{"id":305,"date":"2025-10-18T21:20:43","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T18:20:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hps.gr\/2026\/?page_id=305"},"modified":"2026-03-18T09:33:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T07:33:01","slug":"people","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hps.gr\/2026\/en\/people\/","title":{"rendered":"People"},"content":{"rendered":"
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    The HPS pays tribute to eminent personalities who left a lasting mark on Greek philately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Manos Anagnostou (1935\u20132024)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A beloved friend, with a deep interest in the metaphysical contemplation of life and the study of human inner quests. An active philatelist and collector of historical documents, with particular focus on the Greek War of Independence. He served as General Secretary of the Hellenic Philatelic Federation and as an international juror in Postal History. He was the author of the remarkable book Samos 1800\u20131915: Postal History and Stamps<\/em> and achieved international distinction as an exhibitor with his collection on the Postal History of Thrace<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Vasileios Arapoyannis (d. 1992)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He was one of the founding members of the Philatelic Society of Piraeus and served for a period as its Vice President. He distinguished himself through his airmail collection, which was awarded the Balkan Grand Prix at Balkanfila 1981.<\/em> He authored and published several studies on airmail, among them the Special Cancellations of Greek Airmail, 1926\u20131940<\/em>, which earned him the Binos Award of the Hellenic Philatelic Federation in 1981. He took part in numerous exhibitions as a juror.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    George Ballis (d. 1992)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He was the principal founder among the three who established the Philatelic Society of Piraeus, serving as its President for twenty-five years and as Honorary President during the final two years of his life. He worked systematically to promote the activities of the Hellenic Philatelic Federation from its inception and submitted several proposals to the Hellenic Post for the promotion of philately. He is rightly regarded as the father of Greek philatelic exhibitions, having successfully organised six exhibitions between 1962 and 1985. For his contribution, he was honoured by the Hellenic Philatelic Federation, the Municipality of Piraeus, and by the Hellenic Philatelic Society, which awarded him its Medal in 1991.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Louis Basel (1926\u20132013)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He was an early adopter of personal computer technology and, in 1980, published in the Philatelic Literature Review<\/em> an index of articles from Philotelia<\/em>. In 1985, he contributed to the American Philatelist<\/em> an article containing code for the reconstruction of the 20-lepta plate of the Large Hermes Head, which was the winner of the Apfelbaum Prize. His continuous research activity produced two particularly important books on the first Greek issue\u2014one on the 10-lepta and one on the 40-lepta\u2014both of which received numerous and prestigious awards at international exhibitions, culminating in the Grand Award at Colopex 2007. The Hellenic Philatelic Society honoured him with the Macrymichalos Award in 1990 and with its Medal in 2006.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Odysseas (Ulysses) Bellas (d. 1991)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He was a collector, researcher, and author based in Paris. Among his principal research interests were the Large Hermes Heads, the postal history of the preadhesive period of the Ionian Islands, exchange control, and the Greco-Italian War. He was a regular contributor to the journal Philatelic Greece,<\/em> while he published his studies in London, The Albanian War and its Postal History<\/em>\u2014for which he received the Nikolaos Atzaritis Award of the Philatelic Society of Athens in 1978\u2014as well as Exchange Control in Greece and its Repercussions on Philately<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Alexander Calligas (1932\u20132006)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Distinguished architect with an outstanding professional record in restorations and new constructions throughout Greece, awarded in 1995 with an honorary diploma by Europa Nostra for the restoration of the Arsakeion building on Panepistimiou Street. He was a member of the HPS for more than 60 years, served on its Administrative Council and was President of the Hellas 1984<\/em> exhibition. Having studied the first Greek issue since the 1970s, he became an exceptional researcher and a profound connoisseur of the Large Hermes Head. His exhibit received the Grand Prix at Balkanfila 1991<\/em> and a Gold Medal at London 2000.<\/em> The HPS honoured him with its Medal in 2005.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    John Coundouros (1932\u20132013)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He was an outstanding scientist, modest, approachable, and an innovative researcher of the Large Hermes Head. In his first book, The Control Numbers and the Classification of the Stamps of the Large Hermes Head<\/em>, he codified the errors of the control numbers. In his second work, Large Hermes Head \u2014 Characteristic Marks of All Positions in the Plate of the 5, 10, 20, 40 & 80 Lepta Values<\/em>, he studied plate errors with the same methodical precision. His valuable two-volume work remains a reliable guide for the classification of the Large Hermes Heads. At the same time, he published historical and folkloric studies related to his native region, Sfakia. In 2013, he was awarded the HPS Medal for his literary work and his long-standing contribution to the Society.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Andrew Cronin (1925\u20132012)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He was fortunate to enjoy an intense and multifaceted philatelic career internationally, with collections of Greece, Russia, Mongolia, Carpatho-Ukraine and the Ottoman Empire, as well as significant distinctions at international exhibitions. An international juror, expert and distinguished researcher, he authored more than a hundred original studies published in philatelic journals of Bulgaria, Cuba, Great Britain, Denmark, Canada, the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Russia and Greece. He spoke all European languages except Estonian and Finnish! He served as President of the Hellenic Philatelic Society of America and as editor of the journals Rossica<\/em> and Post Rider.<\/em> He was awarded the Tapling Medal, the G. Trefonas Memorial Award, and the Hellenic Philatelic Society Medal in 2003.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    George Dolianitis (1938\u20132022)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A collector of the 1896 and 1906 Olympic stamps, of Greek first flight covers, and of pre-adhesive mail from the Ionian Islands. He had an active and long-standing participation in both international and national exhibitions, serving as a national commissioner as well as an exhibitor, with his most distinguished honour being the Large Gold Medal awarded to his Olympic collection in the Honorary Class at Balkanfila 1981<\/em>. He was widely known for his remarkable library, which comprised more than 40,000 items. In 2010, he was awarded the HPS Medal for his many years of valuable contribution to the Olympic philatelic movement and for his tireless efforts around the world to achieve the recognition of the 1906 Intercalated Games.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Pandelis Drossos (1900-1996)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Founder of Greek aerophilately, a pioneer in the stamp trade, and a columnist in the foreign and Greek press for 75 years. He collaborated with the Michel<\/em> catalogue, Field\u2019s airmail catalogue, Meyer\u2019s work on disinfected mail, and Argyropoulos\u2019 study on the postmarks of the Ionian Islands. For his contribution, he rightly received dozens of honours and awards from philatelic societies and organisations, among them the HPS Medal in 1993 and the Walter R. McCoy Award of the American Philatelic Congress Book<\/em> in 1964 and 1967. He was fortunate to witness his own biography published during his lifetime in Linn\u2019s Weekly Stamp News<\/em> of 5.2.1962, as well as in the special edition The Ambassador of Greek Philately, Pandelis J. Drossos<\/em> (Munich 1973), both by prominent journalists.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Efstratios Faippeas (1914\u20131994)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A profound expert on the Large Hermes Heads<\/em>, he became known for the so-called \u201cFaippeas School\u201d, which emerged without any deliberate intention on his part. The \u201cSchool\u201d operated with remarkable regularity, every Wednesday and Sunday, throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and produced a large number of scholars. A member of the HPS Administrative Council from 1971, he succeeded Stephanos Macrymichalos as President and was proclaimed Honorary President in 1983. He authored numerous articles in Philotelia<\/em>, mainly devoted to the Large Hermes Heads. In recognition of his invaluable contribution, he was awarded the HPS Medal in 1986.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Rienk Feenstra (1920\u20132005)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A member of the Hellenic Philatelic Society of the Netherlands for 36 years, he served as its President for six years and was subsequently appointed Honorary President. He was an inexhaustible source of knowledge, with valuable written contributions to Hermes<\/em> magazine and significant educational activity in the country where he lived and worked. He authored the books Crete \u2013 Postal history, postage and revenue stamps, coins and banknotes<\/em> and Greece: A collection of forgeries<\/em>, as well as, together with A. C. Papaioannou, The Revenue Stamps of Crete 1575\u20131913<\/em>. He was awarded the Waller Medal of the Dutch Philatelic Federation, the Resistance Medal, and was made a Knight of the Order of Oranje-Nassau. The HPS honoured him with its Medal in 1989.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Mike Goddard (d. 2002)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One of the founding members of the Hellenic Philatelic Society of Great Britain, with multifaceted organisational activity and regular contributions to its journal, Bulletin<\/em>. He founded the Greek Airposts Society in 1968 and left a rich body of scholarly work on Greek philately, the most significant being his book The Airposts of Greece 1912\u20131991<\/em>. The Hellenic Philatelic Society honoured him with its Medal in 1996.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Panayotis Ioannidis (1933\u20132012)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A member of the Administrative Council of the Hellenic Philatelic Society from 1970 to 1993, he offered tireless service to the needs and activities of the Society. He was a serious researcher and collector, with a rich and varied body of written work. Among other contributions, he compiled the third, fourth, and partly the fifth volume of the Philotelia<\/em> indexes. His long-standing study of the Small Hermes Head brought him the joy of being affectionately called \u201cteacher\u201d by younger philatelists. In 1987, he was awarded the Macrymichalos Award for his article on the Small Hermes Head, and in 1999 for the one on the settings of the \u0395\u039b\u039b\u0397\u039d\u0399\u039a\u0397 \u0394\u0399\u039f\u0399\u039a\u0397\u03a3\u0399\u03a3 overprints. He also received the Binos Award in 1995 and the G. Trefonas Memorial Award in 2000. In 2002, the Hellenic Philatelic Society honoured him with its Medal.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Takis Karatzas (1943\u20132011)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He had a deep love for the stamps and postal history of the Cretan State. He published an innovative method for verifying the authenticity of errors on the Cretan stamps overprinted with the \u201csmall HELLAS\u201d, based mainly on their perforation. He catalogued, assimilated and utilised vast treasures of information. On the occasion of the centenary of the establishment of the Postal Service of the Cretan State, he published in Philotelia<\/em> an impressive chronicle of its history. He contributed to the revised edition of Feenstra\u2019s Crete,<\/em> particularly the chapter on the Cretan State, and authored several chapters of the Hellas<\/em> catalogue. He was awarded the Macrymihalos Award in 1996 for the stamps of the Cretan State, in 2000 for its postal history, and in 2006 for Greek perfins.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Stelios Kasimatis (d. 1992)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For several years, he was a member of the HPS Administrative Council, which he also served as Vice President. His collecting interests focused on the study of postal cancellations. For his work, The New Post Offices after 1900 \u2013 The Fifth-Type Cancellation<\/em>, he was awarded the Binos Award of the Hellenic Philatelic Federation in 1978. The results of his research were published in a number of articles in Philotelia<\/em>, dealing with the cancellations of the previously unknown pre-adhesive period.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Alexander Kotopoulis (1907\u20131990)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A pioneer of Maximaphily in Greece, he was among the founders and the first President of the Union of Greek Collectors of Maximum Cards in 1980. He compiled and published the first catalogue of Greek maximum cards. He participated in national and international exhibitions as an exhibitor or juror in the Maximaphily Class. Together with his wife Margarita, who succeeded him as President of the Union following his death, they formed a philatelic couple, unique by Greek standards. In 1985, he was honoured with the Medal of the Hellenic Philatelic Society.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Margarita Kotopouli (1922\u20132003)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Co-founder, President, Honorary President, and benefactor of the Association of Greek Maximum Card Collectors. A pioneer of Maximaphily in Greece and an international exhibitor with her collection Sites and Monuments which Contributed to Human Culture and History outside Europe until 1940<\/em>, which won twelve Gold Medals at major international exhibitions. She also made a decisive contribution to the organisation of philatelic exhibitions. In 2003, she was honoured with the Medal of the Hellenic Philatelic Society.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    George Kotsis (1925\u20132020)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He distinguished himself as a collector and researcher of the Large Hermes Heads, earning the National Grand Prix of the Honorary Class at EFE Hellas 1984<\/em> and a Gold Medal at Stockholmia 1986<\/em>. In later years, he developed a passion for the Greek pre-stamp period. At a time when the collectors\u2019 interest in this particularly fascinating phase of Greek postal history was limited, he succeeded in gathering and studying a vast amount of material, successfully exhibiting at national exhibitions in the 1990s. He was always pleasant and endowed with a fine sense of humour; a real gentleman.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Stephanos Macrymichalos (1902\u20131983)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He was a leading insurance broker and underwriter, and a man of letters holding a PhD in Law. He founded the journal Philotelia<\/em> in 1924 and was a co-founding member of the Hellenic Philatelic Society (HPS) in 1925. He served as President of the HPS for over 30 years and as President of the Hellenic Philatelic Federation for ten years. In his memory, the HPS established the Stephanos Macrymichalos Award for the best article of the year published in Philotelia<\/em>. In 2017, the Hellenic Post honoured him as one of six prominent Greek philatelists in a commemorative stamp set.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Prodromos Mellon (d. 2020)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He lived mainly in Istanbul, the place of his birth. He studied the stamps of the countries that were detached from the Ottoman Empire, such as Palestine, Greece and Bulgaria. He also studied the first three issues of England, the Ottoman Duloz, the Levant, and the postal history of the Greek presence in Asia Minor. Foreign scholars, such as Coles-Walker, required his assistance in completing their studies. For his works, The Turkish Post of Thessaloniki<\/em> and Contribution to the Postal History of the Dodecanese<\/em>, he was honoured with the Binos and Atzaritis Awards, respectively.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Andreas Mitakis (1935\u20132021)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He served as President of the Philatelic Society of Heraklion, Crete, during notable moments in its history, such as the Philatelic Exhibition of the Greek Islands 1987<\/em> and Hellas\u2013Cyprus \u201991<\/em>. He exhibited collections of Crete both in Greece and abroad, earning top awards. His articles were published in newspapers, magazines, and other publications related to philately and the wider field of history. Sociable and cheerful, in recent years he often recounted to younger collectors many delightful moments from his philatelic journey, emphasising that his true reward lay in the friendships he formed with Greek and foreign philatelists, as well as in the many wonderful journeys he experienced.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Sophocles Nikolaides (1904\u20131995)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Member of the HPS Administrative Council from 1956, Philotelia<\/em> Editor from 1967 to 1979, and compiler of the second and third volumes of its indexes. He played a substantial role on the organising committee of F\u0395GE \u201966, <\/em>with responsibility for foreign exhibitors. He was an outstanding scholar of state archives and a researcher of Postal History, with valuable articles published in Philotelia<\/em>. In 1984, he donated his Smyrna collection to the Philatelic and Postal Museum, on the condition that it be made available to researchers. He was awarded the HPS Medal in 1984.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Theodore Papaeliou (1931\u20132014)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A member of the HPS Administrative Council from 1974 to 2012, and President during the last fourteen years. He participated actively in all the internal and external activities of the HPS and chaired the Organising Committee of the Lavrion 2009<\/em> exhibition. His collecting interests included the stamps of Sweden and Austria, the UPU Centenary issue, as well as international reply coupons. He worked systematically on the Municipal and Rural Post, with collections that earned him high distinctions in national and international exhibitions. He was a devoted servant of the philatelic ideal, a true gentleman by nature, modest and of gentle manners, a gracious host to visitors at the Society\u2019s premises, with an immense and multifaceted contribution to the HPS. In 2012, the Society honoured him with its Medal in recognition of his diverse activity and overall contribution.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Angelos C. Papaioannou (1925\u20132015)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A distinguished figure in Greek philately, with two collections that were awarded Large Gold Medals at international exhibitions: The Small Hermes Head 1886\u20131900<\/em> and The Postal History of Crete.<\/em> A prolific writer, in addition to his extensive articles, he authored the books The Small Hermes Head,<\/em> The Double-Circle Classical Cancellations Type II, The Revenue Stamps of Crete 1875\u20131913<\/em> (in collaboration with Rienk Feenstra), The Development of Greek Communications \u2014 The Telegram,<\/em> and The Postage Stamps of Crete.<\/em> He served as President of the Hellenic Philatelic Federation from 1981 to 2004, as well as an international juror. The Belgian Philatelic Academy elected him as a member, while the Hellenic Philatelic Society honoured him in 2004 with its Medal for his lifelong contribution.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Simos Patakias (1943\u20131997)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A member of the HPS Administrative Council since 1976 and Vice President since 1994. He distinguished himself as a collector of Egypt postal stationery and, in particular, as a collector and pioneering exhibitor of Victorian-period Cyprus postage stamps, earning Large Vermeil medals at international exhibitions. He repeatedly served as national commissioner abroad, and in recent years, had been elected to the Board of the Hellenic Philatelic Federation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Vassilis Sekopoulos (1929\u20132019)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A philatelist from a very young age, he joined the Youth Section of the Hellenic Philatelic Society of Athens in August 1944. He took part in the organisation of the national exhibitions Efila \u201977, Athens \u201982, Kifissia \u201994<\/em> and Kifissia \u201998,<\/em> and chaired the Efila 2002<\/em> exhibition. In 2000, he was elected President of the Philatelists of Athens and contributed to the organisation of Olymphilex 2004<\/em>. He served for many years as a member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Philatelic Federation, which later proclaimed him an Honorary National Commissioner in recognition of his long service in international exhibitions.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    George Sparis (1946\u20132016)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A citizen of the world with multifaceted interests, a distinguished civil engineer and a passionate philatelist. He served continuously on the Board of the Hellenic Philatelic Society (HPS) from 2000 and as its President from 2012. With substantial contribution to the Society, strong leadership qualities and a practical mind, he chaired the Organising Committees of Philotelia 2005, Greece\u2013Cyprus 2013,<\/em> and the international Notos 2015<\/em> exhibition. At the same time, he was an active exhibitor with his multi-awarded exhibit The Commemorative Issue of the First Olympic Games, Athens 1896,<\/em> as well as with The Greco\u2013Turkish War of 1897<\/em> and By Sea<\/em>. His international exhibition activity also included his participation as a national commissioner. Alongside philately, he nurtured a deep love for the collectible Olympic movement.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Nia Stratou (d. 2002)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A distinguished personality, with extensive voluntary, charitable, and cultural activity, was awarded the Medal of Exceptional Acts and the Silver Cross of the Hellenic Red Cross. Together with her husband, Andreas Stratos, she donated the premises of the Philatelic and Postal Museum. A respected member of the philatelic community and an international exhibitor with her collection Postal History of the Aegean<\/em>, she served on the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Philatelic Federation and was its Honorary Vice-President. In 1984, she was honoured with the Medal of the Hellenic Philatelic Society, and in 1990 with the G. Trefonas Award.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Petros Tiberius (1926\u20132011)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Founding member of the Hellenic Philatelic Society of Germany, he organised its library and served as editor of the Rundbrief<\/em> journal. At the same time, he was also curator of the Philatelic Library of Frankfurt. In 1991, in Mainz, he organised the Greek Stamp Salon, while in 2001 he played a leading role in the organisation of an exhibition of Greek stamps at the Museum of Communications in Frankfurt. A passionate devotee of Greek postal history, he built an impressive collection spanning the period from the founding of the Greek state to the modern era. The fruit of his many years of research was the three-volume work Greece \u2013 Postal History 1821\u20132001, a precious repository of knowledge comprising 1,700 pages. He was awarded the Hellenic Philatelic Society Medal in 2007.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    George Trefonas (1926\u20131989)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A distinguished collector from Chicago, he focused primarily on the Large and Small Hermes Heads. He was the driving force behind the Hellenic Philatelic Society of Chicago and served as editor of its official publication, The Report.<\/em> He participated with outstanding success in international exhibitions, presenting the two classic Greek issues. With his Large Hermes Heads collection, he won the Champion of Champions title in the United States in 1979. In 1981, he was promoted to the Championship Class of the FIP, in which he participated in 1984 and 1985. In his honour, the Hellenic Philatelic Society of Chicago established the George P. Trefonas Memorial Award.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Michalis Tsipidis (1944\u20132020)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Intelligent and endowed with a natural sense of humour, he spent countless hours searching to discover new shade varieties, papers, printings, or overprints. In 1975, he collaborated with Alpha Stamps, later with Kalemkeris’ Macedonia Auctions, and from 1981 onwards with Andreas Zeis and Argyris Karamitsos. Beyond the A. Karamitsos auction catalogues, his principal achievement was the editing of the Hellas<\/em> catalogue, published biennially. The numbering and classifications of the catalogue, as well as his articles in Philotelia<\/em>, were the result of his many years of meticulous study. He was a national juror in the classes of Traditional Philately and Postal History, and a consistent exhibitor since the 1970s.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Michalis Tsironis (1932\u20132018)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A distinguished collector and one of the leading figures of the Olympic philatelic movement, he participated actively in philatelic life both in Greece and abroad. He served as President of the Athens 1896\u20131996<\/em> Organising Committee and of the Hellenic Philatelic Federation, was the founder and President of the Kifissia Philatelists\u2019 Association, an international juror and expert, and Chairman of the Jury at Olymphilex 2004<\/em>. His award-winning collections included the Large Hermes Heads, the 1896 and 1906 Olympics, the lithographic issues, the Post Offices in Asia Minor, and the Zeppelin flights. He was a prolific author in Greece and abroad, best known for his book The Olympic Issue of 1906<\/em>. He was honoured with around 300 medals and distinctions, including the HPS Medal in 2013.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Gerassimos Vlachos (1928\u20132017)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    His love for Cephalonia and the history of the Ionian Islands led him to study and collect their postal history. His exhibit Postal History of the Ionian Islands 1428\u20131864 <\/em>was awarded a Gold Medal at Stamp Show 2000<\/em> and Notos 2015<\/em>. After extensive research in archives of the Ionian Islands and abroad, he brought to light, through presentations at historical conferences, previously unknown information about Ionian maritime activity. His research culminated in the publication of the book Shipping in the Septinsular Republic (1800\u20131807) and the 400 Ships of Kapodistrias<\/em>. A gentleman of great kindness, he honoured the Board of the Hellenic Philatelic Federation with his presence for two years and received the Macrymichalos Award in 1997 and 1998.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Orestes Vlastos (1920\u20131996)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A pioneering publisher of modern stamp catalogues of Greece and Cyprus, and an organiser of philatelic auctions from as early as the 1960s. He established an international reputation as a successful publisher and scholar, an honourable dealer, and an acknowledged expert. He published the impressive trilingual work Comparisons of Greek Postage Stamps 1861\u20131923<\/em>, which received enthusiastic reviews in Greece and abroad. A constant supporter of organised philately, he was a co-organiser of the exhibition EFILA \u201977<\/em> and a sponsor and active supporter of every philatelic initiative. He served as Honorary President of the Association of Stamp Dealers of Greece and was awarded the HPS Medal in 1993.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Nikos Wasdekis (d. 1994)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Passionate about philately, he abandoned Medicine to devote himself entirely to the field. He specialised in the first Greek issues, classic cancellations, Zeppelin flights, the postal history of Thessaly and Thessaloniki, and Resistance issues. His Large Hermes Heads<\/em> exhibit won three Large Gold Medals at international exhibitions, and in 1978 he was promoted to the FIP Championship Class. He served as a judge in Greece and abroad and represented the country at international conferences. Through his extensive written work, he honoured all Greek philatelic journals without exception.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Xenofon Yataganas (1948\u20132023)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A distinguished individual and an internationally recognised scholar of Law, as well as a rare example of a third-generation Greek philatelist. A profound connoisseur of the Large Hermes Head \u2014 and owner of one of the coveted Solferinos \u2014 he was also a collector of later issues of Greece and the New Territories, with particular emphasis on their varieties. Having almost completed his collections covering the wider Hellenic area, in later years, he devoted himself with passion to collecting stamps of the British Commonwealth.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    George Zachariades (d. 1986)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    His collection of the Large Hermes Heads was the most important of the twentieth century. He had acquired five of the thirteen known Solferinos, including the one recorded on cover and the one on fragment. Michael Tseriotis wrote (The Collection (I),<\/em> Feldman Galleries, 2002): \u201cHe was a passionate connoisseur of the Large Hermes Heads. His ultimate goal was to gather all unique items, together with any other rarity or exquisite quality piece that would comply with his high standards. He spared no money in order to achieve this, and the final results were well justified.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Neoklis Zafeirakopoulos (1945\u20132020)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A member of the HPS Administrative Council for 32 years, possessing an exceptional breadth of philatelic knowledge and remaining steadfast in defending the true spirit of philately. Since 1998, he has served as an international juror in Postal Stationery and Postal History, and as a national juror in Aerophilately. He prepared exhibits on Albania, Bulgaria, and the Serbs in Greece (Gold Medal at Budapest 1996), Greek postal stationery, air connections with Greece, and foreign stationery used in Greece. He has received the Makrymihalos Award in 1992 and 2007 and was honoured with the HPS Medal in 2017 for his valuable long-term service to the Hellenic Philatelic Society, his publications, and his contribution to the advancement of postal history.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Dimitris Zafeiriou (1919\u20132010)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He devoted himself to the study of Ionian postal history and authored the monumental work Postal History of the Ionian Islands 1386\u20131864.<\/em> The wealth of information, its critical analysis, as well as the structure and presentation of the work, made it a vade mecum for collectors and researchers of the communications history of the Ionian Islands alike. The work was honoured with the Academy of Athens Award. He conceived and promoted local meetings of collectors of Ionian postal history. On his initiative, an exhibition was held in Corfu in 2003 to mark the 200th anniversary of the Posta Settinsulare. Gracious, humorous, approachable, and always willing to share his knowledge.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Andreas Zeis (1929\u20132012)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A meticulous researcher of the Greek stamp, from the Large Hermes Head to the issues of the New Territories. He apprenticed with important post-war philatelic figures such as Spanos, Smyrloglou, Golemis and others. Through the information he gathered, he acquired remarkable expertise in distinguishing genuine stamps from forgeries. In 1985, together with Michalis Tsipidis and Argyris Karamitsos, he founded the Salonica Auctions<\/em>. In recognition of his integrity, he was frequently appointed president or advisor of the jury at many national exhibitions. He was an expert\u2014almost irreplaceable\u2014with a rare breadth of knowledge, who combined modesty, courtesy and honesty. In 2008, he was honoured with the Hellenic Philatelic Society Medal.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Nikos Zervoyiannis (1909\u20131999)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Born in Fourni, Mirabello, Crete, he served as President of the Philatelic Society of Agios Nikolaos. He authored two bilingual studies (in Greek and French), The Foreign Post Offices in Crete<\/em> and The Stamps of the Cretan State<\/em>, which were first published in Philotelia<\/em> and later reissued as offprints in the HPS Philatelic Library series. He received notable distinctions at national and international philatelic exhibitions for his exhibits on Crete. Beyond philately, he developed multifaceted social, cultural and literary activity.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Gerasimos Zisimatos (1920\u20132009)<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A founding member of the Philatelic Society of the Dodecanese and, later, its Honorary President. The “grandfather” was a systematic collector and scholar of the stamps and postal history of the Dodecanese. He preserved important archives from the Ottoman and Italian periods, offering invaluable material for the study of revenue stamps. His exhibit, Postal History of the Dodecanese<\/em>, received numerous distinctions, most notably the Grand Prix of Honourary Class at Balkanfila 1989. In 1984, he authored the book The Postal History of Rhodes (1309\u20131984)<\/em>, a timeless reference work for researchers. In 1999, he was awarded the Hellenic Philatelic Society Medal.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    The texts were compiled from information published in Philotelia<\/em> and in the Dictionary of Greek Philatelists<\/em> by P. Cangelaris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The HPS pays tribute to eminent personalities who left a lasting mark on Greek philately. Manos Anagnostou (1935\u20132024) A beloved friend, with a deep interest in the metaphysical contemplation of …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-305","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hps.gr\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hps.gr\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hps.gr\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hps.gr\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hps.gr\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=305"}],"version-history":[{"count":116,"href":"https:\/\/hps.gr\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/305\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1576,"href":"https:\/\/hps.gr\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/305\/revisions\/1576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hps.gr\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}