1943/44 ŠIBENIK, triple mixed franking

At that time, the following postal tariffs were in force: 2 kn for the postcard, 3,5 kn for the letter, 9 kn for registration and 10 kn for the express delivery. Note that since there was a lack of lower values, tolerance up to the +/- 1 kn was tolerated as correct franking. The exchange rate for Šibenik I was 1 lire = 4 kn. Proper use of war tax surcharge for letters was: 2 kn before 15.06.1944 and 10 kn after that.

Letters, properly franked with all three issues, Šibenik I, Šibenik II and NDH definitives are very rare. 

1943/44 Šibenik local provisional issue, registered letter, properly franked with 12,8 kn (1,2 * 4 = 4,8 kn of Šibenik I, 3,5 * 2 = 7 kn of Šibenik II and 1 kn of NDH definitive), charged with 10 kn war tax, sent from Šibenik (26.VIII.44) to Split (31.VIII.44). Returned from Split (2.IX.44) due to the death of the recipient. Certificate Zrinjšćak.

1945 MARIBOR, Forgeries

Recently, there are a lot of fakes on the market, especially with various specialties like inverted or double overprints. Below are the two most common types of forgeries...

Genuine overprint

Sharp edges and homogeneous structure of color are the most important features of the genuine overprint.

Forgery A
The wavy line in the middle is not thinner. Upper curvature of the letter S in Yugoslavia is more angular and facing down. 

Dotted structure shows that this forgery was the most likely made with a conventional laser printer.

Forgery B

Star between 9 and 5 is like a rounded stain. L in Yugoslavia is not perpendicular and facing down. Both A in Yugoslavia are without a dot. 

The edges of the overprint are not sharp enough and sometimes color spills out. This is typical for a rubber clichés.

1941 MEĐIMURJE, Forgeries

Forgeries of overprints exist, but they are very amateur and can be easily distinguished from the genuine. Much more dangerous are forgeries of postal items where both, the overprint and the cancellation are genuine, but a postal item as a whole is a fake.

A fragment of a letter, franked with 2 din, cancelled with Čakovec 3, 12.IV.41. Private product / forgery. After the Yugoslav army withdrew and when the post office in Čakovec was closed someone stole and misused the canceller. Hence, all letters postmarked at Čakovec on 12.IV.41 or later are fakes.

Letter, franked with 0,50 din, cancelled with Bjelovar 3, 31.IX.41. Canceller Bjelovar 3 is in the private hands and there is no evidence at all that these stamps have been used in Bjelovar.

In addition, forger used a nonexistent day 31st of September :(.

1945 SPLIT, Censored in transit

Recently I wrote that shipments were usually censored at the place of dispatch and, more rarely, at the place of receipt. Of course, there is also a third option if shipment is censored in transit...

1945 Split local provisional issue, picture postcard sent from Zadar (written 29.V.45) to Split, free of charge as the sender was a military person. Censored in transit with civil censor cancellation No. 13 (Knin).

Philatelic seminar "Domašinec 2017"

Today I spent a nice day in Domašinec where philatelic society "Zrinski" organized the sixth philatelic seminar called "Domašinec 2017".

Nenad Rogina, president of the Croatian Federation of Philatelists, lectures on Međimurje and Prekmurje issues in 1918/1919.

Barac & Pervan Auction

Today I was in Zagreb at the Barac & Pervan auction. For me this is already a traditional December trip to Zagreb, where I cannot only compete for high quality lots, but also meet and discuss with colleagues from all over the Europe. It is always worth to come...

Barac & Pervan auction hall.