Description: This historic horizontal postage stamp from the Kingdom of Greece belongs to the renowned 1911 Crete-printed archeological definitive series, originally showcasing a Minoan bull-leaping scene (Taurokatapsia) from the ancient palace of Knossos. The central vignette is intricately engraved in a slate-blue ink, framed by an elaborate terracotta-red border featuring stylized Greek key patterns and geometric friezes. Overlaid squarely across the center of the vignette is a prominent two-line black overprint reading "ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΟΙΚΗΣΙΣ" (Hellenic Administration), flanked by dual "5 ΛΕΠΤΑ 5" (5 Lepta) denomination markers at the lower corners.
Circa: 1912-1913
Condition: MLH
Notes:
The underlying fresco originates from the Palace of Knossos (circa 1500 BCE), one of the earliest depictions of athletic ritual in European art. This overprinted version marks a transitional postal era as Greece reasserted sovereignty over long-contested Aegean territories.