1944 SENTA, rare errors on the rare cover

I have a very nice Senta cover with two rare errors...

1944 Senta local provisional issue, cover, properly franked with 100 f, sent registered from Senta (26.X.1944) to Subotica. Certificate Velićković.

Inverted black overprint on the top stamp in a vertical pair of 4 f and “Југосливиjа” instead of “Југославиjа” on the upper right stamp in a block of four of 5 f.

Croatia special catalogue

Probably the most complete catalogue for Croatia (I checked the WWII period!) with varieties and prices for items not seen elsewhere.

Michel, Kroatien Spezial Katalog

1944 SENTA, pair with one inverted overprint

Vertical pair with one inverted overprint may occurr due to the row by row overprint process. It is known that the cliché of five-pointed stars was handmade so that the stars are cut by hand from linoleum strip. They cut out ten stars in one horizontal strip. Overprints were done row by row, all five rows until complete half-sheet of 50 was overprinted. There were two phases: first five-pointed star in red and then, on top of it, text in black color.

Inverted black overprint on upper stamp - position 10, normal black overprint on lower stamp - position 1. Both red overprints at position 1. Certificate Velićković.

Inverted black overprint on lower stamp - position 1, normal black overprint on upper stamp - position 10. Both red overprints at position 10 (from Jay T. Carrigan exhibit).

Scheme of half-sheet of 4f with one inverted black overprint row. Blue rectangles shows position of both pairs. Note that due to the vertical pairs that I have seen, inverted overprint could be at second, third or fourth row.

1944 SENTA, "big Senta" on cover

Stamps Mi. I-XIV and PI-III, also known as "big Senta" were overprinted in a very low print run (50 of each). They used them for the commemorative cardboards (16 complete sets) and as gifts for the military commanders and other local notable people. For postage usage only stamps from "small Senta" have been used.

I have a cover with mixed values from "small" and "big Senta". An extreme rarity, no other use of "big Senta" stamps on covers is known to me!

1944 Senta local provisional issue, cover, sent registered from Senta (21.X.1944) by local merchant to the Liberation Committee in Subotica. Mixed values, 30 f without red overprint. Signed Tubinović.

Back side.

"Big Senta" stamps on cover. Additional, missing red overprint on 30 f.

1944 SENTA, yet another set of Senta

I am not sure why, but Senta is my favorite YU provisional issue. This is my second complete set...

1944 Senta local provisional issue, Mi. 1-10, I-XIV, P1, PI-III, Complete set MNH, VF. Signed Verner and Bar. Certificate Krstić.

1945 ZAGREB, paper fold

Pre-printing paper folds are not so common on WWII Croatia Landscape stamps.

1945 Zagreb local provisional issue, 40 kn / 1 kn, nice paper folds.

Paper fold on base stamp did not affect to the overprint layer. 

1948 DERVENTA, Parcel receipt notice

Banja Luka postal stationery were used only as parcel receipt notice. Due to the lack of postal vehicles, packages were not delivered to the houses. Instead, a notice was sent to the package recipient.

Used only in Derventa between February and March of 1948. Very rare, less than 20 remains.

Derventa parcel receipt notice from 20.II.1948 send to the village Lužani. The package was picked up by recipient on 23.II.1948. Certificate Ercegović. 

1942 NDH, Red Cross

Complete set and surcharge stamp on the signed commemorative sheet with both, black and red first day cancellation.

1942 NDH, Red Cross, Mi 86-90 and Mi Z1. Numbered commemorative sheet - No. 38 / 500.

1945 MOSTAR, mouse perforation

Stamps with the so-called "mouse perforation" have been caused by loose blades on the machine for perforation.

1945 Mostar local provisional issue, 30 kn / 3.50 kn, inverted overprint and vertical mouse perforation. Nice combination, unique or very rare! Certificate Vilfan.

Vertical mouse perforation with partially rounded perf edges.

1945 MOSTAR, overprint shift

Shifts larger than 1 cm may result in some interesting overprint combinations and effects.

1945 Mostar local provisional issue, 50 kn / 10 kn block of six with 8 clichés 19,20/29,30/39,40/49,50 - upper and lower clichés only partially (Demokrntska error on lower left stamp). Large vertical overprint shift - effect like text above, star below.

1945 SARAJEVO, overprint position

The goal of the “analysis” was to determine the overprint position of my Sarajevo set in blocks of four. At the end, I found out that my blocks belong to the position 39,40,49,50. You can read more here!

An example of typical error position verification. 

I would like to thank Mr. Mladen Vilfan for some useful tips.

Storia postale di Zara

Nice book written by Gabbini, covers the entire postal history of Zara (Zadar). The most interesting section for me is L'Occupazione Tedesca (1943-1944).

Storia postale di Zara, Emanuele M. Gabbini, 1995.

1945 SARAJEVO, overprint on the back

Overprint penetrated on the back is known only for 2 din/1 kn and 12 din/5 kn.

1945 Sarajevo local provisional issue, pair with nice overprint on the back.
Both type II and with large vertical shift.

1943 ZARA, forgeries 2

Genuine Type I and II with forgeries covering Michel 21-22. Again, for high-resolution version check this StampBoards forum thread (scroll down).

DBZ forgeries covering Michel 21-22.

1944 Ravna Gora

Due to the reorganization of the postal service in the Chetnik liberated territories as well as for propaganda purposes a set of postage stamps was issued in January 1944. Stamps were dedicated to genaral Draža Mihailović and Ravna Gora (Flat hill) movement founded in 1941.

1944 Ravna Gora - Chetnik issue

1943 ZARA, forgeries

I got pictures of DBZ forgeries. For high-resolution version check this StampBoards forum thread (scroll down).

DBZ forgeries covering Michel 1-20.

1945 SARAJEVO, overprint

There is not much known about overprint process, how many plates they had, what are the positions of some overprint characteristics, etc. Generally, we know that two types of overprints exists: type I with normal coat of arms and type II with broken coat of arms. Type I is rarer!

After a quick analysis of my blocks I found that all belongs to the same positions on sheet. All blocks have both types, good and damaged star as well as other overprint characteristics shown below.

1 din / 2 kn

Overprint mask. At lower left is type I, others are type II.

Overprint characteristics.

1A Broken coat of arms
2A Broken coat of arms
2B Damaged star
3A Normal coat of arms
3B Smudge
4A Broken coat of arms
4B Damaged star
4C Missing point