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In Greece, adhesive bands on the package were used for tax purposes, they were cancelled with a stamp. There were also packs that had a stamp instead of the band.

This is an example which is supposed to be from around 1935. The text is something like 'Greek Playing-card Administration' and 'Class 4'. The cancellation is in black.

This is an example which is supposed to be from between 1923 and 1935. A part in the middle is missing. The text is the same as before, but this is for 'Klasis 5'. The cancellation is in black again.

This is an example from before 1973, when the royal coat-of-arms shown on the stamp was abolished (together with the kingdom). The text is 'Greek playing-card monopoly' (in Greek). The cancellation is in red.

This is a similar band. It is from after 1975, when the coat-of-arms shown on the stamp was introduced. A part on the left side is missing. The cancellation is in blue.

This is another example from between 1975 and 1980. It has the same design as the two before.

I am not sure whether this is really a tax stamp. In any case it is a stamp used by the Greek playing-card monopoly. In the beginning the 'Klasis' (class, quality) was determined by a number, see the first two examples above. For the later bands I have learnt that the colour of the bands has to do with their quality again and related to that the tax value: brown bands were used for Klasis E and E', green bands for Klasis A and B. It is yet unknown whether there were cards of Klasis C or D - let me know if you have such a pack.

Playing-card taxes were abandoned in Greece in 1980.

In 1913, Greece was granted a part of Macedonia, and it was called 'New Territories' until 1935. A special stamp for playing-cards was used there.

The text is 'Hellas' and 'New Territories', both in Greek letters. (scanned by Pascal Pette)