INTRODUCTION
TO THE SITE
1) TO START:
postage stamp collection is a very popular hobby, probably the most popular
around the world; there are collections of any type, from the most "traditional"
ones, like our own country postage stamps collections to the "thematic"
ones, by sure not less capturing or nice looking, to the ones limited to specific
stamps, periods or events.
Several stamps anyway had always a particular fascination: they are the antiques
ones.
This site is dedicated to some of those and precisely to the ones known as "OLD
ITALIAN STATES" stamps, known by all the collectors of the world for
they history, their beauty and, let me say it, for the value of some of them.
Which philatelic hobbyist did not dream at least once to own the very rare Tuscany
3 LIRE? Or never heard about the beauty of the Sicily stamps?
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This work of mine comes out from the "ashes" of a previous
site, much simpler, "built" in 1998, that perhaps some of you remembers.
From that experience I got a lot of personal satisfactions and the stimulus
to do something more, larger and detailed; freely to everyone access, dealing
with the matter to a level deeper that made before, without exceed in the specialization,
maintaining a simple structure and a "to the point" language. We'll
see what the people will say.....
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This site does not pretend to be a guide to the collection of these stamps and
nor to be complete and perfect. Even less it wants to be a history book. The
fact itself to deal with ALL the Old States stamps is an obstacle to the specialization
possibility and of an advanced analysis.
It is simply an invitation to get close to these beautiful stamps, invitation
made by a collector and addressed to collectors: who appreciate these stamps
for their history, for their fascination, for the culture tied to them and not
only for the commercial value that they may have. In fact in this site we will
NEVER talk about the value: you will NEVER see a catalogue quotation. A stamp
is not more or less nice looking on the value basis! Nobody says that is not
pleasant to own a rare and precious stamp, but build a collection only on the
commercial value is, to my opinion, a very big error that eliminates a good
part of the pleasure and fun.
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A clarification must be made about the Postal History, clarification
asked by several people: it will not be examined in this site at least for the
time being. To be truthful several references will be made and some particular
situation will be analysed but not in systematic way. I 'm aware that it is
a debatable choice but it will be really a huge effort. Despite the fact that
I am myself a postal history fan (even if not at specialist level), the subjects
to deal with would be so many, not to say infinite, and each letter, each cancellation,
each piece would represent practically a separate case. In addition, to do a
good job we would need to go in very deep detail and this would mean to have
available a huge literature, a lot of material, huge personal competence in
all segments and... a lot (too much!) of free time: all things not to my reach.
After that we would need to document what written and this means to add a huge
number of images that I don't have and that would occupy very large spaces.
All this goes beyond what said about the purpose of this site that is the one
to deal simply with the stamps as such, without pretend of completeness historic/postal
giving to the collector the stimulus to go personally deeper in the subjects.
I already said that in the site there will be some info on postal history, sometimes
tied very closely to the stamps especially in the sections called "Going
deep". It will not be a systematic approach but only the desire to
go deeper in some subject of particular general interest. I will insert with
pleasure link to sites of other collectors that will go deeper on postal history
themes tied to these stamps (but only if without commercial purposes).
2) SITE STRUCTURE: the site
is divided in four main sections, each of them structured in several pages.
The first one, called "To Start", is the one you are reading
now and comprehends the historic introduction, the site introduction and the
territory map.
The second part is called "The Duchies": it comprehends a set
of cards, each of them dedicated to one State; for each, after a synthetic historic
introduction all the different stamps issues are described with all the main
characteristics, the picture and the Catalogued color shades at the time being
(the reference is to the "Catalogo Sassone Specializzato",
ed. 2001). It's a section quite large.
The third section is called "Of interest"; it contains several
pages with specific deep details on particular technical characteristics and
uses. I hope that this section can grow quickly, depending on the time available
(not so much unfortunately!) and on the basis of the feedback and requests I
will receive. There are also several pages with many scans of particular pieces
(section "Flash"). In addition is present the page "Library"
where a lot of the books I have consulted are mentioned: it is not all the material
available in the philatelic literature panorama, but only of the texts that
I was able to consult during the years.
Last section is called "To conclude" and comprehends the due
thanks to the people who contributed to the realization of this site as well
as the links to other sites and a little page dedicated to my hometown.
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without
any doubt there will be errors or missing parts in what here I'm writing; I
invite therefore everybody who finds inaccuracies or corrections to be done
to let me know without any scruple. The site is still in a period of "adjustment"
and therefore any suggestion to make it better will be positively seen. Several
issues and some subject will be dealt with more extensively than others because
I don't have the same quantity of material on every subject: in the future I
will try to increase the subjects and to offer always more info.
3)
SYSTEM RESOURCES:
this site has been designed to be viewed with a 17" monitor or bigger;
indeed I gave a lot of importance to the images, large and detailed, that, to
me, are essential to identify differences and particulars: for this reason several
pages will be somehow slow to appear on the screen and to be viewed but I guess
that it will be worthwhile...
The site is also optimised for Internet Explorer© 4 or higher (that I strongly
recommend) but is visible also with Netscape© 4.5 or higher, even if with
some possible difference in the visualization (with this browser you may need
a bit of time to set the right font size). I suggest the use of a graphic card
capable to visualize colors at least with 64K with a minimal video
resolution of 800x600 pixels (the site is not optimised to work at lower resolutions);
optimal (and STRONGLY recommended) is a 1024x768 or higher resolution
with a "True-color" graphic card. I have in fact noticed how the visualization
in a somehow "aged" computer or with graphic cards not so valid
will make much worse the picture quality as well as the reproduction of its
details. The same is valid for the image chromatic shades: each monitor, each
card represents the colors with different shades and tones, therefore what we
see in the screen does not represent truthfully the real stamp shades.
The version of the site for 800x600 (or lower) monitor-resolutions
has images that are a bit less detailed than the version for 1024x768 (or higher)
monitor-reslutions, due to the necessity to reduce and adapt the dimension of
the images to such monitors.
I tried to make an extremely reduced use of advanced Internet applications (java,
script, applet, animations, special effects etc.); they make heavy the consultation
of the pages and, as everybody knows, are often sources of compatibility problems.
Nevertheless it's almost impossible to avoid fully their use, mainly to give
a nice look to the site and to make some presentations simpler and more linear
to be consulted. I tried also to make a site that everybody can browse, by keeping
it as simple and intuitive as possible, avoiding too many different styles and
leaving always only one page active. We all know how annoying is the proliferation
on our monitor of opened pages over pages without any logic connection...
It's also to be recommended to visualize the
site by selecting on your browser the font "SMALL" (or medium, depending
from your computer, monitor and browser), using a video contrast medium-high
and a luminosity medium-low. In addition it's opportune to close the "Preferred"
column (for the users of the last versions of IE and Netscape).
IT IS NECESSARY TO ACTIVATE THE JAVA AND JAVASCRIPTS SUPPORTS
4) AND TO FINISH...: everyone that needs clarifications, images,
more deep info on the history of these stamps, or who wants to make comments
and critiques, can contact me by e-mail (lorgil@tin.it):
I will try, as much is in my reach, to answer to everybody. This site has been
built in a "family way" in the small available time and according
to my (modest) skills. Therefore don't get angry with me if is not really the
best possible and does not utilize all the Internet capability...
As already said I will be grateful to anyone who will point out inaccuracies
or errors, by sure, present. The collaboration is open to everybody. I will
be grateful also to anyone who will give me access to better parts in comparison
with the ones reproduced here, to the aim to make better scans (I would like
at first to substitute the used parts pictures with the corresponding of new
parts, substitute the defective ones and add the images of the missing parts).
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ATTENTION PLEASE: THIS
SITE DOES NOT HAVE ANY COMMERCIAL OR MONEY DRIVEN AIM BUT IT IS ONLY FOR EDUCATIVE
PURPOSES.
IN THIS SITE WE DON'T SELL COLLECTION STAMPS OR MATERIAL OF ANY OTHER TYPE.
NOR WE ADVERTISE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY AUTHORS, EDITORS AND/OR SELLERS OF PHILATELIC
AND COLLECTIONISTIC MATERIAL.
The content of this site can be used freely by everybody as long as the use
is without any direct or indirect purpose of making money and by indicating
its source. I would like also to be informed about its eventual use.