HNY 2026

1945 ZAGREB - Inverted Overprints in Multiples

Inverted overprints exist for only two denominations. It is believed that for No. 5, only two sheets were produced with this error (one on offset and one on pelure paper), while for No. 7, only a single sheet was invertedly overprinted. These stamps are scarce, especially No. 5 on pelure paper, which was discovered much later. Inverted overprints are exceptionally rare in multiples, with blocks of six being the largest known units.

1945 Zagreb Provisional Issue, Nos. 5 and 7 With Inverted Overprint. The Largest Known Multiples.

Late Provisional Use of NDH Registration Receipt

A rare and controversial use of an Independent State of Croatia (NDH) form, illustrating that even more than a year after the liberation of the region, post offices still suffered from a persistent shortage of new official stationery.

Registration Receipt for a shipment sent on December 28, 1945, from Petrovaradin, addressed to Josip Broz Tito, Marshal of Yugoslavia, Belgrade. Accepted by the Military Post on December 28, 1945, and transported to Belgrade, where it was received by an official of the Ministry of National Defence on January 3, 1946. Ultimately, the mail was not delivered to Tito but was returned to Petrovaradin.

1946 SARAJEVO - Surcharge

Preserved postal items bearing a special surcharge are usually rare. Most often, this is because the surcharge was in effect for only a short period, and also because people tended to postpone sending any non-essential mail until the surcharge period ended.

Stationery from the Sarajevo provisional issue, additionally franked with a 0.5 din stamp, in accordance with the 1.50 din domestic postal rate that came into effect on 15 January 1946, sent on 5 February 1946 from Drinovci to Koprivnica. The postcard bears a mandatory "Children’s Week" surcharge label, required on all mail during the week from 3 to 10 February 1946. A scarce item.

Military Censorship No. 5

This post continues one published almost exactly a year ago - see it here.

This time, I present a newly discovered cover bearing the censorship handstamp "★ VOJNA CENZURA 5" ("★ MILITARY CENSORSHIP 5"). The letter was sent at the end of 1944 from Petrčane, near Zadar, to Belgrade. Because of its destination, it most likely travelled by boat to Vis and from there by airplane to Zemun.

As with Military Censorship No. 7, the exact location of Censorship No. 5 cannot be determined with certainty. However, it probably belonged to Vis—not only because the later civil censorship on Vis used the number 5, but also because this particular letter was addressed to Belgrade, which strongly suggests that it passed through the Vis mail route.

Letter sent free of charge at the end of 1944 from Petrčane near Zadar to Belgrade, censored by military censor with the handstamp "★ VOJNA CENZURA 5" and an initial, most likely applied on the island of Vis. This is the only known example of this censorship mark.

Back to philately

For those who have noticed a slowdown in my philatelic posts, I owe you a small explanation. Over the past few years, I have been devoting much more of my time to sailing and boats. And I must admit that I enjoyed every moment of it. But that chapter has now come to an end, so I will likely have more time for philately again.

She was the reason my philately took a break.