value, in Centesimi the "Italian" ones, in Kreuzers the "Austrian".
The Crosses have been inserted to simplify the calculation of the value of the Austrian sheets. Each sheet of stamps was composed by 240 samples, divided in 4 groups of 60 pieces (two groups at top and two groups at bottom) each quarter was made by seven rows of 8 stamps plus the last row with only 4 stamps. The result was that each quarter contained 60 stamps (7x8 + 4 = 60). The Austrian currency was at that time the Fiorino (or Gulden) that was composed, strangely enough, by 60 Kreuzers. For that reason each quarter of "Austrian" stamps had exactly that value in Fiorini of the printed stamp. For instance the value of a quarter of the sheet of 1 Kreuzer was 1 Fiorino (60 pieces of 1 Kreuzer were 60 Kreuzers, that means 1 Fiorino), the value of a quarter of a sheet of 6 Kreuzers was 6 Fiorini (60 pieces of 6 Kreuzers were 360 Kreuzers that is 6 Fiorini...) and so on. This solution made very fast the calculation of the sheets in stock, avoiding complex mathematical operations (the calculators were far away to be invented...).
This system made quite simple also the calculation of the values in centesimi (even if this is probably due by accident from the moment that the Crosses have been designed for the calculation of the stamps in Kreuzers); each quarter had a value that was expressed with a whole number avoiding the centesimi.
As said, the Crosses were kept also for the second issue, with the only clear reason to allow for calculations with numbers always multiple of 10 and easy to be summed in the administrative calculations.
I summarize here the scheme of the values of the quarters of sheet both Austrian as well as Italian.

Quarter sheet of the 1 Kreuzer
= 1 Fiorino
Quarter sheet of the 3 Kreuzer
= 3 Fiorini
Quarter sheet of the 6 Kreuzer
= 6 Fiorini
Quarter sheet of the 9 Kreuzer
= 9 Fiorini
Quarter sheet of the 5 centesimi
= 3 Lire
Quarter sheet of the 10 centesimi
= 6 Lire
Quarter sheet of the 15 centesimi
= 9 Lire
Quarter sheet of the 30 centesimi
= 18 Lire
Quarter sheet of the 45 centesimi
= 27 Lire
Quarter sheet of the 2 Soldi
= 120 Soldi
Quarter sheet of the 3 Soldi
= 180 Soldi
Quarter sheet of the 5 Soldi
= 300 Soldi (or 3 Fiorini)
Quarter sheet of the 10 Soldi
= 600 Soldi (or 6 Fiorini)
Quarter sheet of the 15 Soldi
= 900 Soldi (or 9 Fiorini)


There it is explained the S. Andrea's Crosses mystery: asimple but clever accounting simplification.
Let's now look at them in detail. The disposition of the Crosses in the various quarter sheets was of three types, even if we cannot exclude different others. I show them here below (Fig. 1, 2, 3); the Crosses are made evident in red:

First disposition
 
Second disposition
Fig. 1: the first possible disposition
 
Fig. 2: the second possible disposition

Third disposition
Fig. 3: the third possible disposition

The Crosses, (that get this name from the "X" disposition of the cross used to martyr S. Andrea) are present in sheets of the first and second issue.


THE FIRST ISSUE CROSSES

They are printed in the same color of the stamps, on white background; some expert classifies them in two types, the first one thick and the second one thin. Some other classified only one type without making distinction on the thickness. They have variable thickness between around 1 and 2 millimeters. Due to the attentions used by the postal workers to cut them out it is not easy to find samples that show some consistent part of them (even few millimeters). To find them in the whole attached to a the stamps, means to find a treasure...
Sometimes they were used in the whole or in pieces to close a letter (Fig. 4) and in some very exceptional cases as emergency postage stamps.

Close letter
Fig. 4: fragment showing parts of two crosses, used to close a letter


Here are some samples showing different parts of Crosses (Fig. from 5 yo 14)

5 centesimi
Fig. 5: 5 centesimi with Cross at right

Bottom cross
Bottom cross

Fig. 6: 15 centesimi 3rd type with parts of two Crosses
at bottom; the diagonal cut on the stamp
is a cut of postal disinfecting

Fig. 7: 15 centesimi 3rd type with parts of
two Crosses at bottom

Right cross
Right cross
Fig. 8: 15 centesimi 1st type
with Cross to the right
Fig. 9: 15 centesimi 1st type
with Cross to the right

Right cross
Fig. 10: 15 centesimi 3rd type with Cross at right and lower border sheet

Left cross
Fig. 11: 15 centesimi 3rd type with Cross to the left

Right cross
Right cross
Fig. 12: 30 centesimi 1st type
with Cross at right, thick type
Fig. 13: 30 centesimi 2nd type
(even if from the picture it looks like a 1st type
due to an occasional deformation of the '3')
with Cross at right, thin type

Partial cross
Fig. 14: 30 centesimi 1st type; a variety very rare:
The Cross, thin type, is present only at the bottom.
A similar thing appears also in
Fig. 8



THE SECOND ISSUE CROSSES


They are printed "at the contrary" in comparison with the previous issue, that means in white on colored background of the same color of the stamp. About their rarity it's valid what we said on the first issue. The only difference is the fact that in samples out of center of the next to last row or in the last sample of each quarter it is possible to see its beginning inside the stamp itself.
There are two types: big and small. In the big ones the colored background occupies almost the full stamp while in the small ones the colored background leaves uncovered the border of the stamp itself. The thickness of the white cross is variable between about 1 to 2 millimeters. Here is how it is possible to find the Crosses, depending on the stamp itself:

Stamp
Little Cross
Big Cross
2 Soldi - 1st type
No
Yes
3 Soldi - 1st type
No
Yes
5 Soldi - 1st type
No
Yes
10 Soldi - 1st type
No
Yes
15 Soldi - 1st type
No
Yes
2 Soldi - 2nd type
Yes
Yes
3 Soldi - 2nd type
No
Yes
5 Soldi - 2nd type
Yes
Yes
10 Soldi - 2nd type
Yes
Yes
15 Soldi - 2nd type
Yes
Yes
3 Soldi - 2nd type - green
Yes
Yes



It's curious to note as in one out of the four Crosses of each group there are some white dots (from 1 to 4) that indicated the quarter of that sheet. Be careful not to confuse these dots (there are big enough) with some small white dots that appeared with some frequency.
We can find in this case, too, samples used to close the envelopes.
I show here the reproduction of some samples together with the Cross (from catalogues because I'm not so lucky to own some originals...), of some out of center samples showing the beginning of the Cross, as well as some new (Fig. 15 to 25).



2 Soldi
15 Soldi
3 Soldi
Fig. 15-16-17: three exceptional pieces.
The first is a couple of 2 Soldi of the 1st type with Crosses at bottom of big type
The second is a 15 Soldi of the 2nd type with Cross at bottom of small type
The third one is a couple of 3 Soldi green with Crosses at bottom of big type,
out of which the second one has very
visible the white dot indicating the quarter sheet from whom it has originated.
(Photos 14 and 16 are taken from the magazine "Vaccari Magazine", nr. 16/1996
and the center photo from the Auction catalogue "Corinphila" nr. 129 of 10/4/2001)

Single
Srtip
Fig. 18-19: Crosse of big type of 15 Soldi and of 5 Soldi in strip of 3


Bottom cross
Left cross
Fig. 20-21: beginning of Crosses of big type of 15 Soldi, both lower and to the left
10 Soldi
15 Soldi
3 Soldi
Fig. 22-23-24: three beginnings of Crosses of big type of the 10 Soldi (lower), of the 15 Soldi (left) and of the 3 Soldi green (lower)


Envelope
Fig. 25: a cross used to close a letter