Hellenic Philatelic Society sees a surge of interest as Athens prepares to host NOTOS 2021

A letter distributed by the French post office in Smyrna on the day of the city's destruction on September 13, 1922. The "Free Lesvos" stamps printed by rebels in the island's main town of Mytilene. A propaganda stamp issued in Nazi-occupied Athens in January 1944 depicting the allied bombing of Piraeus port. The rush by Greeks in World War II to invest their money in stamps rather than watch it collapse in value due to rampant inflation. Such little-known stories, revealed only to those who know how to "decode" the stamps produced during each chapter of history, may complement or challenge conventional wisdom, but lie at the heart of the study of postal history.

Founded in 1925, the Hellenic Philatelic Society is one of the oldest associations in Greece and its members come together at well-attended meetings twice a week at its headquarters on Academias Street in downtown...