HNY 2020

Dear Visitor,

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Aleš

1944/45 Serbia, Postcard to Bulgaria

Exceptionally rare use of this issue on foreign mail...

1944/45 provisional issue for Serbia, photo used as a postcard, franked with 5 occupation Din (first tariff period), sent from Belgrade (10.II.45) to Yambol (ЯМБОЛЬ) Bulgaria (17.II.45), censored by the military censor in Belgrade. Mail to Bulgaria was charged at domestic tariff. Exceptionally rare use of this issue on foreign mail.

Barac&Pervan 54th auction

Today in Zagreb... Another quality auction with good results shows a positive trend in philately on the territory of ex Yugoslavia. 

The auction hall was too small for everyone.

Verband Philatelistischer Prüfer e.V.

I became a member of Verband Philatelistischer Prüfer e.V. for the provisional issues of Democratic Federal Yugoslavia (Cetinje, Ljubljana, Maribor, Mostar, Murska Sobota, Sarajevo, Senta, Split, Zagreb) and local issues of the Independent State of Croatia (Banja Luka, Dalmatia, Međimurje, Šibenik I & II).

https://www.vpev.de

https://www.facebook.com/verbandspruefer

1945 SPLIT, Postage due

This letter is one of the great rarities...

1945 Split provisional issue, letter sent from Banja Luka to Šibenik (19.V.45), non-franked, censored in Split (CENZURA Br. 3). On arrival marked with T cachet and charged 40kn postage due. Canceled with the old SHS Šibenik C canceller. This is the only known example of using 1945 Split provisional stamps for postage due. Certificate Vilfan.

Labor camp Lambrate

Vinceremo (we win) stationery sent on the day of the Italian capitulation...

15 cent Vinceremo stationery, sent from Monfalkone / Tržič (8.9.1943) to 214th labor camp for civilian internees in Lambrate near Milano, censored by province censorship. The stationery could not be delivered (IMPOSSIBILE RECAPITO), so it was returned to the sender (AL MITTENTE).

1945 MARIBOR, forgery

The following fraudulent postcard was recently sold at one of the auctions...

A picture postcard of Škrlatica with two red stamps of mountain lodges in Slovenia, addressed to a private person in Marburg an der Drau, franked with 6 pf from Maribor provisional issue, cancelled 14.V.45 with Vlasenica canceller. Forgery / fraudulent item!

So, what is wrong with it (you can stop reading after No. 1):

1. Maribor provisional issue was issued on 15.06.1945. Therefore, it could not be used one month earlier :)
2. The postcard was to be sent from Vlasenica, the east of Bosnia. Highly unlikely!
3. The German name for Maribor was used. It was doubtful for the period after the liberation.
4. Also, all postal traffic for private shipments in Slovenia was suspended from 12.05.1945 to 8.6.1945, so such mail could not be delivered. All mail delivered after 8.6.1945 was censored.

NDH-Philately Group

Update: It is been two weeks since we are hosting at https://groups.io/g/NDH-Philately. In the meantime, we have gained six new members, bringing the total number of members to over 100. Increasing member activity is also a positive sign for the future of this group...

===

If you are an NDH collector then you should know for the NDH study group set up by Mr. Phil Hughes back in 2005. So far, the group has been hosted at Yahoo, but due to a coming shutdown of some Yahoo services, the group has got a new home: https://groups.io/g/NDH-Philately.

If you are not a member, I suggest applying for membership. The procedure is easy and membership is free. Just open the page, click on the blue button and follow the instructions...

A new home for NDH-Philately Group.

1944 SENTA, eBay forgeries

Now on sale... Just in case if you saw on eBay and not sure...

• overprint = fake
• NOO canceller = fake
• Tubinović's sign = fake

1944 Senta forgeries on eBay.

1941 NDH, "Jubilarka" stationery

I have never seen or heard before - a trial print of "jubilarka" stationery... 

1941 Independent State of Croatia, Armed Forces Special Issue, known as "jubilarka", trial print on young King Peter II stationery. From A.F.Kugel collection.

Overprint enlarged.

Comments:

A.F.Kugel: ... a test printing was also made in black on a few 1 dinar postal cards in the young King Peter II design. However, in the end, they were not authorized to be issued.

P.J.Hughes (NDH expert):  ... I remember overlaying a genuine black overprint with this stationery and they match perfectly, so I am of the opinion that it is likely genuine. This may be the only card like this, or there may be one or two others, but I have not seen any others.  ...  The overprint may be from a separate cliche as it has none of the flaws that can be found on the overprinted stamps. It is consistent with the "proof" black overprints that are on the market in blocks on kunstdruck paper, or on the 4 Din stamp. A few of these have flaws, but there are only a few flaws as the plate used for the proofs was very new and did not have time to develop the flaws that show up later on the regular printing.

Casa Penale Capodistria

Italian prisons served also as temporary detention of the interned before being transferred to a concentration camp...

Registered letter sent from Zwischenwässern - Medvode (11.8.43) to Casa Penale Capodistria - Koper, franked with 42pf, returned back to Zwischenwässern (23.9.43). Censored by Germans.

Sindelfingen stamp fair

I spent a nice day looking for treasures and meeting new colleagues...

2019 Sindelfingen stamp fair.

At the Association of Philatelic Examiners eV. exhibition corner. 

@verbandspruefer homepage and facebook.

1945 CETINJE, Double overprint

Only one sheet of 20 Lire / 2 Lire was double overprinted. Since the layout of a sheet was 5x4, only 20 stamps could exist with this variety. The most famous of them is the one from position 2 having typical error D instead of A.

1945 Cetinje local provisional issue, 20/2 Lire, block of four with double overprint. Positions 1-2/6-7. Stamp at position 2 with typical error D instead of A (Демократскд instead of Демократска). Unique item! Certificate Veličković.

1944 SENTA, 75th Anniversary

Today (20.10.2019) is the 75th anniversary of the Senta local issue. On 18.10.1944 the Senta Liberation Committee decided that the Hungarian postage stamps should be overprinted with symbols of the new communist regime. 

18.10.1944, Senta Liberation Committee document (from Senta city archive)

..."in the middle red star at it hammer and sickle in black and with inscription Senta, 8-X-1944”...

The following day, the president of the Local Liberation Committee, comrade Isa Nešić, issued an order to overprint stamps. Interestingly, the instructions about overprint content changed. Probably due to the technical difficulties were not being able to provide such details like the hammer and a sickle.

19.10.1944, Order with final instructions for the overprint.

..."on the upper part the inscription 8.X.1944 at the bottom edge the inscription Jugoslavia in black color and a five-pointed star in red in the middle"...

On 20.10.1944, 28 different stamps were overprinted. 

1944 Senta local provisional issue, Mi. 1-10, I-XIV, P1, PI-III. Max 34 complets exist.

 

A pair of commemorative sheets with all 28 stamps. Only 16 issued.

1941 MEĐIMURJE, 30 din block of 4

1941 Međimurje issue was prepared with several print stages. The item below is from the second printing where blocks of four were overprinted with the form of 2x2 clichés using all four subtypes of coat-of-arms together. For the detailed classification of overprints see my article in Acta Philatelica 2018.

1941 Međimurje, local issue, 30 din in the block of four.
Only this block of four is known.

For a complete article order:

ACTA PHILATELICA NOVA 2018

Croatian philatelic almanac

Independent State of Croatia

Međimurje local issue 1941

Chapters:

Introduction

Catalogue Listing

Overprint

Coat - of - arms

First Overprinting Phase

Second Overprinting Phase

Third Overprinting Phase

Additional Overprinting

Overprinted Stationery Postcard

Determining Overprint Types, Subtypes and Variants

Overprint Forgeries

Overprint Errors

Postal Use of Overprinted Stamps

Forgeries of Postal Use

Valuation of the Issue

Conclusion

To order find on eBay or contact me at alesmarinsek67@gmail.com

Concentration camp Corropoli

Concentration camp Corropoli (province Teramo) operated from January 1941 to May 1944. The maximum capacity was 150 internees, mostly Slavic and Italian communists as well as Jews.

Letter sent from Corropoli - province Teramo (27.6.42) to Lubljana, free of charge as internee mail, censor mark 15. Very interesting content where the son asks his mother not to write to him in Slovene because the censorship makes the delivery of the mail very late.

1945 Split, Very late use

Another special and unique item, a real postal curiosity - stationery used two years after the official withdraw...

1945 Split provisional issue, stationery of type St2 IIa, sent from Split (9.7.47) to Zagreb. The postman applied a T mark and wrote in blue pencil: "nedopusteno" ("unallowed") and "natrag Split" ("return Split"). Stationery has returned to Split 13.VII.45 when the postmen wrote: "Pošiljatelj nepoznat" ("Sender unknown"). Very late use.

Poorly visible inscription "Pošiljatelj nepoznat" ("Sender unknown").

PhilAdria 22th Stamp auction

It is always enjoyable to attend a philatelic auction in Ljubljana. To buy some nice items and to face philatelic friends...

PhilAdria auction hall.

Partisan mail in Split

The Independent State of Croatia had power in Split until October 26, 1944. Before that, the partisan mail was carried by couriers - mostly women members of the national liberation movement. To protect the recipients, all letters were reviewed and anonymized. They used a numbered list of recipients so that in the case of seizure nobody could know to whom it was sent. Very few items are preserved...

 

Partisan mail, letter sent from island Vis (written 21.VIII.44) to Split (25.IX.44), censored at departure in Vis with two-line censorship cancel POŠTA VIS/CENZURISANO and at arrival in Split by the City Liberation Committee. The name and address of the recipient were repainted and replaced with the number 275. 

With the help of computer image processing, we can extract hidden content...

Disclosed addressee and address.

Concentration camp Aprica

In the town of Aprica (province Sondrio) was a small concentration camp where the Yugoslav Jews were deported. The camp is known for the great escape when more than 200 internees fled to Switzerland in the fall of 1943. Mail from this camp is very rare.

Picture postcard of Aprica, sent from Sondrio (12.5.43) to Nova vas (Lubiana), free of charge as internee mail, censored in Sondrio with Police headquarters censor mark.

1945 Transadriatic mail from Belgrade

Most of the transadriatic mail I have seen so far is mail between places in Dalmatia (mostly Split and Vis) and Bari or Lecce in Italy. Mail from other places is very rare ...

Letter sent from Belgrade to Bari, most likely in the spring of 1945, censored on departure in Belgrade by the military censor A and at arrival by the Allied Military Censorship 0106.

1941 MEĐIMURJE, Hrvatska država forgeries

The "Hrvatska država" variety exists only on values 0.25 Din, 0.50 Din, 1 Din, 1.50 Din and 3 Din. So, you have to be careful when you see something like this...

Forgeries "Hrvatska država" on 5 Din and 12 Din. 

Both forgeries were sold on eBay. 

The forgeries are of good quality, but still easily distinguishable from the originals. For anyone in doubt, I recommend checking the list of other items from the seller - in this case, it is clear that this is a mass sale of overprinted fakes. Finally, the seller himself explains in the item description that overprint is "probably" not the original :)

• TIMBRE ISSU D'UNE COLLECTION DÉDIÉE A LA SECONDE GUERRE MONDIALE : LES OCCUPATIONS ALLEMANDES EN EUROPE JE NE SUIS PAS EXPERT ET JE PENSE QUE LA SURCHARGE EST NON ORIGINALE, TIMBRE VENDU AINSI. 1 DOLLARD DE PRIX DE DÉPART SYMBOLIQUE. MERCI DE BIEN REGARDER LES PHOTOS

1945 Split, Bad first date stationery

Split provisional issue was released in three stages:

1. on 1.3.1945 - No. 1 to No. 9
2. on 7.3.1945 - No. 11 and No.13 to No. 17
3. on 21.3.1945 - No. 10 and No.12

So, you have to be careful when you see something like this...

Split stationery. Price 800 Eur.

1945 Split provisional issue, philatelic stationery, cancelled to order with Komiža 1.III.45. Both marked stamps were issued on 7.3.1945 hence they can not be used a week before :). This stationery was prepared much later.

Primošten forgery

You can buy a so-called Primošten cover on eBay...

Primošten letter sent locally (3.III.44). Price 1600$.

But, what is wrong with this letter:

1. Primošten issue is a fraudulent, or at best, a private issue.
2. Primošten post office was closed in March 1944.
3. The rubber stamp for registration is misspelled. 

Misspelled - instead of PREPORUČENO stands PREMORUČENO. Poor knowledge of Croatian language could confirm the theory that Primošten issue was produced in southern Italy in the 1960s.

1945 Partisan mail from Austria

After the end of World War II, a large number of German soldiers, along with the soldiers of the Independent State of Croatia and some paramilitary groups, retreated north. The Yugoslav army wanted to intercept and capture them in every way, so they were also hunted deep in the territory of Austria...

 

Picture postcard, send by a soldier of 36. division from Groß Florian (8.6.1945) to Stari Bečej.

1945 MARIBOR, eBay forgeries

Look at that! This is worse than a forgery, this is a fantasy creation. Who would want something like this in his collection? 

1945 Maribor provisional issue, 4 pf Hindenburg, a forgery sold on eBay.

1945 ZAGREB, Imperforate below

One of the varieties of the 1945 Zagreb provisional issue is also postage due No. 3 80/2 kn imperforate below. Its catalogue value is 120 Eur. Today, you can buy such stamps for less than 10 Eur. But what do you get?

1945 Zagreb provisional issue, postage due No. 3 80/2 kn, looks like imperforate below. Sold on eBay for 8 Eur.

You should be careful. It is not uncommon for the bottom perforation to be slightly lower than it should be, making the last row of stamps a bit higher. This means that someone can take scissors and make an imperforate stamp from a perforated one, thus changing the value from 10 cents to 10 Eur.

Comparison of height between perforated and "imperforate" stamps.

Making "imperforate" from perforated stamp (computer generated).

1943 SPLIT, Market situation

1943 local issue for Dalmatia prices have been very low over the last few years. The reason is that a large stock came on the market at once. Supply exceeded demand, so prices dropped from around 1.200 euros per set to 500 euros or even less. This was incredibly low for a set that exists in a maximum of 231 pieces. Recently, I have noticed that the trend has started to turn...

Lot realization - sold for 800 EUR + 15% provision = 920 EUR.