1941 BANJA LUKA, 80th anniversary

Today marks 80 years since the release of the Banja Luka local issue. 

Shortly after assuming powers, the Ustasha Command - which had several well known Banja Luka collectors in its ranks - considered the possibility of overprinting postage stamps. Politically motivated three-line overprint read "Slobodna / Bosanska / Hrvatska" (= "Free / Bosnian / Croatia") implying the liberation of northern Bosnia and the new status of the area as the Bosnian part of the new Croatia. Banja Luka Philatelic Society issued "First Day Covers" with Society's logo to the upper left, and both values cancelled with Banja Luka counter code 6 canceller (Cyrillic inscription removed) for 21st April 1941. Given these covers and the absence of provable alternative dates, Monday 21st April 1941 should be considered the date of issue.

1941 Banja Luka local issue, Banja Luka Philatelic Society's FDC, 21.IV.41. Only about ten such covers exist.

NDH Revenue Issues Book

My philatelic colleague Phil Hughes has a free gift for all buyers of his NDH Revenue Issues Book. Here is his message:

"As some of you know, my book on NDH revenues was published in late 2015. Over the last five years, a lot of new information has been found about this interesting area of NDH collecting. This includes previously unknown stamps along with information on such things as plate numbers, pane sizes, security network varieties, etc. Consequently, I have put together a revision to the original 153-page book which adds over 80 pages of additional information. This version is in electronic format and only in English. I am making it available as a free download to anyone who purchased the original book. If you are a purchaser of the original book and wish a copy of the new version, please contact me at pj_in_sb@yahoo.com."

NDH Revenue Issues by Phil Hughes

1941 MEĐIMURJE, 80th anniversary

Today marks 80 years since the release of the first NDH local issue. A group of officials led by Dr Ivan Gliha, Chef de Cabinet of the temporary Međimurje Government and Dr Stjepan Wolf, a lawyer and renowned stamp collector, decided to prepare and release a local stamp issue of the Independent State of Croatia for the Međimurje area. The overprinting was executed in Kraljek & Vezić Printing Works in Čakovec between 12th and 15th April. 

1941 Međimurje local issue, complete set in vertical pairs of type "a" and "b".

1945 MARIBOR, Largest multiple of Hindenburg

The rarest postage stamp among Slovenian provisional issues is a stamp with an overprint on Hindenburg 4pf. Only 20 sheets were overprinted. It appears on the market almost exclusively as a single piece. I only know two blocks of four and one block of six, which is also the largest known multiple...

1945 Maribor provisional issue, Mi. No. I, block of six with upper margin, position 3-5/13-15. The largest known multiple. Certificate Marinšek.