The stamps of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany were issued from 1851/1852 on, implementing the fundamental convention for the Austrian-Italic Postal League, an agreement entered into with Austria on 5 November 1850. The Grand Duchy included the six postal districts of Florence, in addition to Grosseto, Lucca, Pisa, Siena, isle of Elba, isle of Pianosa, Isle of Giglio and other smaller areas. The first Grand-ducal stamps were issued in 1851. Initially, the official Grand-ducal printing office was chosen, but then some rooms of the Post General Superintendency, located in Piazza del Granduca (Piazza Signoria), were used, also following the advice given by Austria. As for the engraving, the Grand-ducal Mint entrusted their best engraver, Giuseppe Niderost, with this assignment. A crowned Marzocco (also known as the Lion of Etruria) and its lilied shield are depicted in the image, surrounded by the inscription “francobollo postale toscano”.

The watermark of the first issue is called “Corone Granducali” and was printed on paper of different colours. The first series was printed on light-blue paper, the following on a blue-grey paper and the last on grey paper.
On 19 March 1851, all subordinate Head Offices were supplied with these stamps.

The five values were then distributed to post offices all around the Grand Duchy:

• - yellow 1 soldo;
• - light red 2 soldi (out of validity since 20 October 1852);
• - sky-blue 2 crazie;
• - dark green 4 crazie;
• - deep blue 6 crazie.

To meet stamping needs, on 1 July 1851, new values were issued:

• - carmine 1 crazia;
• - brown purple 9 crazie.

Florence used to be the city of bankers, manufacturers, industrialists and large landowners with international business relationships, therefore large envelopes would be shipped abroad. In order not to cover the letters with stamps, it was necessary to use high value stamps. The Grandducal series included a 60 crazie denomination, corresponding to the considerable amount of 4.20 Italian liras. In 1852, as a result of new postage rates and in compliance with conventions with other States, the Grand-ducal Post Services had to add two more values:

• - black 1 quattrino, 1 September
• - scarlet 60 crazie, 1 November

In 1857 the same series was issued again on white paper, except for the 2 soldi and 60 crazie values, with a vertical wavy line watermark, crossed by the words II RR POSTE TOSCANE. They were valid until the end of 1859. The new stamps were gradually introduced starting from March 1857, as the stock printed on the old paper ran out. This means that there is no first day of issue; however, we know in which month the stamps were used for the first time:

•  - the light blue 6 crazie was initially used in March 1857;
• - the green 4 crazie, in June 1857; - the black 1 quattrino, in June 1857;
• - the ochre 1 soldo, in July 1857; - the light blue 2 crazie, in August 1857;
• - the carmine 1 crazia, in October 1857

On 27 April 1859, following the popular uprisings of the Second War of Independence, the Grand Duke Leopold fled from Florence and the Grandducal Government fell. In 1860, a new series was specifically issued for the Provisional Government: the Savoy coat of arms surmounted by the royal crown, in a rectangular frame. This series (1c., 5c., 10c., 20c., 40c., 80c, and 3 Liras) is in Italian liras. Their use was allowed until 1863. Because of their high value and short period of use, today only about fifty minted 3 Liras stamps are known, around 270 used stamps, four fragments and only two covers. This stamp has also a political meaning: in Tuscany, the Tuscan lira was previously used, so an inscription “it” for “Italian” was added to point out that the denomination was expressed in the new Italian liras, which had a different value. This was the first time this mark was used on national stamps, even if just in its short form.

Today, the three liras of Tuscany, as this stamp is called, is one of the best-known classic stamps in international philately, partly because only two complete letters are known. The Tuscan stamps are among the rarest from the ancient Italian states and most of them lack at least one margin, since they come from sheets made of 240 samples divided in three groups of 80, overlapped and separated by a small inter-space of only 1.5 mm. During last Bolaffi Auction, we had the pleasure to put up for auction a whole collection of excellent-quality new stamps, including an extraordinarily wellmargined and well-preserved 60 crazie, right sheet margin and an extremely fresh, excellent-quality Provisional Government 3 Lire, from the collection of Achillito Chiesa.

By Matteo Armandi