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Bari Wolf Notes

Author: Mitch Richling
Updated: 2023-10-11

Copyright 2023 Mitch Richling. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

This document contains my notes on the Bari Wolf issue. The existing literature is hard to find and sometimes conflicting. So I have collected in these notes little scraps of information as I encounter them. Please keep in mind that I am not an expert in this issue, and it is quite likely these notes contain mistakes. To compound matters I'm sure I also introduced a great many errors as I transcribed my hand written journal entries into electronic form. I'm publishing what I have in hope that someone may find it useful.

2. Some History

After Italy was liberated near the end of world war two, Marshall Badoglio was installed as head of the provisional government. It must be understood that the provisional government was sanctioned by, and directed by, the occupying Allied Military Government.

In need of postage stamps, Marshall Badoglio submitted essays to the AMG for approval. The foreground image on the stamp was Badoglio's signature extending from the lower left corner to the upper right corner was in the foreground. Other than the signature being used instead of the Capitoline she-wolf, the designs were identical. The AMG vetoed this design feeling it was inappropriate for a nation newly freed from a dictatorship. So after, the so called "AMG Bari Wolf" issue was authorized by the ministerial ordinance of January 6, 1944. A rough translation follows:

MINISTERIAL DECREE 6 January 1914.
Issue of an ordinary 50 cent stamp.
Published in the Official Gazette of 15 January 1945, n. 2

THE UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR POST AND TELEGRAPHS
IN CONCERT WITH
THE UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR FINANCE

Having regard to article 21 of the Postal and Telecommunications Code, consolidated text approved with Royal decree February 27, 1936, n. 615;

Given the art. 239 of the implementing regulation of titles I and II of book I of said Postal and Telecommunications Code, approved by Royal Decree of 18 April 1940. u. GS9;

Having regard to the Royal Decree-Law of 10 November 1943, n. 5/B; Considering the need to issue a new ordinary postage stamp to be used for the payment of postal duties;

Declare:

Art. 1.

The issue of an ordinary 50 cents postage stamp is authorised, to be used for the payment of postal taxes.

Art. 2.

The stamp is of the rectangular paper format of 27x30mm and the print format of 23x26mm, printed by lithograph on white paper with or without watermark and without gumming.

The notching has 15 notches on the upper and lower sides and 18 lateral notches, at a distance of 1mm from each other.

In the center of the stamp there is an ornamental motif with eight curved sides within which, in the same darker colour, the Capitoline she-wolf is reproduced:

On the four sides; between the ornamental motif and the corners, within the printed format, run eight curved lines, which follow the design of the aforementioned ornamental motif.

The legend "Poste Italiane" is printed at the top and at the bottom, on the left, the word "Cent" and on the right, the citra "50".

At the bottom between the printed format and the indented margin is the wording "RICHTER - NAPLES". The stamp is printed in violet colour.

This decree will be published in the Official Gazette of the Kingdom special series.

From P. M. 151, this day January 6, 1944

FANO JUNG

The Government Printing Office in Rome was still in the hands of Germany in early 1944. In fact, Richter was one of the only printing shops that could be brought to production in time to produce the required stamps.

This issue was rushed to service very quickly under very difficult wartime conditions. It seems clear that the printer was given instructions to produce as many stamps as possible as quickly as possible. I think we see that in the way the burelage was haphazardly placed on the sheets. We also see it in the way the sheets were formatted to maximize the number of printed stamps. More dramatically we see this in the great variety of printing oddities found in this issue. It is unclear to me if these oddities are a result of printer's waste making it into the hands of collectors, or a result of the printer simply accepting some anomalies for higher production output. I suspect it may be a bit of both.

The stamps were issued first in the city of Bari, and were pushed to other locations later.

3. Plates & Papers

The printing plates and sheets come in two geometries.

I have seen conflicting remarks on which of the sheet formats were printed first, but I think the consensus is that the first run was printed on watermarked paper with 150 subjects (10 across and 15 vertically). These appeared in January 1944. The second run was printed on unwatermarked paper with 168 subjects (12 horizontal by 14 vertically). These appeared later that year in perhaps April or May.

150 subjects printed 10 across and 15 down. These sheets are watermarked. The sheets are about 486mm tall by 289mm wide give or take a couple millimeters as I measured it with a yard stick.

150 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
01 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
02 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
03 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
04 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
05 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
06 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
07 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
08 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80
09 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90
10 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
11 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110
12 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120
13 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130
14 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140
15 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150

The selvage is mostly empty except for a cross printed on the bottom selvage at the center of the sheet – the vertical part of the cross frequently appearing on, or near, the perforations separating the 5th and 6th columns of stamps.

168 subjects printed 12 across and 14 down. These sheets were unwatermarked. The sheets are about 453mm tall by 342mm wide give or take a couple millimeters as I measured it with a yard stick.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 01
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 02
25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 03
37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 04
49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 05
61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 06
73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 07
85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 08
97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 09
109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 10
121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 11
133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 12
145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 13
157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 14
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 168

The lower part of the selvage is similar to the watermarked sheets; however, the top of the selvage has an elaborate imprint:

top168_60dpi.png

HWW says two plates were used for each paper type, and the plates can be differentiated by the selvage. Unfortunately I have been unable to obtain samples of all the plates, so I can't provide additional detail.

3.1. Measuring Paper Thickness

Paper thickness measurements are more complex than one might first guess. Paper thickness gauges, essentially micrometers specially designed for the task, produce much less pressure between the measuring surfaces than a standard micrometer. In general paper thickness measurements taken with a standard micrometer will be smaller than those taken with a paper thickness gauge because the standard micrometer will compress the paper more. Unfortunately there is no standard way to convert measurements between the two instruments as the delta is determined by the bulk compressibility of the paper being measured. Paper thickness measurements in the philatelic literature are generally made with a mixture of the two devices; however, few authors document which device they used! Even fewer authors document the methodology of how the measurements were collected.

For my Bari Wolf collection I use a standard micrometer for paper thickness measurements. For each stamp I take 5 measurements across the surface of the stamp in the order and locations indicated below:

paper-measure01_300dpi.png

I then report the thickness in microns as the mean (average) plus or minus the sample standard deviation like this: \(76.1\pm 1.90\,\mathrm{microns}\)

Unless otherwise indicated, thickness measurements are of ungummed paper.

4. Burelage Types

4.1. Distinguishing Characteristics

background_T1_p.png background_T2_p.png
background_T3_p.png background_T4_p.png

4.2. Locations on Plates

Burelage types on both the 150 (in cyan & green) and the 168 (in yellow & green) subject plates.

150 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10      
1
II
IV
IV
IV
I
I
IV
I
II
III
      
2
I
IV
IV
II
I
I
II
IV
III
II
II
IV
 1
3
III
I
I
IV
III
I
I
IV
III
I
III
IV
 2
4
III
II
III
IV
II
II
I
IV
I
IV
IV
III
 3
5
IV
IV
I
I
I
II
IV
III
II
I
II
IV
 4
6
I
I
I
I
II
I
I
I
II
II
I
III
 5
7
II
I
I
IV
II
IV
IV
I
I
I
IV
IV
 6
8
III
I
III
III
II
IV
I
IV
I
III
II
IV
 7
9
III
I
II
IV
I
I
III
III
IV
IV
I
I
 8
10
I
II
III
III
IV
II
IV
I
II
III
IV
III
 9
11
III
I
II
III
II
III
I
I
IV
I
IV
III
 10
12
III
IV
III
II
II
III
III
III
II
II
IV
II
 11
13
III
III
III
II
II
IV
III
II
II
II
II
IV
 12
14
IV
IV
III
II
I
IV
III
IV
IV
II
II
IV
 13
15
IV
III
III
I
III
III
IV
IV
IV
III
III
IV
 14
  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 168

4.3. Blocks of 4 with all four burelage types

Blocks of four with all four Burelage types are marked in pink & yellow (with pink indicating the upper left of each block of four).

150 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10      
1
II
IV
IV
IV
I
I
IV
I
II
III
      
2
I
IV
IV
II
I
I
II
IV
III
II
II
IV
 1
3
III
I
I
IV
III
I
I
IV
III
I
III
IV
 2
4
III
II
III
IV
II
II
I
IV
I
IV
IV
III
 3
5
IV
IV
I
I
I
II
IV
III
II
I
II
IV
 4
6
I
I
I
I
II
I
I
I
II
II
I
III
 5
7
II
I
I
IV
II
IV
IV
I
I
I
IV
IV
 6
8
III
I
III
III
II
IV
I
IV
I
III
II
IV
 7
9
III
I
II
IV
I
I
III
III
IV
IV
I
I
 8
10
I
II
III
III
IV
II
IV
I
II
III
IV
III
 9
11
III
I
II
III
II
III
I
I
IV
I
IV
III
 10
12
III
IV
III
II
II
III
III
III
II
II
IV
II
 11
13
III
III
III
II
II
IV
III
II
II
II
II
IV
 12
14
IV
IV
III
II
I
IV
III
IV
IV
II
II
IV
 13
15
IV
III
III
I
III
III
IV
IV
IV
III
III
IV
 14
  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 168

Blocks of four with all four Burelage types are frequently collected. Bush made pages for them. With 11 blocks on the 150 sheets and 13 on the 168 sheets, plenty examples exist. Finding a block on cover is quite rare – I have seen four, and two were fakes. None of the blocks are in numerical order in reading direction – left to right & top to bottom; however, some are in order as one moves clockwise or counter clockwise around the block. Such blocks with the type I being at the upper left are more valuable.

150       168       Types      
\(P_{LU}\) \(P_{RU}\) \(P_{LL}\) \(P_{RL}\) \(P_{LU}\) \(P_{RU}\) \(P_{LL}\) \(P_{RL}\) LU RU LL RL
8 9 18 19 - - - - I II IV III
14 15 24 25 4 5 16 17 II I IV III
32 33 42 43 26 27 38 39 II III IV I
38 39 48 49 32 33 44 45 IV I III II
- - - - 47 48 59 60 II IV I III
- - - - 70 71 82 83 I IV III II
74 75 84 85 76 77 88 89 III II IV I
- - - - 82 83 94 95 III II IV I
86 87 96 97 90 91 102 103 I III II IV
88 89 98 99 92 93 104 105 III IV I II
96 97 106 107 102 103 114 115 II IV III I
99 100 109 110 105 106 117 118 II III IV I
102 103 112 113 110 111 122 123 I II IV III
108 109 118 119 116 117 128 129 I IV III II

4.4. Horizontal strips of four with all four burelage types

Horizontal strips of four with all four Burelage types are marked in pink & yellow (with pink indicating the left of each strip of four).

150 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10      
1
II
IV
IV
IV
I
I
IV
I
II
III
      
2
I
IV
IV
II
I
I
II
IV
III
II
II
IV
 1
3
III
I
I
IV
III
I
I
IV
III
I
III
IV
 2
4
III
II
III
IV
II
II
I
IV
I
IV
IV
III
 3
5
IV
IV
I
I
I
II
IV
III
II
I
II
IV
 4
6
I
I
I
I
II
I
I
I
II
II
I
III
 5
7
II
I
I
IV
II
IV
IV
I
I
I
IV
IV
 6
8
III
I
III
III
II
IV
I
IV
I
III
II
IV
 7
9
III
I
II
IV
I
I
III
III
IV
IV
I
I
 8
10
I
II
III
III
IV
II
IV
I
II
III
IV
III
 9
11
III
I
II
III
II
III
I
I
IV
I
IV
III
 10
12
III
IV
III
II
II
III
III
III
II
II
IV
II
 11
13
III
III
III
II
II
IV
III
II
II
II
II
IV
 12
14
IV
IV
III
II
I
IV
III
IV
IV
II
II
IV
 13
15
IV
III
III
I
III
III
IV
IV
IV
III
III
IV
 14
  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 168

Strips of four with all four burelage types are not as commonly collected. I know of no commercially available album pages. They are also a bit rarer with only 10 on the 150 sheets and 12 on the 168 sheets. It is very uncommon to see them on the market. Two are in numerical order – one from right to left and one from left to right.

150       168       Types      
\(P_{LU}\) \(P_{RU}\) \(P_{LL}\) \(P_{RL}\) \(P_{LU}\) \(P_{RU}\) \(P_{LL}\) \(P_{RL}\) LU RU LL RL
7 8 9 10 - - - - IV I II III
16 17 18 19 6 7 8 9 I II IV III
45 46 47 48 41 42 43 44 I II IV III
47 48 49 50 43 44 45 46 IV III II I
74 75 76 77 76 77 78 79 III II IV I
- - - - 80 81 82 83 IV I III II
- - - - 81 82 83 84 I III II IV
81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 III I II IV
97 98 99 100 103 104 105 106 IV I II III
- - - - 104 105 106 107 I II III IV
132 133 134 135 146 147 148 149 IV III II I
133 134 135 136 147 148 149 150 III II I IV
134 135 136 137 148 149 150 151 II I IV III

4.5. Vertical strips of four with all four burelage types

Vertical strips of four with all four Burelage types are marked in pink & yellow (with pink indicating the top of each strip of four).

150 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10      
1
II
IV
IV
IV
I
I
IV
I
II
III
      
2
I
IV
IV
II
I
I
II
IV
III
II
II
IV
 1
3
III
I
I
IV
III
I
I
IV
III
I
III
IV
 2
4
III
II
III
IV
II
II
I
IV
I
IV
IV
III
 3
5
IV
IV
I
I
I
II
IV
III
II
I
II
IV
 4
6
I
I
I
I
II
I
I
I
II
II
I
III
 5
7
II
I
I
IV
II
IV
IV
I
I
I
IV
IV
 6
8
III
I
III
III
II
IV
I
IV
I
III
II
IV
 7
9
III
I
II
IV
I
I
III
III
IV
IV
I
I
 8
10
I
II
III
III
IV
II
IV
I
II
III
IV
III
 9
11
III
I
II
III
II
III
I
I
IV
I
IV
III
 10
12
III
IV
III
II
II
III
III
III
II
II
IV
II
 11
13
III
III
III
II
II
IV
III
II
II
II
II
IV
 12
14
IV
IV
III
II
I
IV
III
IV
IV
II
II
IV
 13
15
IV
III
III
I
III
III
IV
IV
IV
III
III
IV
 14
  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 168

These are even less commonly collected than then horizontal strips, and are quite rare. Both the 150 subject sheets and the 168 subject sheets have 9 examples per sheet.

150       168       Types      
\(P_{LU}\) \(P_{RU}\) \(P_{LL}\) \(P_{RL}\) \(P_{LU}\) \(P_{RU}\) \(P_{LL}\) \(P_{RL}\) LU RU LL RL
10 20 30 40 - - - - III II I IV
- - - - 23 35 47 59 III IV II I
31 41 51 61 25 37 49 61 III IV I II
41 51 61 71 37 49 61 73 IV I II III
60 70 80 90 58 70 82 94 II I III IV
76 86 96 106 78 90 102 114 IV I II III
90 100 110 120 94 106 118 130 IV III I II
92 102 112 122 98 110 122 134 II I IV III
108 118 128 138 116 128 140 152 I III II IV

5. Printing Varieties (elements present)

One of the ways in which this issue is unique is the number of variations related to what design elements are printed on a stamp. The "normal" case is printing on one side of the stamp, and that side should have a wolf and the burelage. Sometimes things went wrong. For example the burelage might be missing, the wolf might be missing. Keeping track of these varieties is a challenge, and so I have developed a shorthand notation to describe the various situations that arise.

5.1. Code for elements present

;;  eWeB
;;  | | 
;;  | +- Background (Burelage)
;;  +- Foreground (Wolf, Frame, etc...)

The e values may be one of:

  • n – Normal
  • 0 – Missing
  • i – Inverted (only used for Wolf and only for stamps printed on both sides)
  • d – Double impression
  • z – Double impression with one inverted (only used for Wolf)
  • h – Horizontal (i.e. rotated 90 degrees)
  • N – Normal & badly shifted
  • I – Inverted & badly shifted (only used for Wolf)
  • D – Double impression & badly shifted
  • Z – Double impression with one inverted & one or both badly shifted (only used for Wolf)

The "i" & "I" codes are only used for stamps printed on both sides. ;)

For stamps printed on both sides, we just concatenate the codes for each side like so: 

;;  eWeBeWeB
;;  | | | |
;;  | | | +- Back Background (Burelage)
;;  | | +- Back Foreground (Wolf, Frame, etc...)
;;  | +- Front Background (Burelage)
;;  +- Front Foreground (Wolf, Frame, etc...)

Note the code for two sided stamps requires us to pick which side is the "front". I do so by considering the following rules using the first that fits:

The "Front" of the stamp is determined using the following rules in sequence:

  • If only one side has a wolf, then the wolf side is the front
  • If one side contains both wolf & burelage, and the other doesn't, then the side with both is the front
  • The better centered side is the front
  • More complete side is front (ex: missing frame line vs full frame)
  • The side with the darker shade is the front
  • Just pick one – the choice is arbitrary. ;)

With regard to the "i" code, we need to decide which way is "UP". If the front of the stamp has a wolf, then the stamp is oriented with the wolf standing up. If no wolf appears on the front, then "up" is arbitrary.

5.2. Known types

  Front Front Back Back Examples in
Code Wolf Burelage Wolf Burelage my Collection
nWnBiW0B Normal Normal Inverted Missing bwIDp2s016
bwIDp2s014
bwIDp2s013
bwIDp2s001
dW0BIWNB Double Missing Shifted & Inverted Shifted Normal bwIDp2s012
bwIDp2s002
nWnB0WnB Normal Normal Missing Normal bwIDp2s015
bwIDp2s003
nWdB0WnB Normal Double Missing Normal bwIDp2s007
nWnBNW0B Normal Normal Shifted Normal Missing bwIDp2s004
NWNBnW0B Shifted Normal Shifted Normal Normal Missing bwIDp2s008
nWnBnW0B Normal Normal Normal Missing bwIDp2s010
bwIDp2s009
bwIDp2s006
nW0BnW0B Normal Missing Normal Missing bwIDp2s011
bwIDp2s005
dW0BnW0B Double Missing Normal Missing  
dWdB0WnB Double Double Missing Normal bwIDp2s018
0WnB Missing Normal N/A N/A bwIDmisfg004
bwIDmisfg003
bwIDmisfg002
bwIDmisfg001
nW0B Normal Missing N/A N/A bwIDmisbg006
bwIDmisbg005
bwIDmisbg004
bwIDmisbg003
bwIDmisbg002
bwIDmisbg001
dWnB Double Normal N/A N/A bwIDdbl005
bwIDdbl004
bwIDdbl003
bwIDdbl002
bwIDdbl001
zWnB Inverted Double Normal N/A N/A bwIDidbl003
bwIDidbl002
bwIDidbl001
nWhB Normal Horizontally N/A N/A bwIDbh001

Some additional notes:

dW0BnW0B
I have seen one of these at auction, but I don't have an example.
nW0BnW0B
These exist in two forms:
  • Completely normal wolf design on both sides
  • One one side of the stamp the wolf design clipped at the left – i.e. it is as if the left side of the stamp simply wasn't printed. The left frame line is always missing on these clipped examples with the missing elements sometimes expending as far as the wolf's shoulder.
nWnB0WnB
Sometimes misidentified as dWdB0WnB.

6. Color Varieties

I am aware of no scientific investigation of the inks used or colorimetric measurements for this issue. Various sources describe the colors using the terms listed below. It is pretty common to find bush pages printed with these labels, and that's a good way to map the descriptions to actual stamps.

Foreground colors:

  • Pale Lilac
  • Rose Lilac
  • Dark (Black to very dark brown)
  • Violet
  • Dark lilac
  • Light lilac

Background colors:

  • Dark (Dark tan to greenish tan)
  • Dark lilac
  • Medium lilac
  • Light lilac

WARNING: I make color measurements for stamps in my collection using my scanner. My scanner has been remarkably consistent over time, and has been invaluable in assisting in the comparison of colors across my collection. That said, my scanner is not color calibrated, and therefore the measurements are not necessarily directly useful for others.

7. Perforation Varieties

7.1. Literature overview

Early versions of BUSH listed the following three perforation combinations:

  • \(11 \times 11\)
  • \(11 \times 11\frac{1}{2}\)
  • \(11\frac{1}{2} \times 11\frac{1}{2}\).

Later editions replaced the \(11\) values by \(10\frac{3}{4}\).

FM lists a far larger collection of perforation combinations:

  • \(10\frac{3}{4}\) horizontally by \(10\frac{3}{4}\), \(11\), \(11\frac{1}{4}\), and \(11\frac{1}{2}\) vertically.
  • \(11\) horizontally by \(11\), \(11\frac{1}{4}\), \(11\frac{1}{2}\) vertically.
  • \(11\frac{1}{4}\) horizontally by \(11\frac{1}{4}\), and \(11\frac{1}{2}\).
  • \(11\frac{1}{2} \times 11\frac{1}{2}\).
  • \(14 \times 14\), \(14\frac{1}{2} \times 14\), \(14 \times 11\frac{1}{2}\) – all very rare.

FM also indicates that, while extremely rare, perforation "inversions" exist. For example \(11\frac{1}{2} \times 10\frac{3}{4}\) instead of \(10\frac{3}{4} \times 11\frac{1}{2}\).

The Scott catalog lists four combinations:

  • \(10\frac{1}{2} \times 11\frac{1}{2}\)
  • \(11 \times 11\frac{1}{2}\)
  • \(11\frac{1}{2}\)
  • \(14\)

7.2. My Collection

If my collection is representative, then we really have a couple of groupings – one near \(10\frac{7}{8}\) and another just below \(11\frac{1}{2}\). It is impossible to tell if the outliers are extremely rare perforation examples, or just due to odd paper deformations. It's interesting to note the measurements near \(10\frac{7}{8}\) in that about half fall to the left being rounded to \(10\frac{3}{4}\) and about half fall to the right being rounded to \(11\). This explains the confusion in the literature regarding \(10\frac{3}{4}\) vs \(11\). Once again, these observations are all invalid if my collection is not representative, and I have no way to really know if the 150 examples I have measured really are representative of the overall population.

perfhv-xy.png

7.3. Imperforate variations

  • No perforations one side (known for all four sides). Frequently collected as a horizontal/vertical pair missing perforations between, or as a margin piece with no perforations on the margin side.
  • No perforations two sides (opposite sides are common, sides sharing a corner are less common). Frequently collected as horizontal/vertical pairs with perforations between and at the ends.
  • No perforations three sides (known for all four sides). Frequently collected as a pair with only perforations between the stamps. The best examples are a strip of three with an imperf on one end and a fully perforated example at the other – leaving the middle with one perforated edge.
  • Imperforate. Frequently collected as edge pieces or in multiples. The most desirable are blocks of 9 or blocks of 6 with attached selvage.

7.4. Rough Perforations

7.4.1. Incomplete perforation

Some examples will show clear perforation holes, but they are irregular with hanging chads. The most common cases are roughly \(11 \times 11 \frac{1}{2}\).

Normal Rough
bwIDqbu003-2_200dpi.png bwIDqbu004-2_200dpi.png
bwIDqbu005-2_200dpi.png bwIDqbu006-2_200dpi.png
Normal Rough

In some cases the perforation is so incomplete that the perforation edges appear to be little more than ragged, torn edges. Measuring the perforation gauge on some examples is almost impossible. Consider the bottom edge of the following stamp:

bwIDp2s003-2_300dpi.png
Is it really even perforated?

Many examples show a bunching of the paper around the edges of the perforation holes where the paper fibers have been pinched. This is most visible on the back with side lighting:

roughPushComp-preview.png
Rough Perforation Upheaving

7.4.2. Complete perforation

The second kind of rough perforations are complete, but the holes show a characteristic spur in the center of the perforations. These perforation holes are larger, and have very thin bits of paper between the holes. These are frequently referred to as "large rough perforations".

bwIDsheetu001p012-1_300dpi.png bwIDsheetu001p003-1_300dpi.png

8. Overprints & Handstamps

8.1. Specimen Stamps

Translation of a letter from 1944 (via BUSH):

At that time, after our delivery, the Postal Administration wished that we print the wording CAMPIONE PER AFFRANCARE on a quantity of stamps, and send them to the post offices. However, at the time, it was impossible for the enormous work of our factory, the only one working in the freed Italy. Therefore, we hand printed with a special rubber stamp. "I know the rubber stamp was not only affixed to the Wolf Stamps, but also to a few examples of the rejected Badoglio stamps.

Giovanni Bader (Richter Printing)

They exist in a few known variations:

watermarked perforation Bush Sheet Example
NO \(10 \frac{3}{4}\) "A" bwIDsamp003
NO \(11 \frac{1}{2}\) "B" & "D" bwIDsamp008 bwIDsamp005
NO \(11 \frac{1}{2}\) Rough "C" bwIDsamp004
YES \(11 \frac{1}{2}\) N/A bwIDsamp006

Bush Sheet: Bush sold many examples of these stamps which were removed from full sheets. They were offered in matched sets with the three unwatermarked examples all in the same sheet position. Bush labeled these singles on the back with the sheet letter and position on the plate. Bush provided Xerox photocopies of the part of the sheet from which the singles were removed. Bush never had full sheets of the watermarked variety, and thus didn't label them.

These are all pretty rare with total production quantities likely measured in the hundreds. The watermarked variety and the rough perforation variety are the hardest to find.

8.2. Postage Due

The use of the "T" handstamp was authorized in January of 1944 (See FM page 52):

Post and Telegraph Administration
1944 January 20
Circular DIREC. JAN POST 444
Ministerial Dispatch No. 400668
Subject: Taxation of Correspondence

To All Provincial Directorates

The lack of postage due is reported by various Departments. In this regard, it should be noted that this Directorate General, due to the shortage of paper and the high cost of production, cannot at the moment proceed with the reprinting of this type of values. Therefore, with immediate effect, provisions are made for the taxation of insufficiently franked correspondence to be carried out with ordinary postage stamps on which the "T" stamp must be affixed and alongside that of the date of the Office that operates the taxation. Please issue compliant orders to office employees and give assurances of execution to this Ministry.

Pertusati, Registry Director the Service
Fano, The Undersecretary of State

Note the "T" was applied to entire sheets as well as by hand stamping correspondence. Some consider these two different kinds of entities. The ones stamped as sheets being "issued stamped", and the "hand-stamped on correspondence" to be a "cancellation variety". The only examples that can be identified with 100% certainty as "hand-stamped on correspondence" are tied to a piece. Very large multiples, too large to have been on a piece, are normally considered "issued stamped". Sometimes I see examples identified based on the orientation or quality of centering of the overprint; however, this amounts to little more than a guess. In my opinion, the difficulty in distinguishing the two makes the difference mostly irrelevant – thus I won't pay a premium for material identified as one or the other…

This same "T" often appears stamped on the envelope as well as the stamps – often on the back of the cover. The stamps themselves very frequently appear as horizontal pairs. Both of my examples are watermarked and perforated \(11 \times 11 \frac{1}{2}\), but other variations exist.

bwIDpdue001-1_90dpi.png bwIDpdue002-1_90dpi.png

8.3. REPUBBLICA

Privately overprinted REPUBBLICA in April/May of 1946 for an upcoming election (See FM page 120). I have two REPUBBLICA overprints in my collection (one in black and one in red):

bwIDrepb001-1_90dpi.png bwIDrepb002-1_90dpi.png

8.4. Red Cross

I don't know much about this one. A picture of it exists in FM. I have one example in my collection:

bwIDovrc001-1_90dpi.png

9. Plate Flaws

9.1. My Plate Flaw List

WARNING: This section is very much under construction!

PFID Description Position 150 Position 168 Examples
pf0001 Broken second "A" of "ITALIANE" 144 23 bwIDsgl069
bwIDp2s005
pf0002 Gash on hind leg 21 25 bwIDp2s010
bwIDimph004
pf0003 Cloud of dots after "E" of "ITALIANE" 30 34 bwIDp2s010
pf0004 Gash in top of "C" of "CENT" 17 19 24 27
28 30 63 65
69 70 105 122
136 145		 28 31 32 34
60 75 77 81
125 146 162 164		 bwIDsgl077
bwIDpf001
bwIDpdue001
bwIDp2s010
bwIDdrkw002
pf0005 Bite out of bottom of "0" of "50" 2 24 27 28
30 63 65 69
70 95 105 122
136 138 145		 28 31 32 34
60 75 77 81
125 146 162 164		 bwIDsgl077
bwIDsgl073
bwIDpf001
bwIDpdue001
bwIDp2s010
pf0006 Broken tit 11 15 24 27
28 30 31 35
51 54 56 58
63 65 69 70
71 76 78 94
97 99 100 105
111 114 119 120
122 123 126 129
136 145		 13 17 28 31
32 34 41 60
61 64 66 68
71 75 77 81
82 85 88 90
92 107 112 115
117 118 125 133
136 146 150 153
156 162 167		 bwIDshade004
bwIDsgl077
bwIDsgl076
bwIDsgl055
bwIDpfrk001
bwIDpf006
bwIDpf006
bwIDpf005
bwIDpf001
bwIDpdue001
bwIDp2s010
bwIDdrkw002
pf0007 Right child has birth mark on outstretched arm   150 bwIDshade004
bwIDsgl055
bwIDpf005
bwIDpf001
pf0008 Spot above "N" of "ITALIANE" 30   bwIDp2s010
pf0009 Broken base 1 36 41 44
46 48 84 57
84 89 90 101
134 150		 1 5 49 52
54 56 84 100
103 105 106 119
121 160		 bwIDshade011
bwIDsgl075
bwIDqbu002
bwIDqbu001
bwIDpf007
bwIDpf006
bwIDpf006
bwIDmisbg001
pf0010 Large break in "O" of "POSTE"   86 bwIDpf005
pf0011 The "C" of "CENT" damaged at bottom 34 37 38 40
73 75 79 80
105 115 125 143		 24 35 40 43
44 46 77 83
87 89 93 94
137 144		 bwIDsgl073
bwIDsgl070
bwIDpfrk001
bwIDpf001
pf0012 Top of "5" of "50" broken off 34 37 38 40
73 75 79 80
105 115 125 143		 24 35 40 43
44 46 83 87
89 93 94 137
144 161		 bwIDsgl070
bwIDpfrk001
bwIDpf001
pf0013 Large burelage blob above "E" of "CENT."   28 bwIDdrkw002
pf0014 Blob to the right of the right child 87 103 bwIDqbu002
bwIDqbu001
pf0016 Blob on top frame above first "I" of "ITALIANE" 126 150 bwIDpf001
pf0017 White shade line missing from hind leg   159 bwIDpf002
pf0018 Large break in "C" of "CENT."   UNK bwIDpf004
pf0019 Break in frame right of "50" 14 17 18 20
53 55 59 95
117 138 140		 16 19 20 63
65 72 139		  
pf0020 Blob in front of front leg 149 107  
pf0033 Gash at top and bottom of "C" of "RICHTER" 1 5 41 44
46 48 84 87
89 90 101 150		 1 5 49 52
54 103 105 106
119 121 160		 bwIDpf007
pf0034 Large horn on "N" of "ITALIANE"   25 bwIDimph004
pf0035 Blob in burelage above "0" of "50"   83 bwIDmisfg004
pf0036 Dash under first tit 19 21  
pf0037 Stroke of color in front of the base   152 bwIDp2s017
pf0038 Claw hand left child 114   bwIDpfrk001

9.2. My Potential Plate Flaw List

WARNING: This section is very much under construction!

I only put things on the "My Plate Flaw List" if I have more than one example. In this section are potential plate flaws that may be promoted to plate flaw status if I find additional examples.

PPFID Description Example Sheet
ppf0001 An "L" instead of "I" in "NAPOLI" bwIDsgl070
bwIDsheetu001p144		 168
ppf0002 Gash on front leg bwIDsgl076  
ppf0003 Large gap in frame line at right of "50" bwIDsgl076  
ppf0004 Dot behind hind leg below tip of tail bwIDpf008  
ppf0005 Dot above back bwIDpf008  
ppf0006 Snake tail on "C" of "CENT" bwIDsheetu001p168 168
ppf0007 dot in "C" of "CENT" bwIDsheetu001p161 168
ppf0008 in FM: Dots under the "E" of "CENT." bwIDsheetu001p166 168
ppf0009 in HWW: Large horn on the "L" of "ITALIANE" bwIDsheetu001p078 168
ppf0010 The "P" in "POSTE" broken at top left bwIDsheetu001p123 168
ppf0011 Large blob on lower frame line and "O" of "NAPOLI" bwIDsheetu001p131 168
ppf0012 Spot in front of front wolf leg bwIDsgl053 168
ppf0013 Two dots behind the thigh bwIDsheetw001p019 150
ppf0014 Broken "E" of "CENT." bwIDsheetw001p117 150
ppf0015 Frame thin at bottom left bwIDsheetw001p001 150
ppf0016 Comma shaped blob between "POSTE" and "ITALIANE" bwIDsheetw001p041 150
ppf0017 Point above the "N" of "ITALIANE" bwIDsheetw001p021 150
ppf0018 Horizontal dash above right edge of frame line bwIDsheetw001p003
bwIDbh001		 150
ppf0019 Long line of color above the box on the left bwIDsheetw001p134 150
ppf0020 Thick line under base (under left child) bwIDsheetw001p146 150
ppf0021 Blob below "50" bwIDsheetw001p053 150
ppf0022 Point under "E" of "CENT." bwIDsheetw001p116 150

9.3. Flaws documented in FM

PFID Description Position 150 Position 168
  Upper panel and 8 of 168 broken UNK 5
  Point on the bottom box line. 104 UNK
  Point on the top box line 106 UNK
  Color comma at the top left outside the box UNK UNK
  Point in the right corner outside the box UNK 68
  Point above the box line at the top UNK 127
  Point above lower box line. UNK 151
pf0028 Long line of color above the box. 134 UNK
pf0027 Line above top box 3 UNK
  Right pane line color stroke 65 UNK
pf0024 Frame thin print at bottom left 1 UNK
  Frame line broken down 117 UNK
pf0016 Big dot on frame line 126 UNK
  Broken square line on the left UNK 76
  Broken frame line at bottom right UNK 92
  Broken frame line at the top UNK 167
  Color smear Left frame line UNK 127
  Stroke of color in front of the base UNK 17
pf0037 Stroke of color in front of the base UNK 152
pf0029 Color line under the base 146 UNK
  Color line on the lower panel and Naples UNK 13
  Naples partially missing. UNK 96
  Richter Naples evanescent UNK 157
pf0014 Big point between the 2nd twin and the thigh 87 UNK
  Arm of the 1st twin evanescent UNK  
  Big point between the 2nd Twin UNK 141 155
  Hand of the evanescent 1 ° twin UNK UNK
  Spot of color on the thigh. 122 UNK
pf0014 Big stitch between the 2nd twin and the thigh UNK 103
  Point on the thigh of the she-wolf UNK 146
  Dots in front of the knee UNK 107
  Falla of color on the foreleg UNK 116
  Front paw color smear UNK 123
  Stitches under the throat UNK 159
  Evanescent rear legs UNK UNK
pf0020 Big stitch in front of the paw 149 UNK
pf0021 Two dots of color behind the thigh 19 UNK
pf0002 Strip of color on the thigh. 21 UNK
  Spot of color above the back 29 UNK
  Spot of color behind the tail. 7 UNK
  Dots under the throat of the wolf UNK UNK
  Dots under the tip of the tail. UNK UNK
  Without rear foot NONE UNK
  Strip on the thigh and stitch on the "N" UNK 25
pf0030 Point below "50" 53 NONE
pf0011/12 The "5" of "50" broken & bite out of "C" of "CENT." 34 37 38 40
73 75 79 80
115 143		 24 35 40 43
44 46 77 83
87 89 93 94
137 144
  Point up square line and point before "CENT." NONE 150
  Broken "C" of "CENT." UNK 143
pf0031 Point under "E" of "CENT." 116 NONE
pf0022 Broken "E" of "CENT." 117 NONE
  Dots under the "E" of "CENT." NONE 166
  Broken "N" of "CENT." NONE UNK
  Point under the "T" of "CENT." 33 NONE
  Point between "CENT." and "." 66 NONE
  Point between "CENT." and "50". 140 NONE
pf0010 "O" of broken "POSTE" NONE 86
  Point between the "P" and "O" of "POSTE" 147 UNK
pf0025 Point between "POSTE" and "ITALIANE" 41 NONE
  Broken "I" of "ITALIANE" UNK NONE
  Point between the "I" and "T" of "ITALIANE" NONE 111
  Stroke on the "T" of "ITALIANE" 98 NONE
  "F" instead of "T" in "ITALIANE" NONE 112
  Large horn on the "L" of "ITALIANE" 66 78
  Stroke on the "L" of "ITALIANE" 76 NONE
  Second "A" of "ITALIANE" fat center NONE UNK
pf0001 Broken second "A" of "ITALIANE" 144 23
pf0026 Point above the "N" of "ITALIANE" 21 NONE
pf0003 Spot after the "E" of "ITALIANE" 30 NONE

9.4. Flaws documented in HWW

PFID Number Description Position 150 Position 168 Thumbnail
pf0009 1 Break in base of wolf 41 44 46 48
84 57 150		 1 5 32 52
106 121 160		 PFTHM-HWW01_90dpi.png
pf0019 2 Broken frame right of "50" 53 59 16 19 20 63
65 72 139		 PFTHM-HWW02_90dpi.png
pf0001 3 Broken second "A" of "ITALIANE" 144 23 PFTHM-HWW03_90dpi.png
pf0011/12 4 The "5" of "50" broken & bite out of "C" of "CENT." 34 37 38 40
73 75 79 80
105 115 125 143		 24 35 40 43
44 46 77 83
87 89 93 94
137 144		 PFTHM-HWW04_90dpi.png
pf0004/5 5 Break "C" of "CENT." & bite out of "0" of "50" 27 28 30 65
70 122 136		 28 31 32 34
60 75 77 81
125 146 162 164		 PFTHM-HWW05_90dpi.png
  6 Large horn on the "L" of "ITALIANE" 66 78 PFTHM-HWW06_90dpi.png
  7 Small horn on the "L" of "ITALIANE" 16 NONE PFTHM-HWW07_90dpi.png
  8 Horn on the "C" of "CENT" UNK UNK PFTHM-HWW08_90dpi.png
  9 Horn on shaft of "T" of "POSTE" UNK 103 PFTHM-HWW09_90dpi.png
pf0010 10 Broken "O" of "POSTE" UNK UNK PFTHM-HWW10_90dpi.png

10. Reference material

10.1. Literature

10.1.1. BUSH

"BUSH A.M.G. CATALOG - HANDBOOK". Edited by Harry W. Wilcke, M.D. Published by Joseph V. Bush, Inc.

10.1.2. HWW

"The AMG story: The philatelic story of the Allied Military Government in Europe at the close of World War II" by Harry W Wilcke. United States Possessions Philatelic Society (January 1, 1994). ASN: B0006F30KQ. 149 pages. Chapter 4: The AMG Bari Wolf p 43-49.

10.1.3. FM

"La lupa di Bari" by Felice Maiocchi. Studi Filatelici e Storico Postali di Firenze 1981.

10.2. Catalogs

10.2.1. Bush Catalog

10.2.1.1. Standard Entries
Bush # Wolf Burelage Watermark Perf
B-1 Lilac Salmon NONE \(11\)
B-2 Lilac Salmon NONE \(11 \times 11 \frac{1}{2}\)
B-3 Lilac Salmon NONE \(11 \frac{1}{2}\)
BUI Lilac Salmon NONE Imperforate
BUP Lilac Salmon NONE Partially perforated
B-4 Lilac Salmon HONEYCOMB \(11 \times 11 \frac{1}{2}\)
B-5 Lilac Salmon HONEYCOMB \(11 \frac{1}{2}\)
BWI Lilac Salmon HONEYCOMB Imperforate
BWP Lilac Salmon HONEYCOMB Partially perforated
10.2.1.2. Color variations
Suffix Wolf Burelage MJR Comments
a Pale Lilac Salmon  
b Rose lilac Salmon  
c Black-brown Salmon "Dark Wolf" varity – common
d Lilac Black-brown "Dark Burelage" varity – common
e Black-brown Black-brown I have never seen one of these!
f Gray-black Salmon I have never seen one of these!
g Gray-black Gray-black I have never seen one of these!
10.2.1.3. Printed one side variations
Suffix Wolf Burelage My Notation MJR Comments
h Double Normal dWnB Common
i Double with Invert Normal zWnB Less Common
j Normal Missing nW0B Common
k Missing Normal 0WnB Common
l Normal horizontal nWhB Rare
10.2.1.4. Printed both sides Varieties
Suffix Description My Notation
m Wolf missing 1 side nWnB0WnB
nWdB0WnB
dWdB0WnB
n Burelage Missing 1 side nWnBiW0B
dW0BIWNB
nWnBNW0B
NWNBnW0B
nWnBnW0B
0 Burelage Missing both sides nW0BnW0B
dW0BnW0B
p One side normal, other side with inverted wolf & missing Burelage nWnBiW0B
10.2.1.5. Perforation Varieties for BUP & BWP
Suffix Description MJR Comments
a Imperf horizontally Common
b Imperf vertically Common
c Perf 3 sides Less Common
d Perf one side Uncommon. frequently faked
10.2.1.6. Essays
Bush # Watermark Perf Color Paper
BE-1 VERTICAL HONEYCOMB \(11 \frac{1}{2}\) Violet & Gray-Brown  
BE-2a VERTICAL HONEYCOMB \(11 \frac{1}{2}\) Violet & Gray-brown  
BE-2 VERTICAL HONEYCOMB \(11 \frac{1}{2}\) Vermilion & Salmon  
BE-3 VERTICAL HONEYCOMB \(11 \frac{1}{2}\) Black & Gray  
BE-4 VERTICAL HONEYCOMB \(11 \frac{1}{2}\) Dark Blue & Light Blue-Green  
BE-5 HONEYCOMB \(11 \frac{1}{2}\) Dark Blue  
BE-6 VERTICAL HONEYCOMB Imperforate Violet & Gray-Brown  
BE-7 VERTICAL HONEYCOMB Imperforate Vermilion & Salmon  
BE-7a VERTICAL HONEYCOMB Imperforate Vermilion & Salmon  
BE-8 VERTICAL HONEYCOMB Imperforate Black & Gray  
BE-8a VERTICAL HONEYCOMB Imperforate Black & Gray  
BE-9 VERTICAL HONEYCOMB Imperforate Dark Blue & Light Blue-Green  
BE-9a VERTICAL HONEYCOMB Imperforate Dark Blue & Light Blue-Green  
BE-10 VERTICAL HONEYCOMB Imperforate Lilac Blue & Light Violet-Brown  
BE-11 NONE \(11 \frac{1}{2}\) Violet & Gray-Brown Coarse tan wove
BE-12 NONE \(11 \frac{1}{2}\) Vermilion & Salmon Coarse tan wove
BE-13 NONE \(11 \frac{1}{2}\) Black & Gray Coarse tan wove
BE-14 NONE \(11 \frac{1}{2}\) Dark Blue & Light Blue-Green Coarse tan wove
BE-14a NONE \(11 \frac{1}{2}\) Dark Blue & Light Blue-Green Coarse tan wove
BE-14 NONE \(11 \frac{1}{2}\) Vermilion & Gray Coarse tan wove
BE-16 NONE Imperforate Violet & Gray-Brown Coarse tan wove
BE-17 NONE Imperforate Vermilion & Salmon Coarse tan wove
BE-18 NONE Imperforate Black & Gray Coarse tan wove
BE-19 NONE Imperforate Dark Blue & Light Blue-Green Coarse tan wove

The a suffix means: no background

10.2.1.7. Specimens
Bush # watermarked perforation
CAB-1 YES \(11 \frac{1}{2}\)
CAB-2 NO \(10 \frac{3}{4}\)
CAB-3 NO \(11 \frac{1}{2}\)
CAB-4 NO \(11 \frac{1}{2}\) Rough

10.2.2. Unificato Catalogo

Based on the 2022 PDF version of the catalog. Logical pages 163-164. PDF pages 185-186.

Information listed:

  • Perforations: Range from \(10 \frac{3}{4}\) to \(11 \times 11 \frac{1}{2}\)
  • Printed by Richter in Napoli using an offset press.

Numbers:

  • 515 Printed on 150 subject (10x15) watermarked sheets.
  • 515A Printed on 168 subject (12x14) unwatermarked sheets.

Some variations

Suffix Text in catalog My guess at a translation Value
c senza il colore del fondo di sicurezza no burelage 200-300
d doppia stampa double wolf 150
e idem, una capovolta (solo BOX) double & inverted wolf 250
f stampa recto-verso printed both sides 100-160
g fondo molto decentrato badly centered burelage??? 170
h BOX imperf 150-275
j BOX orizz. o vert. imperf horz or vert 100
k BOX su un lato imperf one side 130
m SPLIT_BOX BOX al centro imperf between 500-550
n dent. solo a destra o in alto perf only on top or right 150
o solo fondo di sicurezza (senza Lupa) burelage only with no wolf 250

10.2.3. Scott Catalog

Based on

  • 2018 paper version of the catalog. Volume 3B, page 635.
  • 2006 PDF version of the catalog. Volume 3, file '14_ity'. Logical page 1088, PDF page 7.

Information listed:

  • Perforations: \(10 \frac{1}{2} \times 11 \frac{1}{2}\), \(11 \times 11 \frac{1}{2}\), \(11 \frac{1}{2}\), \(14\)
  • Watermark: 87
  • Printing method: Lithograph
  • Date of issue: Jan 1944

Numbers:

  • 439 Watermark: honeycomb
  • 440 Watermark: None

10.2.4. Sassone

TBD