Italian allied military government stamps .

[JohnnyO]

ive found 2 stamps with strange overprints on the back of them from italy  on the gum side , the marks read "Concorso  Silca"
i have others of the same stamps without this overprint , but cant find any info on them. Does anyone know of them. 

[khj]

My understanding is that they are privately made advertising backprints by Silca caramels and chocolates for a 1948 stamp contest they sponsored. You will find them on various south and southeastern European stamps (I include Turkey here).

I have never verified that info, so take it with a grain of salt. I imagine if you found that backprint on a stamp issued after 1948... my reply would be wrong.

[JohnnyO]

thanks khj, i thought they were unique .

[khj]

I don't think I've ever seen one in person, only pics of them. So they are definitely keepers!

Here is the poster that advertised the contest (not mine, of course, but "borrowed" from the internet):



At bottom right, it states a "grand philatelic contest" with "millions of prizes". The contest dates & sponsors address/info are in the fine print.