368 pp. - colour ill. - softbound - printed 2022
Italian text

DEMOCRATIC
The ordinary that rode the waves

After the first work on correspondence and internal services, this new book deals with correspondence and services in the six tariff periods for foreign countries, once again exceeding December 31st, 1952, and in the twelve of air mail without neglecting the particularities, the cunning of those who used it, as already done for the inland.

The correspondence to foreign countries has always appeared fascinating, intriguing, almost bewitching, beautiful to look at due to the frequent presence of numerous postage stamps necessary to achieve the high rates whose variety of colours made them lively and stimulating to the eye.
The mysterious destinations to disappeared, annexes or even new-born states that oblige the collector to research and historical insights are not negligible. While on the one hand they require less classification effort as the range of postal services is more restricted, on the other they definitely engage the scholar of postal history, in particular in air mail postal rates which have numerous variables, resulting in often indecipherable franking.

The first part concerns only the items of correspondence (letters, postcards, printed matter, etc., in addition to some unusual uses), which are carried and delivered to the address indicated by the sender on the object itself or on its wrapping.

These are accompanied by the accessory and special services offered by the Post Administration, used in addition to the ordinary shipping rate in relation to the needs of the sender to ensure traceability, speed of delivery or refund in case of loss.

One chapter is deserved by the immigration of Italians abroad and in particular in France, which was among the winning powers, and still the mingling with the other ordinary issue Italy at work.

Of particular historical-postal interest, and highly sought after in the collecting sector, is the correspondence of the embassy staff forwarded in the diplomatic bag.

This is followed by the air mail service, with its many facets, and the fake 100 lire Democratic postage stamp, attributed by scholars to Percivalle.

It ends with a small space dedicated to the U.N.R.R.A. A simple testimony of the experience of these refugees in the post-war period in the lands of Salento, a region rich in welcome and hospitality.