My Philatelic World: Europe

Showing posts with label Europe. Show all posts

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Postal History and stamps of Serbia

8:11 AM Jalal HB No comments

First stamp of Serbia 1866

Serbia issued its first stamp in 1866 and continued issuing its stamps till 1920 when its postal system was merged with that of the former Austro-Hungarian territories. After the Nazi Germany established Nedić's Serbia in 1941 it issued its own stamps until 1944. Initially, Yugoslavian stamps were simply overprinted in German with the word Serbien.

Yugoslavia stamp with overprint Serbien 1941

Later regular issues were inscribed both Serbien and Србија (Serbia).

Airmail stamp with Serbia overprint - 1942

A 1942 issue reprinted with "Bombardment of City of Nis" in 1943

From 1944 onward, Serbia was part of Yugoslavia.

First Serbian Stamp issued in 2006 after independance

Upon the dissolution of the union of Serbia and Montenegro in 2006, Serbia began issuing its own stamps once more. The Post of Serbia issues the country's stamps.

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Serbia issued a set of 18 stamps on the eve of FIFA World Cup Football held in South Africa 2010.

The stamp showed flags of all 32 countries that participated in the tournament.

The stamps above showed the national flags of South Africa and Serbia in the background

Postal History/First Serbian stamp courtesy: Wikipedia

via Hobby Shobbys
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Postal History and Stamps of Serbia

9:23 PM Jalal HB 2 comments

Shared from: Hobby Shobbys

First stamp of Serbia 1866

Serbia issued its first stamp in 1866 and continued issuing its stamps till 120 when its postal system was merged with that of the former Austro-Hungarian territories. After the Nazi Germany established Nedić's Serbiain 1941 it issued its own stamps until 1944. Initially, Yugoslavian stamps were simply overprinted in German with the word Serbien.

Yugoslavia stamp with overprint Serbien 1941

Later regular issues were inscribed both Serbien and Србија (Serbia).

Airmail stamp with Serbia overprint - 1942

A 1942 issue reprinted with "Bombardment of City of Nis" in 1943

From 1944 onward, Serbia was part of Yugoslavia.

First Serbian Stamp issued in 2006 after independance

Upon the dissolution of the union of Serbia and Montenegro in 2006, Serbia began issuing its own stamps once more. The Post of Serbia issues the country's stamps.

Serbia issued a set of 18 stamps on the eve of FIFA World Cup Football held in South Africa 2010.

The stamp showed flags of all 32 countries that participated in the tournament.

The stamps above showed the national flags of South Africa and Serbia in the background

Postal History/First Serbian stamp courtesy: Wikipedia

Romanian stamps from my collection

12:49 AM Jalal HB 2 comments

Awhile ago, I posted a collection of stamps from my stamp album which carried some antique paintings. Today I am sharing another page from collection of Romanian stamps as under:

These stamps date back to the 60s and 70s. The Stamps on reptiles above were issued in 1965 and is part of a set of 10 stamps. The other stamps of the set are as under:

Related: Paintings on Romanian stamps

My collection of stamps - Monaco

3:00 AM Jalal HB 3 comments

The postal services in Monaco have said to exist as early as early 18th century. For a brief period, Monaco used stamps of Sardinia from 1851 to 1860. Thereafter French stamps with Monaco or Monte-Carlo overprints were used.

The first indigenous stamps of Monaco were finally issued on Huly 1, 1885 with head of Prince Charles III of Monaco. Prince Rainier III, who himself was an avid stamps and coins collector, showed keen interest in the philatelic services of his country in 1949 as he believed that the stamps were the best ambassador of a country.

Monaco joined the Universal Postal Union in 1955 and Post Europ in 1993.

Seen above is the page from my stamps collection of stamps from Monaco.

Originally posted at: Hobby Shobbys

A page from my stamp album - France

10:23 PM Jalal HB No comments

A page from my stamp album - Czechoslovakia - Page 2

9:37 AM Jalal HB No comments

Czechoslovakia was the name of a country that exisited on world map since 1918. It was initially part of the greater Austro-Hungarian Empire, but later in 1918 after the WW-I, it declared independence and became a sovereign state. The country since then had gone under difficult times of its history. During the period of the WW-II (1939-45), it bore the wrath of the German invasion and was partially incorporated into the then Germany.

After the WW-II, a apart of the Czechoslovakia (to be more precise the eastern part of Carpathian Ruthenia) was taken over by then USSR, while the remaining country continued to be a severing country once again.

Stamps of Czechoslovakia: A page from my stamp album

Since the country mainly consisted of two major parts, i.e. Cesko and Slovensko, the two could not co-exist as one country for long since both were culturally and economically at par with each other. Therefore, after long misunderstandings and bitterness, on January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia finally split into two independent states: the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

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My collection of Czechoslovakia is of the times when the country as Czechoslovakia was intact. I have already shared the first page of my stamp collection of Czechoslovakia. Here is the second page with all its beautiful stamps that I collected from a period from 1966-1975.

Related Reading: A page from my stamp album - Czechoslovakia

A page from my stamp album - Austria

11:54 PM Jalal HB 1 comment

The postal history of Austria dates back to 1850 when a series of imperforate stamps featuring the coat of arms was issued on 1st of June. Issues between 1858-1861 bore the portrait of King Franz Josef, before returning to the coat of arms stamps again, this time in oval frame. With the establishment of the Austro Hungarian Empire in 1867, King Franz stamps again surfaced. These stamps continued till 1907.

In April 1850, the Austro German Postal Union agreement was struck between Prussia and the Austro Hungarian Empire to provide uniform system of postal rates between the two countries. By 1852, the remaining German states also joined in the Union. This agreement and the establishment of the Postal Union later became a role model for the creation of the Universal Postal Union in 1874.

On the eve of 60th year of reign of King Franz in 1908, a series of stamps depicting portraits of various emperors and Emperor Franz. The same design was used in 1910 on the 80th birthday celebrations of King Franz, showing 1830-1910 at the top and bottom of the stamps. King Franz again reappeared in 1916. From 1917-1919 Emperor Charles I appeared on Austrian stamps.

After the World War I, the German Austrian stamps were issued in 1918 with the overprint “Deutschösterreich” on the existing stamps. In 1919 the German Austria issued its own indigenous stamps. The “Deutschösterreich” was replaced with "ÖSTERREICH" in 1922.

The WW-II saw a mixed of stamps as Austria was occupied by the Soviets, Germans and the Allies with overprints of "Österreich" and a bar obliterating the "Deutsches Reich" inscription, bearing portrait of Hitler. On 3rd July 1945, new stamps with "REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH" were issued by the Soviet Union, while the Allied Military Government issued its own stamps in areas under their control.

After WW-II, Austria started issuing its own stamps.

The first stamp on the top left column of my album is of the period of “Deutschösterreich”. The remaining stamps in the left column are also of the period of WW-II and before.

A page from my stamp album - Denmark

11:54 PM Jalal HB No comments

The postal services in Denmark trace back their origin to 21 December 1864 when the postal envelopes were first produced in Denmark. Envelopes were only produced in two values to cover the first weight class for both the local rate and the inland rate. The local postal rate for letters was discontinued after 1 April 1957.

The letter cards were first issued on 3 September 1888 and their production finally came to an end in 1979. By then a total of 83 different items had been issued in this category. Postcards that were first used in 1871 are still being used. Likewise, the aerogram which were introduced in 1949 are still in use.

Postage stamps of Denmark from my collection

The three rows in the centre above bear the portrait of King Frederick IX who was the Danish monarch from April 1947 till 14 January 1972 when he died of illness. Frederick's reign saw great change. During these years, Danish society shook off the restrictions of an agricultural society and developed a welfare state. And, as a consequence of the booming economy of the 1960s, women entered the labour market. In other words, Denmark became a modern country, which meant new demands on the monarchy.

Denmark at present is being reigned by Queen Margrethe II, who took the reins on 14 January 1972, after the death of King Frederick IX. As a constitutional monarch, the Queen is limited to non-partisan, ceremonial functions. The ultimate executive authority over the government of Denmark is still by and through the monarch's royal reserve powers; in practice these powers are only used according to laws enacted in Parliament or within the constraints of convention.

A page from my stamp album - Hungary

9:37 AM Jalal HB No comments

Magyar – the stamps bearing this word are in fact from Hungary. Sometimes it takes the novices and the rookies a little while to decipher the native names into English to know the name of the country. Magyar is actually the name of a tribe that migrated from Asia and settled in the Carpathian Basin in 896 AD. From these, rose the state of Hungary somewhere in 1000 AD, founded by King St Stephen. The Mongols did not spare countries like Hungary and invaded it in 1214 AD, but it survived the barbaric onslaught. Hungary then became a Central European power under the 300-year rule of the native Árpád Dynasty and subsequent dynasties.

In the 16th century, when the Ottoman Empire expanded, Hungary broke into three parts in 1526: Western Hungary ruled by the Austrian House of Habsburg, Transylvania governed by Hungarian princes, and central Hungary came under the Turks. The Turkish occupation lasted until the 17th Century, when the Habsburgs drove out the Turks and claimed all of Hungary. The 150 years of constant wars decimated the native population and the voids were filled by foreign nationalities, creating the polyglot characteristic of Hungary.

The birth of postal services was an outcome of the number of wars fought in the late 19th century to get rid of the yoke of the Austrian power influence. It was the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa who established a regular postal service in Hungary and a military field-post service operated during both wars of independence. The Austrian issues used in Hungary are of great value by the lovers of stamp collection, especially in Hungary even now.

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In 1867 a compromise was reached with Austria, creating the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy under Emperor Franz Josef. The Hungarian half of the Monarchy organized an independent postal system, which issued its first stamps in 1867. Many Hungarian stamps depict two national symbols – the crown of St. Stephen and the mythical Turul bird. During the WW-I, Hungary side Austria against Russia and Italy. Thus Austrian military-post stamps, and stamps of Bosnia-Herzegovina (occupied in 1878 and annexed by the Monarchy in 1908) provide an interesting connection to Hungarian philately.

Magyar stamps from my collection

After the defeat of Austria in WW-I, Hungary proclaimed itself a republic. All previous stamps were overprinted with “Köztársaság”. The Russian communist influence in Hungary came in March 1919 and the stamps were then overprinted with “Tanácsköztársaság.”

The WW-II, in which Hungary sided with Germany, devastated Hungary, resulting in a rapid deterioration of its currency. Between May 1, 1945 and July 31, 1946, 27 postal rate changes occurred in what is known as the world’s greatest hyperinflation.

In 1956, the Hungarians revolted against Soviet domination and the students of Sopron commemorated the event with an overprinted stamp issue. The revolt was brutally crushed and Hungary continued to be solid member of the Warsaw Pact until the disintegration of the Soviet Union’s European Empire in 1989. Hungary is now on its feet as a free country now.

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A page from my stamp album - Czechoslovakia

6:26 PM Jalal HB No comments

When I started collecting stamps there was a country named Czechoslovakia that was there on the world map since 1918. Initially Czechoslovakia was a part of the greater Austro-Hungarian Empire, but later in 1918 after the WW-I, it declared independence and became a sovereign state. The country since then had gone under difficult times of its history. During the period of the WW-II (1939-45), it bore the wrath of the German invasion and was partially incorporated into the then Germany.

My collection of Czechoslovakia is of the times when the country as Czechoslovakia was intact. The stamps date back from 1940s till 1975. For example second stamp from top left column was printed in 1946 as part of a set of seven stamps. Likewise the last stamp in the second columns was printed in 1948 as a part of a set of five stamps.

The first stamp in the second column from the left was printed in 1949 as part of a set of six stamps. Since most of the stamps on this page of my album are almost of the same period, it is difficult for me to dig out each and every stamp. I would appreciate if someone from Czech Republic helps me out with the history of each stamp.

Related Reading: History of Czechoslovakia (wikipedia)

A page from my stamp album - England (Great Britain)

3:42 PM Jalal HB No comments

The postal history of the Great Britain is the oldest in the world of philately, dating back to 1840. It also established one of the most efficient postal system ever laid out in the world. The Great Britain also introduced the same system in all its colonies and protectorates, where it is still functioning as efficiently as it is in the Great Britain today. It may be mentioned here that the first ever stamp of the South Asia was printed in 1852 from Karachi, Pakistan (then part of the British Empire) and was known as Scinde (Sind) Dak.

Four major eras of the British postal system can be best described as the Victorian, King George V, King Edward VIII and the present Queen Elizabeth II. The Penny Black series of the Victorian times is the most famous that also includes the world’s first postage stamp in the shape as we know it.

My album starts from the King George V era and the stamps in the left lower column bear the portrait of King George V, issued in 1912s onward These are followed by stamps bearing portrait of King Edward VIII, issued in 1930s (stamps in the left column over the King George V stamps and the second column from the left).

The bulk of my stamps are of the King Elizabeth II era, starting from her coronation in 1952 till date.

I will continue to share pages from my stamp album of British stamps in days to come.

Postage stamps and postal history of Great Britain (Wikipedia)

The First Stamps

The Scinde Dak

A page from my stamp album - France

7:40 PM Jalal HB No comments

Some of the best postage stamps are published by France. The French stamps are unique in style, eye catching and absorbing. The source of my collection of French stamps was my father's office who was the head of Interpol in the late 60s and I had asked his orderly to cut all stamps from the envelops from the mail he received from France before throwing the opened envelopes.

I may add here that the head office of the Interpol, known as ICPO, was then located in France and I believe it continues to be there even now.

The French postal history dates back to 1849 when a stamp of 10c was issued. But my stamp album starts from the French stamps issued in 1940-41 onwards (top left column of the page from my stamp album).

A page from my stamp album - Lundy (UK)

6:24 PM Jalal HB No comments

Lundy is the largest island in the Bristol Channel, lying 12 miles (19 km) off the coast of Devon, England, approximately one third of the distance across the channel between England and Wales. It measures about 3 miles (5 km) by 0.75 miles (1.2 km). Lundy gives its name to a British sea area and is one of the islands of England. As of 2007, the population of the Island was only 28.

Owing to a decline in population and lack of interest in the mail contract, the GPO ended its presence at the end of 1927. For the next couple of years "King" Harman handled the mail to and from the island without charge. On 1 November 1929 he decided to offset the expense by issuing a series of private postage stamps, with a value expressed in "Puffins". The printing of Puffin stamps continues to this day. They have to be put on the bottom left hand corner of the envelope, so that the mainland sorting offices can process them: their cost includes the standard Royal Mail charges for onward delivery. Puffins are a type of stamp known to philatelists as a "local carriage label".

Issues of increasing value were made over the years, including air mail, featuring a variety of people. Many are now highly sought-after by collectors.

Lundy Island continues to issue stamps with the latest issues being in 2006 (100th anniversary of the wreck HMS Montagu) and 2008 (50th birthday of MS Oldenburg). The value of the early issues has risen substantially over the years. The stamps of Lundy Island serve to cover the postage of letters and cards from the island to the nearest GPO post box on the mainland for the many thousands of annual visitors, and have become part of the collection of the many British Local Posts collectors. These stamps appeared in 1970s in the Rosen Catalogue of British Local Stamps, and in the Phillips Modern British Locals CD Catalogue, published since 2003.

The stamps from my album were issued in 1962 as part of an anti Malaria campaign.

Text Source: Wikipedia