Thursday, September 22, 2016

1945 SARAJEVO, Cancelled stamps

Sarajevo provisional stamps have been sold on a single post office in Sarajevo from 4th to 6th of July, 1945. Therefore, it is not surprising that cancelled stamps are extremely rare - less than ten have been recorded, including three affixed to the only known letter and two affixed to the only known letter fragment. 

1945 Sarajevo local provisional issue, a fragment of a registered letter, sent from Sarajevo (9.VII.45), franked with 6 din (2 din for letter and 4 din for registration). The only known letter fragment. Certificate Vilfan.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

1945 SPLIT, Military mail from Lika

Split issue was intended only for the area of Dalmatia. Letters and stationery cards from other areas are rare and valuable. There are known some examples of postage items used in southern Lika (Gospić, Otočac and Grašac) as well as some very rare items sent by the military mail.

1945 Split local provisional issue, stationery of type St.2IIa, sent by the military mail of 6th Lika Division from Otočac (9.VI.45) to Osijek. Military censor cancellation in Cyrillic. Only two such items are recorded. 

Monday, September 12, 2016

1945 SPLIT, Transadriatic mail

Transadriatic mail was established in 1944 and continued in 1945. The majority of shipments were sent by military persons, who were exempt from postage. Therefore, it is preserved more letters without stamps as those with stamps. Especially rare are private letters with full postage.

1945 Split local provisional issue, Transadriatic registered letter, properly franked with 50 kn (20kn for letter and 30kn for registration), sent from Split (30.III.45) to Bari. 

The backside of the letter with the ATC censors cancellation No. 602 and label "Examined by Allied Transadriatic Censorship".

Saturday, September 10, 2016

1941 MEĐIMURJE, The famous Easter card

At the beginning of the April war in 1941, immediately after the withdrawal of the Yugoslav Royal Army and before the occupation of the Hungarians, a group of Croatian patriots produced the first Croatian WWII local issue. Printing was done with remaining Yugoslav "King Petar" stamps by the "Kraljek & Vezić" printing house in Čakovec between 12th and 15th of April, 1941.

Stamps of this issue were never sold at the post offices nor were they officially recognized. The German army did not allow any postal traffic until the Hungarians occupied Međimurje and reopened postal service on April 21st, 1941. However, it is known that about 20 letters were actually sent from the post office in Varaždin and delivered to addresses in Zagreb as well as locally.

The Easter greeting card shown below is a unique postal item that was actually sent from the post office in Čakovec. From the message on the postcard is obvious that it was written by the owners of the “Kraljek & Vezić" printing house on April 8th, just before the proclamation of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) and before stamps were overprinted.

The postcard was overprinted on top of the previously affixed stamp and mailed through Hungarian postal authorities on April 21th. The stamp was not recognized but postage due was not charged.

1941 Međimurje, unofficial local provisional issue, unique Easter card with the overprint on the previously affixed stamp, sent from Čakovec(21.IV.1941) to Zagreb. Certificates Ercegović & Vilfan.

Friday, September 2, 2016

1943 MONTENEGRO, Nationaler

In September 1943, after the capitulation of Italy, Germans took over the Montenegro. In November 1943 they overprinted Italian occupation stamps with the inscription: Nationaler / Verwaltungsausschuss / 10.XI.1943. This issue is known as "Nationaler".

10 Lire stamp is one of the most expensive items of the Yugoslav philatelic area!

1943 German occupation, regular and air mail issues, "Nationaler". Certificate Brunel.