A is for Aden and Z is for Zanzabar


A is for Aden and Z is for Zanzibar... Now what is between? For the world wide classical era philatelist and stamp collector, a country specific philatelic survey is offered by the blog author, Jim Jackson, with two albums: Big Blue, aka Scott International Part 1 (checklists available), and Deep Blue, aka William Steiner's Stamp Album Web PDF pages. In addition, "Bud" offers commentary and a look at his completely filled Big Blue. Interested? So into the Blues...

Sunday, March 18, 2018

Fiume - Bud's Big Blue


"A Frightful little gnome"

"A tragic gargoyle"
Bud's Big Blue
Bud's Observations
Fiume generated a pile of stamps -- a typical result in new countries besot with social turmoil. Moreover, because stamps were hastily issued over the few years of Fiume’s existence, fakes and forgeries abound, especially for overprinted Hungarian stamps. Collectors relying on feeder albums commonly find problems. The problems crop up again in BBs Hungary section.

Irregular troops led Gabriele D'Annunzio, a poet and inspirer of revolts, took over Fiume in 1919. He hoped to annex it to Italy, thereby making Italy great again, but it didn’t happen as he wished. 

Historians say, however, that Mussolini picked up his ideas, and Hitler did, too. D'Annunzio’s nihilism, his poetic glorification of passionate beauty, and his pursuit of immediate sensual pleasure at any cost, especially if someone else pays for it, typifies Nazi aesthetics. Doting women gushed over the little man (see quotes above). Others thought him a jerk. Compare his picture to Scott #s 86 through 99 (page 2 and supplement).

I’ve not finished checking the scans for forgeries, but the few stamps I’ve looked at carefully seem to be OK. A great help in detecting Fiume forgeries can be found online: 


Jim's Observations
The allied troop occupation of Fiume (November,1918), the takeover by the poet Gabriele d'Annunzio and his legionnaires (1919), and the creation of The Free State of Fiume (1920-24), gave philatelists a stamp issuing entity that, during six years, issued 262 stamps!  Fiume, on the Adriatic Sea, consisted mostly of the city of Fiume.  The city became known as Rijeka after WWII, and today is in Croatia.

Fiume Blog Post and Checklist

Page 1 (Click and enlarge for examination)

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1c

Page 2

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2c

Page 3

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3b

Supplements
Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Comments appreciated!

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