YUGOSLAVIA, Issues before 1921

Return To Catalogue - Yugoslavia, general issues - Bosnia - Stamps used in Bosnia - Croatia - Montenegro - Serbia - Vuja-STT (or Vujna STT) on Yugoslavia

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Stamp of Austria, used in Laibach (Ljubljana, Slovenia):

Provisional issues

In 1918 several stamps of Hungary were overprinted 'HRVATSKA SHS' to be used in Croatia. The overprints are not the same on all stamps.

Many forged overprints exist!

On bird (Turul) issue
  6 f olive
  50 f red on blue

On 1916 charity issue

  10 + 2 f red (soldier)
  15 + 2 f violet (soldier)
  40 + 2 f red (bird)

On 1916 Charles and Zita issue

  10 f lilac
  15 f red

On 1918 Charles and Zita issue

Misprint, the overprint should have been red

  10 f red
  20 f brown
  25 f blue
  40 f olive

On Harvester issue

(15 f white numerals)

  2 f brown
  3 f lilac
  5 f green
  6 f blue
  10 f red
  15 f violet (violet numerals)
  15 f violet (white numerals)
  20 f brwon
  25 f blue
  35 f brown
  40 f olive

On Parliament issue

  50 f lilac
  75 f blue
  80 f green
  1 K red
  2 K brown
  3 K violet and grey
  5 K brown
  10 K brown and lilac

On the lower three values there is a bar at the bottom, in the higher values the word 'KRUNA' (1 K) or 'KRUNE' is printed at the bottom.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

On newspaper stamp of Hungary of 1916 (Surgos), overprint 'HRVATSKA SHS ZURNO'

  2 f green and red

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

On Newspaper stamp of Hungary of 1914 (Hirlapjegy), overprinted 'HRVATSKA SHS'

  2 f orange

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

On Postage Due stamps of Hungary with overprint in blue 'HRVATSKA SHS'

(Reduced size)

  1 f green and red
  2 f green and red
  10 f green and red
  12 f green and red
  15 f green and red
  20 f green and red
  30 f green and red
  50 f green and black

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Miscellaneous:

Genuine misprint, wrong type of overprint:

Forged overprints:

Example of a forged 'HRVATSKA SHS' overprint:

Some non-authorised local overprints also exist; three types of 'SHS' and 'Preko-murje SHS'. All these local overprints have been forged. Example (I don't know if these are genuine overprints):

Preko-murje SHS overprint in violet

Certified genuine local 'SHS' overprints

Issues for Croatia (Hrvatska)

1919 Woman, sailor with flag and falcon, inscription 'SHS SRZAVNA POSTA HRVATSKA'

  2 h brown (woman)
  3 h violet (woman)
  5 h green (woman)
  10 h red (sailor)
  20 h brown (sailor)
  25 h blue (sailor)
  45 h olive (sailor)
  1 K red (falcon)
  3 K lilac (falcon)
  5 K brown (falcon)

These stamps have perforation 11 1/2. I have seen imperforate, partly perforated and doubly perforated stamps.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

The values 2 h, 3 h, 5 h and 20 h were printed in blocks of 10. The values 10 h, 25 h and 45 h were printed in rows of 10 stamps. Specialists distinguish several types of some of these stamps:

The 10 types of the 2 h value

* The 2 h value was printed in two types. Type I is the normal type. Type II only appears once in a block of 10 stamps and has an opening in left upper part of the frame surrounding the '2'.

The 10 types of the 3 h value

* The 3 h was also printed in sheets of 10 stamps and 10 different types exist (one for each position on the sheet). They differ in the shape of the '3'.

The 10 types of the 5 h value

* The 5 h was printed in blocks of 10 stamps which exists in 10 different types (differing in the '5').
* The 10 h only exists in one type.
* The 20 h exists in 3 types, in type I the last 'A' of 'HRVATSKA' has a line attached to the top (appears 6 times in a sheet of 10 stamps), in type II, the 'A' doesn't have this line (appears 3 times in a sheet) and finally type III has a dot in the 'V' of 'HRVATSKA' (appears once in a sheet)
* The 20 h has 10 different types differing in the '2' (also printed in sheets of 10 stamps).
* The 45 h exists in two types. Type I is the most common (9 out of 10 stamps), type II (1 out of 10 stamps) has a curved top part of the '5' and a line at the bottom left part of the 'N' of 'DRZAVNA'.

Issue for Slovenia

1919 Various designs; man breaking chains, woman, child and King

Man breaking chains (small size)  
  3 h violet
  5 h green
  10 h red
  15 h blue

Man breaking chains (larger size)
  20 h brown
  25 h blue
  30 h lilac
  40 h yellow

Woman
  50 h green
  60 h grey

Child
  1 K red
  2 K blue

King
  5 k red
  10 k blue
  15 k green (1920)
  20 k lilac (1920)

These stamps exist perforated or rouletted. Specialists distinguish two types of the 3 h to 15 h stamps: with left chain far away from bottom frame and with left chain touching the bottom frame. The 20 h to 40 h stamps also exist in two types; with faintly outlined mountains and with distinct mountains.

Two types of the 3 h to 15 h stamps; chain not touching and chain touching the bottom frame

Two types of the 20 h to 40 h stamps; faintly outlined and clearly visible mountains

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

With 'PORTO' overprint in fancy design (1920)

With 'double overprint' left and with normal overprint right

  5 (red) on 15 h blue
  10 (red) on 15 h blue
  20 (red) on 15 h blue
  50 (red) on 15 h blue
  1 D (blue) on 30 h lilac
  3 D (blue) on 30 h lilac
  8 D (blue) on 30 h lilac

1920 Designs similar to 1919 issue, sizes and currency changed

Man breaking chains  
  5 pa olive
  10 pa green
  15 pa brown
  20 pa red
  25 pa brown

Woman
  40 pa violet
  45 pa yellow
  50 pa blue
  60 pa brown

King
  1 D brown
  2 D violet
  4 D green
  6 D brown
  10 D brown

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1919 Postage due stamps, inscription 'DRZAVA SHS'

  5 h red
  10 h red
  20 h red
  50 h red
  1 K blue
  5 K blue
  10 k blue

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Local issue?

The next stamps of Austria with overprint 'SHS SLOVENIJA 29 /x 1918' are a mystery to me:

I've been told that this is an unofficial local  issue, made in 1918 in the Slovenian city of Celje?

1918 Girls head, perforated

  2 h blue
  6 h lilac
  10 h red
  20 h green

Surcharged

  2 s on 6 h lilac
  2 s on 10 h red
  2 s on 20 h green
  3 s on 2 h blue
  5 s on 6 h lilac

The imperforated stamps were newspaper stamps of Bosnia, later perforated stamps were used as postage stamps in Yugoslavia.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Even though these stamps are quite common, forgeries exist. The stamp on the right hand side is a forgery, the design is not as sharp as in the genuine stamp.

1918 Independance of Croatia commemoration, inscription '29 LISTOPADA 1918', issued for Zagreb

(Reduced size)

  10 h red
  20 h violet
  25 h blue
  45 h green

These stamps have perforation 11 1/2 and were printed in sheets of 100. Two types exist of all values (in the same sheet). It seems that these stamps were only valid for one day. Bogus issues in different colours exist, also 'proofs' specially made for stamp collectors.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Forgeries seem to exist (at least two types, they are described in the Bilig forgery book).

Postage due stamps

1921 Number, example:

(Colour error, 10 pa lilac the colour should be red, this is the colour of the 10 D value!)

  10 pa red
  30 pa green
  50 pa violet
  1 D brown
  2 D blue
  5 D orange
  10 D lilac
  25 D red
  50 D green

Specialists distinguish between the Belgrade printing (defective perforations) and the Vienna printing (perforated 10 1/2). The value inscriptions are also slightly different between the two types.

Left Belgrade printing, right Vienna printing

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Newspaper stamps

1919 Inscription 'DRZ. POSTA HRVATSKA SHS', imperforate

(Sorry, no picture available yet, if anybody posesses a picture, please contact me!)

  2 f yellow

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1920 Angel(?), imperforate

  2 h grey
  2 h blue
  4 h grey
  4 h blue
  6 h grey (2 types, '6' different)
  10 h grey
  10 h blue
  30 h grey

Surcharged with fancy pattern and value

  2 pa on 2 h grey
  2 pa on 2 h blue
  4 pa on 2 h grey
  4 pa on 2 h blue
  5 pa on 2 h grey
  6 pa on 2 h blue
  10 pa on 2 h grey
  10 pa on 2 h blue
  30 pa on 2 h grey
  30 pa on 2 h blue

The values of the grey and blue stamps show slight differences. The grey stamps were printed in Ljubliana and the blue ones in Vienna.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

These stamps exist with overprint 'KGCA 1920' and value, they were issued for Carinthia in 1920. The following values exist: 5 pa on 4 h, 15 pa on 4 h, 25 pa on 4 h, 45 pa on 2 h, 50 pa on 2 h and 2 D on 2 h (lower values: unused: c, used: *, the 2 D on 2 h: **):

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer