1944 SENTA, rare errors on the rare cover

I have a very nice Senta cover with two rare errors...

1944 Senta local provisional issue, cover, properly franked with 100 f, sent registered from Senta (26.X.1944) to Subotica. Certificate Velićković.

Inverted black overprint on the top stamp in a vertical pair of 4 f and “Југосливиjа” instead of “Југославиjа” on the upper right stamp in a block of four of 5 f.

Croatia special catalogue

Probably the most complete catalogue for Croatia (I checked the WWII period!) with varieties and prices for items not seen elsewhere.

Michel, Kroatien Spezial Katalog

1944 SENTA, pair with one inverted overprint

Vertical pair with one inverted overprint may occurr due to the row by row overprint process. It is known that the cliché of five-pointed stars was handmade so that the stars are cut by hand from linoleum strip. They cut out ten stars in one horizontal strip. Overprints were done row by row, all five rows until complete half-sheet of 50 was overprinted. There were two phases: first five-pointed star in red and then, on top of it, text in black color.

Inverted black overprint on upper stamp - position 10, normal black overprint on lower stamp - position 1. Both red overprints at position 1. Certificate Velićković.

Inverted black overprint on lower stamp - position 1, normal black overprint on upper stamp - position 10. Both red overprints at position 10 (from Jay T. Carrigan exhibit).

Scheme of half-sheet of 4f with one inverted black overprint row. Blue rectangles shows position of both pairs. Note that due to the vertical pairs that I have seen, inverted overprint could be at second, third or fourth row.

1944 SENTA, "big Senta" on cover

Stamps Mi. I-XIV and PI-III, also known as "big Senta" were overprinted in a very low print run (50 of each). They used them for the commemorative cardboards (16 complete sets) and as gifts for the military commanders and other local notable people. For postage usage only stamps from "small Senta" have been used.

I have a cover with mixed values from "small" and "big Senta". An extreme rarity, no other use of "big Senta" stamps on covers is known to me!

1944 Senta local provisional issue, cover, sent registered from Senta (21.X.1944) by local merchant to the Liberation Committee in Subotica. Mixed values, 30 f without red overprint. Signed Tubinović.

Back side.

"Big Senta" stamps on cover. Additional, missing red overprint on 30 f.

1944 SENTA, yet another set of Senta

I am not sure why, but Senta is my favorite YU provisional issue. This is my second complete set...

1944 Senta local provisional issue, Mi. 1-10, I-XIV, P1, PI-III, Complete set MNH, VF. Signed Verner and Bar. Certificate Krstić.

1945 ZAGREB, paper fold

Pre-printing paper folds are not so common on WWII Croatia Landscape stamps.

1945 Zagreb local provisional issue, 40 kn / 1 kn, nice paper folds.

Paper fold on base stamp did not affect to the overprint layer. 

1948 DERVENTA, Parcel receipt notice

Banja Luka postal stationery were used only as parcel receipt notice. Due to the lack of postal vehicles, packages were not delivered to the houses. Instead, a notice was sent to the package recipient.

Used only in Derventa between February and March of 1948. Very rare, less than 20 remains.

Derventa parcel receipt notice from 20.II.1948 send to the village Lužani. The package was picked up by recipient on 23.II.1948. Certificate Ercegović. 

1942 NDH, Red Cross

Complete set and surcharge stamp on the signed commemorative sheet with both, black and red first day cancellation.

1942 NDH, Red Cross, Mi 86-90 and Mi Z1. Numbered commemorative sheet - No. 38 / 500.

1945 MOSTAR, mouse perforation

Stamps with the so-called "mouse perforation" have been caused by loose blades on the machine for perforation.

1945 Mostar local provisional issue, 30 kn / 3.50 kn, inverted overprint and vertical mouse perforation. Nice combination, unique or very rare! Certificate Vilfan.

Vertical mouse perforation with partially rounded perf edges.

1945 MOSTAR, overprint shift

Shifts larger than 1 cm may result in some interesting overprint combinations and effects.

1945 Mostar local provisional issue, 50 kn / 10 kn block of six with 8 clichés 19,20/29,30/39,40/49,50 - upper and lower clichés only partially (Demokrntska error on lower left stamp). Large vertical overprint shift - effect like text above, star below.

1945 SARAJEVO, overprint position

The goal of the “analysis” was to determine the overprint position of my Sarajevo set in blocks of four. At the end, I found out that my blocks belong to the position 39,40,49,50. You can read more here!

An example of typical error position verification. 

I would like to thank Mr. Mladen Vilfan for some useful tips.

Storia postale di Zara

Nice book written by Gabbini, covers the entire postal history of Zara (Zadar). The most interesting section for me is L'Occupazione Tedesca (1943-1944).

Storia postale di Zara, Emanuele M. Gabbini, 1995.

1945 SARAJEVO, overprint on the back

Overprint penetrated on the back is known only for 2 din/1 kn and 12 din/5 kn.

1945 Sarajevo local provisional issue, pair with nice overprint on the back.
Both type II and with large vertical shift.

1943 ZARA, forgeries 2

Genuine Type I and II with forgeries covering Michel 21-22. Again, for high-resolution version check this StampBoards forum thread (scroll down).

DBZ forgeries covering Michel 21-22.

1944 Ravna Gora

Due to the reorganization of the postal service in the Chetnik liberated territories as well as for propaganda purposes a set of postage stamps was issued in January 1944. Stamps were dedicated to genaral Draža Mihailović and Ravna Gora (Flat hill) movement founded in 1941.

1944 Ravna Gora - Chetnik issue

1943 ZARA, forgeries

I got pictures of DBZ forgeries. For high-resolution version check this StampBoards forum thread (scroll down).

DBZ forgeries covering Michel 1-20.

1945 SARAJEVO, overprint

There is not much known about overprint process, how many plates they had, what are the positions of some overprint characteristics, etc. Generally, we know that two types of overprints exists: type I with normal coat of arms and type II with broken coat of arms. Type I is rarer!

After a quick analysis of my blocks I found that all belongs to the same positions on sheet. All blocks have both types, good and damaged star as well as other overprint characteristics shown below.

1 din / 2 kn

Overprint mask. At lower left is type I, others are type II.

Overprint characteristics.

1A Broken coat of arms
2A Broken coat of arms
2B Damaged star
3A Normal coat of arms
3B Smudge
4A Broken coat of arms
4B Damaged star
4C Missing point

1945 MOSTAR, Inverted overprints

Two nice examples of inverted overprints of the Mostar provisional issue. First is a marginal pair of 30 kn / 3.50 kn with inverted and large shifted overprint. The second is 30 kn / 1 kn with inverted overprint and overprint on the back.

1945 Mostar provisional issue, inverted overprints, both with Zrinjšćak certificate.

1945 SARAJEVO, complete set in block of four

Only four sets in block of four have been noted so far. Only this one was seen in last few decades, so looks like it is the only one that remained.

1945 Sarajevo local provisional issue, complete set in block of four. Certificate Ercegović and Veličković.

 Update:  Thanks to Mr. Vilfan, I found out where other three sets should be or at least where they formerly were. One of them is 100% confirmed because I saw its scan.

WWII, Essay for the first Yugoslavian stamp

In April 1944, the academic prof. Đorđe Andrejević - Kun  prepared a conceptual sketch for the first Yugoslavian stamp. Only 20 hand-made copies were made from the pear wood cliché with burgundy color on darkly yellow paper. Due to the heavy battles in Drvar and war situation in general this stamp was never issued.

Fakes exists, even with certificates!

Essay for the first Yugoslavian stamp on the left. Picture taken from the "Catalogue of postage stamps of Yugoslav areas, 1980" on the right.

1945 ZAGREB, Inverted overprints

Three inverted overprints are known for Zagreb provisional issue. Max 100 for each of them exists, but very few remains - especially for 160 kn / 0.50 kn on pelure paper that was discovered much later.

1945 Zagreb local provisional issue, 160 kn / 0.50 kn ordinary and pelure paper, 400 kn / 0.25 kn, inverted overprints. Certificate Zrinjšćak.

1944 SENTA, Commemorative sheets - layout

There are three types of Senta commemorative sheets:

A) Single sheet with 11 low value stamps. 50 such sheets were issued.

B) Sheet pair with all 28 stamps. The first sheet (B1) contains 11 stamps Mi: V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, XI, P1, PI, PII, PIII and 8, the second sheet (B2) contains all 17 remaining stamps. Note that all higher value stamps are on the first sheet (B1)! Only 16 such sheet pairs were prepared and only few remains in existence.

It is interesting that sheets A and B2 have constant layout. I have not seen a case where the positions differ significantly.

Layout of sheet A.

Layout of sheet B2.

On the other hand, I saw three different layouts of sheet B1, two of them with 11 stamps and one with 10 stamps only.

Sheet B1 with carmine brown 24f (Mi 8) at the bottom. Symmetric layout.

Sheet B1 with carmine brown 24f on the right side. Asymmetric layout.

Sheet B1 without carmine brown 24f.

1945 MOSTAR, multiple errors

Large vertical and horizontal overprint shift, five-pointed star on the sheet margin and paper fold. Everything on the single piece.

1945 Mostar local provisional issue, block of four with multiple errors.

Nice paper fold on the upper right stamp.

1945 SPLIT, double overprint

Double overprint that occurred when the stamp paper accidentally slapped back on to the plate. There are very few known examples of double overprints for Split issue.

1945 Split local provisional issue, 50 kn, double overprint. Certifikate Krstić. 

1945 ZAGREB, rare paper

Only three sheets of 160 kn / 0.50 kn were overprinted on pelure paper (plus one with inverted overprint). I found a really nice and unique corner side block of four.

1945 Zagreb local provisional issue, 160 kn / 0.50 kn on pelure paper, bottom left corner block of four. Max 75 exists. Cerificate Zrinjšćak.

1945 NDH, Storm Division

Four types of Storm Division block exists! The type can be determined by analyzing small differences of handmade initials O.A.

1945 NDH, Storm Division block type IV. Certificate Zrinjšćak.

O.A. initials on block type IV.

For detailed description and O.A. characteristics for other three types see: Predrag Zrinjšćak & Stipan Vuković, Der Block für Die I. Kroatische Sturmdivision, Acta Philatelica Nova 2011, Croatian philatelic almanac.

I would like to get all four types, so if you are selling block types I, II or III (MNH) you can give me your offer.

1944 SENTA, Overprint offsets

Due to the process of overprint for Senta (multiple phases in red and black colour) we can find a vast variety of overprints penetrated on the back... 

1944 Senta provisional issue, full and partial overprints on the back.