Stamp Stories from around the world

Through the spring of 1912, a series of bilateral agreements between the Christian Balkan states (Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Serbia) formed the Balkan League, which in October 1912 declared war on the Ottoman Empire. In the First Balkan War, the Ottomans were defeated on all fronts, and the four allies rushed to grab as much territory as they could. The Greeks occupied Thessaloniki just ahead of the Bulgarians, and also took much of Epirus with Ioannina, as well as Crete and the Aegean Islands. The Treaty of London (1913) ended the war, but no one was left satisfied, and soon, the four allies fell out over the partition of Macedonia. In June 1913, Bulgaria attacked Greece and Serbia, beginning the Second Balkan War, but was beaten back.
Greece was one of the „winners” of the two Balkan Wars (1912-13) and issued a „celebration” series of 14 stamps. Todays stamp is from this issue depicting an eagle with a snake flying over the Olymph. This 2 Lepta stamp has a CV of 0,50 euro for a mint copy.