BOSNIA AND HERZEGOWINA part 1

Return To Catalogue - Bosnia and Herzegowina part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Yugoslavia - Yugoslavia, issues for Bosnia and Herzegowina

Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
contact me if you want to purchase them: evert@klaseboer.com.

A part of the Austrian Hungarian Empire.

The first two series of Bosnia (double headed eagles) had no text at all because of political problems, only the value was indicated. The stamps of this country cancelled with holes were used for telegraphic purposes.

1879 Double headed eagle, value in the upper part

  1/2 (Kr) black
  1 (Kr) grey
  2 (Kr) yellow
  3 (Kr) green
  5 (Kr) red
  10 (Kr) blue
  15 (Kr) brown
  20 (Kr) green
  25 (Kr) violet

Many different perforations exist, ranging from 9 to 12 1/2.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1/2 k	**	***	1894
1 k	*	*
2 k	*	*
3 k	*	*
5 k	*	c
10 k	*	*
15 k	*	*
20 k	***	**	1893
25 k	***	**

(A postcard of 2 k in the same design, issued 1879)

Besides the above postcard of 2 k red, an envelope of 5 k red also exists (issued 1882). I have also seen postal stationery in the value 3 h green on blue.

Reprints exist of these stamps, they have perforation 12 1/2.

1900 Double headed eagle, value in the lower part

  1 (h) black
  2 (h) grey
  3 (h) yellow
  5 (h) green
  6 (h) brown
  10 (h) red
  20 (h) red
  25 (h) blue
  30 (h) brown
  40 (h) yellow
  50 (h) lilac

These stamps are either perforated 12 1/2 (common), 10 1/2 (1 to 30 h only, * to ***), 6 (rare) and 6x12 (rare). Imperforate stamps also seem to exist.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 h	c	c
2 h	c	c
3 h	c	c
5 h	c	c
6 h	c	c
10 h	c	c
20 h	RR	***
25 h	c	c
30 h	RR	***
40 h	RR	***
50 h	*	*

Value in black

  20 (h) red
  30 (h) brown
  35 (h) blue
  40 (h) orange
  45 (h) blue

These stamps are either perforated 12 1/2 (common), 6 (rare) and 12 1/2 x 6 (rare). Imperforate stamps also seem to exist.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
20 h	c	c
30 h	c	c
35 h	c	c
40 h	c	c
45 h	*	c

I have seen postal stationery in the values 5 h green in the above design. I have also seen this 5 h green value with overprint 'K.U.K. FELDPOST'.

Forgeries, examples:

These forgeries can be recognised by looking at the tail of the eagle. It is ending slightly higher than in the genuine stamps, in the genuine stamp the tail touches the line of the frame around the central design. In these forgeries it ends one line higher. I have also seen the values 3 h yellow, 10 h red, 20 h red, 30 h brown, 40 h yellow and 50 h lilac. The perforation of the forgeries is often quite bad. I've also seen two imperforate 30 h forgeries (see image above).

1900 Larger size, value in K(ronen)

  1 K red
  2 K blue
  5 K green

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 K	*	*
2 K	*	*
5 K	***	***

Forgeries, example:

I have also seen the forged 5 K green. In the forgeries I have seen the perforation is quite bad. According to 'Focus on forgeries' the tongues of the eagles can be seen very clearly and are long in the genuine stamps (in the forgeries they are blur and short). In the arms in the central part the upper right triangle has 10 small dots (the forgeries have only 6 dots).

Overprinted 'KRALJEVSTVO SRBA, HRVATA I SLOVENANCA PORTO', in latin or cyrillic caracters, issued for Yugoslavia see Yugoslavia issues for Bosnia and Herzegowina, examples:

For more stamps of Bosnia and Herzegowina, click here for part 2.