PODLIPA auxiliary post office

The Podlipa auxiliary office of the Vrhnika post office used two different postmarks during the period I am collecting. Both are two-line rectangular postmarks with the inscription "PODLIPA / (VRHNIKA)". The first is a bit smaller and originates from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, measuring 58.1 x 13.2 mm, while the second appeared during the German occupation, measuring 59.5 x 16.5 mm. There is no information on why the postmarks were changed, but the first was likely damaged or lost. Interestingly, the second postmark stands out with two large five-pointed stars, which was unusual given their association with the Partisans. 

The usage of the auxiliary post office Podlipa was, in general, very rare, but usage was even scarcer during the Italian occupation from 6 April 1941 to 8 September 1943. It was also extremely scarce to find it together with stamps of the Ljubljana Provisional Issue during the Democratic Federative Yugoslavia...

The smaller postmark on the postcard sent from Vrhnika (16.III.36) to Gorenja vas. Period of Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

The smaller postmark on the money order (3.V.41). Very rare usage during the period of Italian occupation. 

The larger postmark on the money order (3.II.44). Period of German Occupation.

The larger postmark on the money order (12.VI.45). Scarce usage together with stamps of the Ljubljana Provisional Issue during the period of the Democratic Federative Yugoslavia.

The larger postmark on the stationery sent from Vrhnika (9.IX.48) to Podnart (10.IX.48). Period of the Federative People's Republic of Yugoslavia.

1945 LJUBLJANA, Podlipa auxiliary post office

During WWII, Podlipa had a small auxiliary office of the Vrhnika post office. The German army left Vrhnika on May 5 1945, and the next day the abandoned area was held by the Yugoslav army. Nearby Ljubljana and other parts of Slovenia were liberated on May 9. The new regime immediately suspended postal services in the territory of Slovenia - first informally and then, on May 12, also formally. The ban was in effect until June 6. On June 7, the stamps of the Ljubljana Provisional Issue were overprinted and delivered to the post offices in the following days...

Money order for 125.- Lira sent to auxiliary post office Podlipa, cancelled at Vrhika with german canceller OVERLAIBACH / VRHNIKA on 4.V.45. After the Germans left and after the suspension of postal service, it was cancelled with nationalized Italian canceller VRHNIKA on 6.VI.45. The money was paid out on 12.VI.45, and the money transfer order was liquidated with No. 5 of Ljubljana provisional issue on 13.VI.1945.

This is an extremely rare postal item used in a small auxiliary post office during the transition period between the two regimes.

1945 LJUBLJANA, Very early cancellation

Ljubljana provisional issue was released on June 7th. I have not seen a commercial shipment cancelled on June 7th or 8th. Most likely, the stamps were not available in the post offices until June 9th ...

1945 Ljubljana provisional issue, registered letter, franked with 2.5 Lire (1 Lire for the letter + 1.5 Lire for the registration), sent from Ljubljana (9.VI.45) to Osijek (16.VI.45) and redirected to Zagreb where it was censored. Very early cancellation.

1945 LJUBLJANA, Cheque from the Kingdom

Today I sorted some of my items based on the classification given in the article "CHEQUE MONEY ORDERS IN THE PROVINCE OF LJUBLJANA 1941-1945" published by Vid Žiberna in "Acta Philatelica Nova 2018". I found one cheque money order form that is not classified in the article ...

 

1945 Ljubljana provisional issue, cheque money order for 1.480,00 Lire payable in the cash, charged a delivery fee with 80 cent., issued in Ljubljana 5.6.45, received in Devica Marija v Polju 6.VI.45, paid out 8.VI.45 and liquidated on 11.VI.1945. The use of old cheque money order forms from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia period was very rare in 1945.

1945 LJUBLJANA, An early postcard

After the liberation of Ljubljana in May 1945, all postal traffic was suspended until June 6. Postal items from the first half of June are rare. According to the directive, all shipments in the Ljubljana region should be censored at the post office Ljubljana-1. However, despite the fact that most shipments were from this region, Ljubljana censorship did not work, so censorship was carried out in transit or at the final destination.

1945 Ljubljana, postcard sent from Ljubljana (10.VI.45) to Sviljanac Serbia, free of charge as the sender was a military person, censored in Zagreb. Very early item.

The front side of the postcard - Ljubljana at night.

1945 LJUBLJANA, Early cheque order

Immediately after the liberation of Ljubljana, a postal traffic for private shipments and cheque orders was suspended. It was reopened on 30.05.45 for cheque orders and on 08.06.45 for the shipments. Because there were no overprinted stamps until the 08.06. cheque orders paid out between 30.05. and 08.06. were franked with the old occupation stamps.

1945 Ljubljana provisional issue, cheque money order for 1.057,37 Lire, issued in Ljubljana 7.5.45, received in Rovte 4.VI.45, paid out 8.VI.45 and liquidated 11.VI.1945, charged a delivery fee with 50 cent, using German occupation "Landscapes" stamp.

Cheque order cachet, issued 7.5.45.

Bilingual cancellation GEREUTH / ROVTE from 4.VI.45 ...

... and the same cancellation four days later, now with the removed German inscription.

1945 LJUBLJANA, V.K.P.Lj.I

Over a year ago I wrote about a letter that was sent the day before the liberation of Ljubljana, on the 8th of May 1945 and censored with rare V.K.P.Lj.I. censoring mark (see here). Now, I found another similar item... 

Printed matter, correctly franked with 25 cent., sent loco (8.V.45 - the last day of German occupation!) by the Association of Industrialists and Craftsmen to one of its members. Censored and delivered by the new government somewhere between the 9th of May and before the suspension of postal traffic that happened on the 12th of May.

Interesting content! Obviously, it was clear that the Germans will withdraw and that a lot of resources will be needed for the renovation of the country.
(Click on image to enlarge)

1945 LJUBLJANA, Telegraph wires

The most attractive typical error of 1945 Ljubljana issue is so-called "telegraph wires" found on the base stamps of 50 cent. Error resembles to telegraph wires and extends over the horizontal strip of five stamps at positions 54-58.

1945 Ljubljana, local provisional issue, 50 cent horizontal strip at positions 54-58, typical error on base stamps known as telegraph wires.

Schematic view of telegraph wires.

Enlarged view, position 57.

1945 LJUBLJANA, Payment order

I found an interesting document that shows the continuity of the civil authorities after the liberation. A payment order to the Social Insurance Office of Ljubljana Province for employees in the period between 1st and 8th of May (so, just before the end of the German occupation!) was paid on 19th of June under the new government.

1945 Ljubljana, local provisional issue, payment order to the Social Insurance Office of Ljubljana Province, filed 15th of June, paid 19th of June and confirmed on 25.VI.45.

50 cents offset fee paid on 19.VI.45.
Illegible cancellation at which date is seen only after some hue/saturation calibration.

1945 SLOVENIA, Forgeries

All three Slovenian provisional issues (Ljubljana, Maribor and Murska Sobota) have been overprinted with the same overprint composition that was adjusted only to the size and orientation of base stamps.

Recently, somebody showed me a negative to be used for etching the cliches, but under the high magnification it turns out that it is a fake. See more about the forgeries here.

Negative

Enlargement shows dotted structure that is typical of today's printers.

1945 LJUBLJANA, Letter from two periods

Letter, correctly franked with 50 cent. and cancelled with a bilingual stamp LAIBACH 1 / LJUBLJANA 1 from the period of German occupation, was sent the day before the liberation of Ljubljana, on 8th of May 1945. The letter was censored and delivered just under the new military government, sometime prior to the suspension of all postal traffic that happened on 12th of May.

Letter sent loco Ljubljana under the German occupation (8.V.45) but censored and delivered by the Partisans after the liberation of Ljubljana (9.V.45). The acronym "V. K. P. Lj. 1" most likely means "Vojna Komanda Pošta Ljubljana 1" - "Military Command Post office Ljubljana 1".

1945 LJUBLJANA, Overfranked letter

I found an interesting letter where everything looks authentic and correct except the rate that was used. Until the 01.07.1945 the tariff for an ordinary letter was 1 Lire and not 1,50 Lire! It could be that it was simply a mistake of the sender, although there is also the possibility that it was a mistake of the postal staff.

It is important to know some circumstances at that time:

a) In an official circular letter of 26.06.1945 new postal rates were announced and new DFJ dinar was introduced. A tariff for an ordinary letter was set as 1,50 Din.

b) In an official circular letter of 27.06.1945 post offices in the Ljubljana region were instructed that they will have to use stamps of the Ljubljana provisional issue as long as they are not supplied with new federal stamps. The exchange ratio was set as 1 Lire = 1 Din.

So, taking a) and b) plus a general situation of that time with full of changes and turbulence, someone can easily imagine that the mistake could be also done by the postal worker who charged 1.50 Din = 1,50 Lire.

1945 Ljubljana, local provisional issue, letter franked with 1,50 Lire, sent from Ljubljana (27.VI.45) to Samobor. Censored by the military censor in Croatia. 

1945 LJUBLJANA, Shifted overprint

 Large displacements of the overprints are quite rare...

1945 Ljubljana, local provisional issue, 1L with large horizontal shift of the overprint. First stamp almost entirely without the overprint.

1945 LJUBLJANA, Single stamp letter

Here is another item from the Slovenian provisional issues...

1945 Ljubljana, local provisional issue, single stamp letter, correctly franked with 1 Lire, sent from Ljubljana (27.VI.45) to Dobrunje.

1945 LJUBLJANA, 70th Anniversary

Today (07.06.2015) we mark the 70 year anniversary of the Ljubljana provisional issue.

I should post something about this interesting issue...