Romanian Post Offices in the Levant, 20 Paras Overprint on 10 Bani Blue

Romanian Post Offices in the Levant · 1896 · 20 Paras on 10 Bani

This stamp is a Romanian 10 Bani definitive from the 1893 King Carol I series, overprinted in black with a new value of '20 PARAS' and 'POSTA ROMANA'. It was issued for use in the Romanian post offices operating within the Ottoman Empire (the Levant). The base stamp features a portrait of King Carol I in a circle, surrounded by ornate designs.

At the end of the 19th century, several European powers, including Romania, maintained their own post offices in the Ottoman Empire to facilitate trade and communication, issuing their own stamps overprinted with local currency.