Pin Hermes head black

The Greek god Hermes, messenger of the Gods in the Greek mythology, is the representation chosen, in 1860, by the Kingdom of Greece to illustrate its first postal stamps. This stamp is probably the most beautiful Greek stamp ever published and became the most famous
The first type, the “large Hermes head”, was issued in October 1861, and stayed in circulation up to 1886, it was then replaced by the second type, the “small Hermes head”.
The first set was issued on October 1, 1861. It consisted of seven denominations (1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 lepta). The 30 and 60 lepta stamps were introduced in 1876.

The drawing of the mock-up, the engraving of the dies as well as the manufacturing of the typographic plates of the first seven values have been realised between July 1860 and September 1861 by the Chief Engraver of the Paris Mint: Désiré-Albert Barre.

This set of stamps has inspire our products with the representations of Hermes.