1945 MEĐIMURJE, Overprint forgeries

Two types of forgeries are known...

Type I forgery is quite primitive and should not present a challenge to collectors. The overprint is narrower, lacks precision and uses different lettering. The coat-of-arms element shows the version associated with the Independent State of Croatia with blank square to upper left instead of the Banovina of Croatia shield with darkened square. In my opinion this forgery can only confuse collectors who did not have the opportunity to see the genuine overprint.

Type II forgery is more accomplished. Basic dimensions are close to the original and the difference lies in lettering where individual letters are somewhat thinner and less cleanly struck. Letter 'M' in Međimurje is slightly inclined to lower left and the entire lower inscription is raised by some 0.6 mm. Overall even this forgery can be recognized without difficulty.

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 please contact me at alesmarinsek67@gmail.com

1945 MOSTAR, No 18 inverted

Theoretically, a maximum of 32 could exist, but I never ever saw another one...

1945 Mostar provisional issue, No. 18, 20/5 Kn war tax with inverted overprint. Only 32 stamps were inverted on one reconstructed sheet. However, this is the only instance known to me. Ex Tiberio.

Concentration camp Mamula

In April 1942, concentration camp Mamula was established in the far south of Dalmatia. It was a small camp in a fort on the island Mamula with a capacity of fewer than 500 internees and prisoners, mostly anti-fascists from Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro. 

Mamula fort today.

During the summer of 1943, internees were transferred to other camps - most of them to the Visco near Udine.

30 cent stationery sent from Risano (26.VIII.43) to concentration camp Mamula, censored by Italians and Germans. Since the recipient was already transferred, the stationery was returned to Risano (AL MITTENTE & Retour marks). 

Concentration camp Ragusa

In the autumn of 1942, Italians established few small transitional camps in the surroundings of Dubrovnik (Ragusa). They were mainly intended for Jews from Croatia and Bosnia. These are camps on island Lopud (Mezzo), in Gruž (Gravosa) and Kupari. Probably all were under the same administration in Ragusa. In 1943, most of the internees were moved to the camp on island Rab (Arbe).

Letter with instructions for the establishment of Italian camps in the area of Ragusa.
General Giuseppe Amico, Division Marche

(click for larger image)

Mail from or to these camps is extremely rare.

NDH stationery, sent from Ragusa (26.V.43) to Sarajevo, franked with 2 kn, canceled with "INTERNATO DI GUERRA / (FRANCHIGIA POSTALE)", rectangular and two round censorship stamps and 35/IV censor mark. Signed Ercegović.

1941 MEĐIMURJE, Article

A new issue of Acta Philatelica was recently published. If you are interested in local issues of the Independent State of Croatia, you are welcome to read my article "Međimurje local issue 1941". 

ACTA PHILATELICA NOVA 2018

Croatian philatelic almanac

Independent State of Croatia

Međimurje local issue 1941

To order please contact me at alesmarinsek67@gmail.com

Concentration camp Istonio Marina

Istonio Marina (province Chieti) was a small camp with a capacity of up to 185 internees. It was primarily intended for Italian political prisoners, but it is known that some other internees were there too. Postal items are very rare, especially those sent abroad...

30 cent stationery sent from concentration camp Istonio Marina (11.8.43) to Split. The sender was transferred from the concentration camp Tortoreto (see here).

Concentration camp Tortoreto

Concentration camp Tortoreto (province Teramo) was a very small camp with the capacity of max 100 internees, mainly Jews from abroad. The camp operated from Jun 1940 to late summer 1943. However, most of the internees were transferred to other camps until the end of July 1943. Postal items are very rare...

Letter from Tortoreto (29.5.43) to Split (7.VI.43), franked with 50 cent. Post of civil war internees, censored CENSURA 71-R (7.6.43).

1945 SPLIT, Letter from Blato

I have an interesting letter sent from the small village Blato on the island of Korčula...

1945 Split provisional issue, registered letter, correctly franked with 50kn (20kn for letter and 30kn for registration), sent from the small village Blato on island of Korčula (22.V.45) to Belgrade (3.VI.45). The letter traveled via Vela Luka (22.V.45) and city of Korčula (23.V.45) where it was censored - censorship No. 16.

My blog visitors - demographics

I am not sure how Google determines age and gender of site users, but I found the results for my blog quite predicted and aligned with philately in general. For me, the positive fact is that interest in the age group of 45 to 54 has been increasing.

Demographics overview of my blog visitors - age and gender.

1941 MEĐIMURJE, Hrvatska država

In a small print run, during the cleaning of clichés at positions 1 and 2, the inscription "Država Hrvatska" was rearranged to "Hrvatska država". Only the 0.25 din, 0.50 din, 1 din, 1.50 din and 3 din exist with this variety (2 din probably exists, but has not yet been found).

1941 Međimurje, local provisional issue, 1 din horizontal strip of five, the upper row from a block of ten with "Hrvatska država" variety at positions 1 and 2. An exceptionally rare item! Including all the values only three such rows have been found to date. Certificate Vilfan.

1943 IMOTSKI, Official letter

Yesterday, I spent a lovely day at the philatelic convention in Zagreb, where I found some great items, including one nice Imotski letter...

1943 Imotski, official letter sent from Imotski (handwritten 10.5.43) to Zagreb (14.5.43) correctly franked with 7kn for the second weight letter, cancelled with temporary provisional rubber postmark "POŠTA - IMOTSKI". Certificate Ercegović.

1943 ŠIBENIK, eBay forgeries

A new attempt to sell Šibenik forgeries on eBay. As usual, the seller claims that everything comes from an authentic collection, but he is not an expert, so the overprint may not be :) original. And yes, the seller does not :) accept returns.

1943 Šibenik forgeries

5 cent. postage due stamps (Michel No. 24) - one of the fakes in this sale.
If this stamp was original, it would have been worth around 3000 Eur. Only 11 original exist.

The best European club of 2018

You probably know that I am a member of the Philatelic Society of Ljubljana (Slovenia), so I want to share the following great achievement with you...

Diploma for the best European philatelic club of the year 2018.

BTW: I am also a member of some other philatelic societies and initiatives, namely:

• The Royal Philatelic Society London
• Croatian Philatelic Society Zrinski, Čakovec
• Slovenian Philatelic Expertising Service
• Arge Jugoslawien
• Yugoslavia Study Group - Jugopošta
• WWII Croatia (NDH) Study Group

1945 SPLIT, Penal battalion

Penal battalions are military formations consisting of convicts mobilized for military service. Service in such units was considered a form of punishment or discipline in lieu of imprisonment or capital punishment. I have not seen a penal military unit cancellation before...

1945 Split provisional issue, stationery of type St.2IIa, additionally franked with 1 din, sent from Skradin (21.VII.45) to Položaj (military position), censored by the military censor. Handwritten Natrag (Return) and Kažnjenik (Prisioner). Rare penal battalion cancellation (ŠTAB DISCIPLINSKOG BATALJONA / IV. JUG. ARMIJE). Late usage. This is an extraordinary item.

Alps Adriatic Philately, Slovenia 2019

Today have spent a nice morning at the Alps Adriatic Philately exhibit in the monastery Mekinje near Kamnik. The exhibition was dedicated to:

• the centenary of the foundation of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs,
• the centenary of the first Slovenian postage stamps / The chainbreakers,
• the centenary of the establishment of the Ljubljana Post Office,
• the centenary of the end of the First World War and
• the seventies of the Philatelic Association of Slovenia.

A few out of a 300 frames.

Collecta 2019

The year is around and the largest Slovenian fair of collectors is back again. It is always interesting to dig into the items and hope you will find something special...

Today @ Collecta 2019

1943 SPLIT, Overprint flaws 4/4

This is a last part of a post about the 1943 Split issue overprint flaws. For the first post in a series, click here.

  

Positions 50, 60 and 61.

50 - Second letter A is damaged. Vertical stroke of K in left Kn is broken.

60 - Incision in lower part of U. Spot to the right of U. Letter N without of serif tu upper right.

61 - Irregular spot to left (the size depends on strength of the overprint and color saturation).

  

Positions 64, 68 and 86.

64 - Vertical down stroke of letter N is broken. 

68 - Lower part of letter S is damaged.

86 - Vertical down stroke of letter N is broken.

 

Positions 91 and 94.

91 - Small second dot between figures 3 and 5 (3:5).

94 - Horizontal stroke of letter H is missing.

For a complete article order:

ACTA PHILATELICA NOVA 2015

Croatian philatelic almanac

Independent State of Croatia
1943 Unreleased Local Issue for Dalmatia

Chapters:

Introduction

Catalogue Listing

Overprint

Overprint Errors

Constant and Part-Constant Overprint Flaws

Varieties of Underlying Stamps

Interesting Examples

Forgeries

Valuation

Conclusion

Literature

To order please contact me at alesmarinsek67@gmail.com

Philatelists convention in Ljubljana

Today, I was positively surprised by the crowd at the philatelist convention in Ljubljana. In addition to regular weekly meetings, these conventions are organized four times a year...

Crowd at the convention.

1943 SPLIT, Overprint flaws 3/4

This is a continuation of a post about the 1943 Split issue overprint flaws. For the first post in a series, click here.

  

Positions 35, 37 and 38.

35 - Incision to lower part of zero.

37 - Letter N without serif to upper right. Lower part of figure 5 is damaged.

38 - Letter K is truncated to upper right.

  

Positions 41, 44 and 45.

41 - Upper stroke of K in left Kn is broken.

44 - Shortened horizontal stroke of figure 3.

45 - First letter A is damaged.

  

Positions 46, 47 and 48.

46 - Stroke of figure 3 truncated at an acute angle.

47 - Letter N in N.D. broken to upper right. Lower part of letter S is damaged.

48 - Spot on second letter A. Lower stroke of letter R twisted upwards. Letter K is broken.

For a part 4/4 click here.

1943 SPLIT, Overprint flaws 2/4

This is a continuation of a post about the 1943 Split issue overprint flaws. For the first post in a series, click here.

    

Positions 10,11 and 12

10 - Broken letter N.

11 - Letter N without serif to upper right. Incision to base of figure 5.

12 - Incision to upper arc of figure 5.

    

Positions 13, 22 and 26.

13 - Dot after D is small or missing.

22 - Dash above letter K.

26 - Letter S is broken.

    

Positions 29, 30 and 31.

29 - Letter S is broken. Letter N without serif to upper right.

30 - Incision to lower part of letter K.

31 - Letter S is broken.

For a part 3/4 click here.