The issue - general introduction

As written in the historic introduction, the Modena Duchy too got reunited to the Sardinia Kingdom.
So, the postage stamps too must be changed to eliminate any remaining of the past dominion. At the beginning the Sardinian stamps were supposed to take the place of the Duchy ones starting September 1st 1859.The quantity delivered from Turin were nevertheless insufficient to cover the forecasted needs. Other pieces were asked that did not arrive. For this reason and may be for other not so clear of politic nature and convenience, the decision was to issue a special set with the same values of the Sardinian issue. But because the confusion is a peculiarity of the italic character, in some territory of the Modena land beyond the Appennini mountains, the Sardinia stamps were put on the market... At the same time the goldsmith and engraver Carlo Setti was given the responsibility to implement the stereotypes of the new provisional issue.
Setti completed his work. I show for curiosity here the final engraver invoice (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1: the invoice of the engraver Carlo Setti
(from "I francobolli del Ducato di Modena", di E. Diena, 1894)

The stamps representing the Sardinia coat of arms, were printed by the Carlo Vincenzi typography from Modena, who provided also the paper, machine made, very thin (often almost transparent) and not watermarked. Once again I leave to the expert words of Emilio Diena the stamp description: "It measures 19,5 x 22 mm. The Savoy coat of arms, surrounded by the SS Annunziata collar with on top the royal crown and contained between an oak and a laurel shoot, is inserted in a rectangle, carrying to the left "PROVINCIE", to the right "MODONESI", on top "FRANCO BOLLO", in small capital characters. As for the Duchy stamps, at bottom a space was left between two small corner ornaments, where small non capital characters were supposed to be inserted for the definition of the value; these were kept in place by a line below that completes the rectangle".
These are the values that compose the issue:

To be noticed the 15 centesimi value that was prepared despite the fee change from 15 to 20 centesimi; for this reason its great rarity as used (always together to other values); its second printing run was not even distributed. A value of 10 centesimi was foreseen too, later on not made (probably the 15 centesimi was done exactly at its place).
Two typographic printing compositions were made with 120 samples, disposed in 4 groups of 30 pieces (6x5). As for the Duchy issue in this set too there was an inter-space that separates the groups. It's about 1 mm wide and does not present internal lines (Fig. 2). With the first composition were printed the 5, 20 (first issue) and the 80 centesimi, while with the second one the 15, 20 (second issue) and the 40 centesimi.

Fig. 2: the center of the sheet of 240 samples
(from "Modena - francobolli ed annullamenti", P. Vaccari editore, 1985)

The printing, not really of great quality, created several missing parts on drawings and on the values of the lower label that presents itself often with characters partially if not completely missing or deformed, missing dots etc.. True mistakes of typographic composition too are not missing. Always in the lower labels, even if in less quantity respect the Duchy issue.

From February 1860 in the mean time the Sardinia stamps were distributed. The Provisional Government pieces usage continued until the February end, giving birth to interesting mixed combinations.
Between the varieties to be outlined, some rare double printing. Of all the value 120,000 pieces were printed (for the 15c. this quantity is for 1st and 2nd issue together).