Kingdom of Yugoslavia, definitive issues of 1931/35: King Alexander I., facing to the left

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A. Introduction

Stamps of the fourth definitive issue were designed by P. Stojičević and engraved by D. Vagner. Cliches were produced in Veinna and printed by State Printing Works in Belgrade. Stamps were printed in sheets of 100 (10×10) on protected paper with white gum, perforation comb 12½. Stamps of this issue bear engraver’s name in Cyrillic below the frame – Д. ВАГНЕР. They were issued on the 1st of September 1931.

Stamps of the fourth definitive issue were wrongly printed with engraver’s signature, which led to dispute between designer Stojičević and the Ministry of Transport. Due to this event, later printings, starting from the 1st of December 1932, bear no signatures. These printing are collectively regarded as the fifth definitive issue. As Stojičević won the dispute the supplementary values of 75 para, 1.50, 1.75 and 3.50 din were printed with signatures of both the designer and the engraver: Стојичевић – Вагнер.

On 9 October 1934, King Aleksandar I of Yugoslavia was assassinated in Marseille while on a state visit to France. The so called “Black Armband” stamps (locally known as: “Crni flor”) started to circulate on the 17th October 1934, symbolizing mourning after the death of the late King. The way these stamps were produced resulted in many different types of black frames and made this issue one of the most interesting areas in Yugoslav philately.

B. Constant varieties

CONSTANT VARIETIES
25 para, black
No.	Regular		Black Armband
	Д. ВАГНЕР	none	1st prod.	2nd prod.	3rd prod.
I	Indentation in left frame next to numeral 2, white dot between 5 and letter U in JUGOSLAVIJA.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
			Another example
		Value €:-	Value €:-
50 para, green
No.	Regular		Black Armband
	Д. ВАГНЕР	none	1st prod.	2nd prod.	3rd prod.
I	White dot above the second letter J in JУГOCЛABИJA. Note also colored spot above the top left corner.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
		Another example
		Value €:-
II	Extensive damage on letters Г and O in JУГOCЛABИJA.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures: Novak (1948), p.201
		Another example
		Value €:-
III	Dot on letter В in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
				Another example
				Value €:-
1 din, red
No.	Regular		Black Armband
	Д. ВАГНЕР	none	1st prod.	2nd prod.	–
I	Ornament below letter О in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА finishes with a downward bent hook.
	Field №: 41, 52
	Other nomenclatures:–
		Value €:-
II	White dot inside the first letter A in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА, at the top.
	Field №: 72, 98
	Other nomenclatures:–
		Value €:-
III	Long white scratch above right-handed numeral 1.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures: Novak (1948), p.117, 118.
		Value €:-
IV	Dot below letter O in JУГOCЛABИJA.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures: Novak (1948), p.200
		Another example
		Value €:-
V	Horizontal white scratch between letters G and O in JUGOSLAVIJA.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures: Novak (1948), p.200
			Another example
			Value €:-
1.50 din, pink
No.	Regular		Black Armband
	Стојичевић – Вагнер		1st prod.	2nd prod.	3rd prod.
I	The first letter J in JUGOSLAVIJA split.
	Field №: 36, 93
	Other nomenclatures: Novak (1948), p.118; Jugomarka (1991), p.38.
	Value €:-
II	White dot above letter Л of JУГOCЛABИJA.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
	Value €:-
III	White dot above letter I in JUGOSLAVIJA.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
	Another example
	Value €:-
IV	White dot above the second letter A in JUGOSLAVIJA.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
	Value €:-		Value €:-
V	White dot above the first letter A in JУГOCЛABИJA.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
	Value €:-		Value €:-
VI	White dot connecting numeral 1 and the left frame.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
	Another example
	Value €:-
VII	Dot inside letter U in JUGOSLAVIJA.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
			Another example
			Value €:-
VIII	Dot inside letter O in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА and a small dot on the first letter J in JUGOSLAVIJA.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
			Another example
			Value €:-
IX	Dot between letters O and S in JUGOSLAVIJA.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
			Another example
			Value €:-
X	One dot below and another right from the letter L in JUGOSLAVIJA.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
			Another example
			Value €:-
XI	White dot above the second letter A in JUGOSLAVIJA.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
	Value €:-		Value €:-
XII	White line over last letter A in JУГOCЛABИJA.
	Field №: 6
	Other nomenclatures: Novak (1948), p.118, 201
	Value €:-			Value €:-
XIII	White dot between letters O and C in JУГOCЛABИJA. (Note also black dot in the upper left corner.)
	Field №: 56, 86
	Other nomenclatures: Novak (1948), p.118
			Another example
	Value €:-		Value €:-
XIV	White dot next to the letter И of JУГOCЛABИJA to the right side.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
	Another example
	Value €:-
XV	White dot on left-sided top ornament, below letters Г and О in JУГOCЛABИJA to the right side.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
	Value €:-			Value €:-
XVI	White dot below letter U in JUGOSLAVIJA.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
				Another example
				Value €:-
XVII	Big white dot above letters G and O in JUGOSLAVIJA, white dot on top right ornament below letters И and Ј in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
	Field №: 70, 88
	Other nomenclatures: Novak (1948), p.118
				Another example
				Value €:-
XVIII	White dot next to the letter И of JУГOCЛABИJA in the center.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
	Another example
	Value €:-
XIX	White dot above the first letter А in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
	Another example.
	Value €:-
3 din, slate blue
No.	Regular		Black Armband
	Д. ВАГНЕР	none	1st prod.	2nd prod.	–
I	Grave accent above letter G in JUGOSLAVIJA.
	Field №: 70
	Other nomenclatures: Novak (1948), p.118, 202
		Value €:-	Value €:-
II	Letter Д damaged at bottom left.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures: Novak (1948), p.202
			Value €:-
3.50 din, ultramarine
No.	Regular		Black Armband
	Стојичевић – Вагнер		1st prod.	2nd prod.	–
I	Horizontal line on the second letter J in JUGOSLAVIJA.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures: Novak (1948), p.118, 203
	Value €:-		Value €:-
II	White dot on letter С and inside letter И in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures: Novak (1948), p.118, 202
	Value €:-		Value €:-
4 din, orange
No.	Regular		Black Armband
	Д. ВАГНЕР	none	1st prod.	2nd prod.	–
I	Shade on oval ribbon (below letters ГО in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА) shaped as a square.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
		Another example
		Value €:-		Value €:-
5 din, purple
No.	Regular		Black Armband
	Д. ВАГНЕР	none	1st prod.	2nd prod.	–
I	White dot between letters S and L in JUGOSLAVIJA.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures: Novak (1948), p.118, 203
		Value €:-		Value €:-
30 din, rose
No.	Regular		Black Armband
	Д. ВАГНЕР	none	1st prod.	2nd prod. (none)	2nd prod. Д. ВАГНЕР
I	Horizontal stroke of letter Д missing.
	Field №: ?
	Other nomenclatures:–
	Value €:-	Value €:-		Value €:-	Value €:-

C. Possible constant varieties

POSSIBLE CONSTANT VARIETIES (not mentioned in literature)
25 para, black
1	Color disturbance below letter И in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА (possibly retouching).
2	Final stroke of letter G in JUGOSLAVIJA prolonged.
3	White dot above the last letter A in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА, a circle above the right-sided denomination.
4	Horizontal scratch above inner bottom frame, below letters J and U in JUGOSLAVIJA.
5	White dot (a comma sign) between 2 and 5 in left-sided denomination.
6	Letter G in JUGOSLAVIJA connected to bottom frame.
7	White dot after the last letter A in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
8	White spot on King’s cheek.
9	White spot below left-sided numeral 5.
10	Thin scratch below letter O and a dot between letters A and V in JUGOSLAVIJA.
50 para, green
2	White dot below letter C in JУГOCЛABИJA and white dot inside letter A of JUGOSLAVIJA.
3	White dot above letter P next to the denomination value to the right.
4	Vertical scratch on letter П.
5	The fourth shading line on King’s collar broken.
6	Horizontal shading line leading to area between King’s chin and collar broken.
7	White dot above the first letter A in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
8	“Comma sign” between letters О and С in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
9	Colored dot above the last letter А in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
10	White dot inside letter O in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
75 para, slate green
1	White line between letters O and C in JУГOCЛABИJA.
3	White dot to the left from the medallion.
4	White dot above letters A and V in JUGOSLAVIJA.
5	White dot above the last letter A in JUGOSLAVIJA.
6	Top inner frame above letters У and Г broken.
7	White circle on King’s chin.
8	Colored dot between letters А and В in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
9	Large vertical scar on King’s cheek.	Enlarged area
10	Small dot on letter Л in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.	Enlarged area
11	White dot above the right-sided denomination.
12	White dot between letters Ј and А in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
1 dinar, red
1	Letter Д next to the left denomination value broken.
2	Letters J and A in JUGOSLAVIJA connected by a thin line.
3	Dot on ornament below letter O in ЈУГОСЛАБИЈА.
1.50 din, pink
1	Broken frame above letter B in JУГOCЛABИJA.
2	White dot between letters У and Г of JУГOCЛABИJA.
3	White dot above letter И of JУГOCЛABИJA.
5	White dot inside zero in denomination in the right.
6	White dot below letter V in JUGOSLAVIJA.
8	White dot below the last letter A in JUGOSLAVIJA.
9	White dot right from the first letter A in JUGOSLAVIJA.
10	White dot inside letter В of ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА, at the top
11	Letters U and G in JUGOSLAVIJA connected by a thin line.
12	Thin scratch at the top of the second letter J in JUGOSLAVIJA.
13	White dot on King’s chin.
14	Letter Д of left denomination touching left frame. Note also disturbance below letters О and С in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА, probably coincidental (foreign object on a printing plate)
15	Long thin line stretching from letter О in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА to the first letter J in JUGOSLAVIJA.
16	Dot inside letter И in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
17	Dot left from letter V in JUGOSLAVIJA.
18	Colored dot on the last letter А in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
19	White spot below the right-sided number 5.
20	White spot below King’s left eye.
21	White dot on the upper part of the first vertical stroke of letter И in ЈУГОСЛАВИИЈА.
22	White spot above letter U in JUGOSLAVIJA.
23	Thin horizontal line on inner frame above letters И and Ј in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
24	White dot between letters А and В in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА, pale spot between letters G and O in JUGOSLAVIJA.
26	Bottom frame above the first letter A in JUGOSLAVIJA broken.
27	Thin crack on top frame above letter Л in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
28	Two horizontal background lines inside the meadallion broken.
29	Thin sloping line above the first letter A in JUGOSLAVIJA.
30	Letters IJA in JUGOSLAVIJA smudged.
31	Thin vertical line between letters O and S in JUGOSLAVIJA.
32	White hook next to the letter L in JUGOSLAVIJA.
33	White dot on letter G in JUGOSLAVIJA.
34	Small white dot below the first letter A in JUGOSLAVIJA.
36	Thin withe hook above letters G and O in JUGOSLAVIJA.
37	White dot after last letter А in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
38	White dot at bottom of letter У in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
39	White dot on letter S in JUGOSLAVIJA.
40	White dot inside letter O in JUGOSLAVIJA.
41	Horizontal background lines inside oval frame interrupted at top right.
42	Short white line on left side of 1.
43	White dot left from right denomination value.
1.75 din, deep rose
1	White dot left from the first letter J of JUGOSLAVIJA.
3 din., slate blue
1	White line over letter L in JUGOSLAVIJA.
2	Thin dot between letters И and Ј in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
3	Pale circle above letters I and J in JUGOSLAVIJA.
4	Pale circle above the first letter J in JUGOSLAVIJA.
5	Letter O in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА broken on the left side.
6	Thin line below bottom frame, colored triangle near top left corner.
7	Colored dot above letter Л in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
8	Shading lines on King’s forehead above nose broken. Note: stamp to the left with plate flaw II.
9	Large indentation in bottom frame below letter O in JUGOSLAVIJA.
10	Line in collar broken.
3.50 din, ultramarine
1	White behind the second letter A in JUGOSLAVIJA.
2	White dot at the top of the second vertical stroke of letter И in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
3	Two white vertical lines on top of letter И in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.
4	White spot on letter Д and color disturbance right from it.
4 din, orange
1	Thin horizontal lines above and below the design.
2	Thin horizontal lines below the design.
3	Thin horizontal lines below and left from the design.
4	Bottom frame broken below letter G in JUGOSLAVIJA.
15 din, brown
1	White spot at the bottom of the first letter J in JUGOSLAVIJA.
20 din, violet
1	Thin sloping line between letters L and A in JUGOSLAVIJA.
2	White dot inside letter O in JUGOSLAVIJA.
3	White circle above the left-sided denomination.
4	White dot between letters G and O in JUGOSLAVIJA.
30 din, rose
1	Horizontal stroke in letter Д missing, white dot between letters O and S.

D. Coincidental varieties

COINCIDENTAL VARIETIES
Perforation errors
1	Double perforation to the left.
2	Misaligned perforation (stamps wider than usual).
3	Bent pin in perforating tool (above letters Г and О in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА).
Color spills
1	Color spills.
Foreign object on printing plate
1	Foreign objects on printing plates.
Scratches
1	Vertical scratches over the design.
Printing blocks
1	Two lines connecting names СТОЈИЋЕВИЋ-ВАГНЕР.
2	Printing block after ВАГНЕР.

E. The Black Armband mourning issues

Stamps with black frames were imprinted in three different procedures, depending of in which production stage the stamps were in.

Changed colors, blurred, spotty and flat print of the stamps of the first production procedure (left stamp). Sheet borders are also significant in determining the procedures as the stamps of the 2nd production don’t have them.

Four frame types in a block of four: III and II in the top row, and VI and VII in the bottom row.

The first production procedure
Newly produced stamps of all denominations were first to be issued. They were printed with the same cliches as the issues without frames. Lower denominations from 25 para to 4 din were printed in press sheets of 200 and then split into two sheets of stamps, each having 100 stamps (10×10). Higher denominations were printed in sheets of 100. Characteristics:

1. Stamps of the first procedure were printed on a press that enabled two color printing which resulted in black frame being well centered to the stamp design.
2. The black frame was impressed in a single step and has therefore no types.
3. Colors are a bit different than on the stamps without frames, impression is slightly blurred and spotty, image looks flat.

The 1, 10 and 20 din stamps were printed in two runs. The second run is identifiable by neater perforations, slightly thicker paper, colors are lighter and impressions clearer.

The second production procedure
Large existing stocks of already finalized sheets (printed, gummed and perforated) without back frames were handed over to the press on the January 1st, 1935. All values, except the 1.75 din were overprinted with black frames, the 20 and 30 din stamps both with and without engraver’s signature below the bottom frame.

Overprinting of finished sheets proved to be technically demanding due to their dimensions. Borders of sheets had to be manually removed and black frames had to be imprinted in two phases. Even now some frames remained unprinted while others were overprinted twice, resulting in dozens of different frame types. Characteristics:

1. Print quality and color of stamps corresponds to issues without frames.
2. Quality of impression of the black frame varies greatly. The frame is usually not well centered and printed with varying amounts of color.
3. As the sheets of stamps were already perforated when the black frame was printed, the holes of perforation are filled with color, many times visible at the back of the stamp, especially on margins of the sheet (since the borders were removed).
4. Presence of frame types.

The third production procedure
At the same time when the finished sheets were handed over to the press for imprinting the black frame, a stock of unfinished sheets was delivered as well. Already printed but not yet gummed and perforated, the sheets were passed through the press for the black frame to be impressed on them and then were finalized. Only three values were produced in this way: 50 and 75 para and 1.50 din. Characteristics:

1. Print quality and color of stamps corresponds to issues without frames.
2. Black frame is identical as on newly produced stamps from the first procedure but mostly not as well centered.
3. As the sheets were perforated after the black frame was printed on them, perforation holes are not covered with color.

ISSUES AND CIRCULATIONS OF BLACK ARMBAND ISSUES
Denomination	Signature	1st prod.		2nd prod.		3rd prod.
		Date	Circulation	Date	Circulation	Date	Circulation
25 para, black		Oct. 17, 1934	12.062.000	Jan. 5, 1935	7.368.200
50 para, green		Oct. 17, 1934	1.972.400	Jan. 5, 1935	4.826.600	Jan. 5, 1935	7.700.000
75 para, slate green	Стојичевић – Вагнер	Oct. 17, 1934	18.082.900	Jan. 5, 1935	2.102.800	Jan. 5, 1935	2.100.000
1 din, red		Oct. 17, 1934	9.106.600	Jan. 5, 1935	1.398.500
1.50 din, pink	Стојичевић – Вагнер	Oct. 17, 1934	33.099.800	Jan. 5, 1935	1.992.700	Jan. 5, 1935	9.800.000
1.75 din, deep rose	Стојичевић – Вагнер	Oct. 17, 1934	2.311.100
3 din, slate blue		Oct. 17, 1934	2.983.700	Jan. 5, 1935	1.787.500
3.50 din, ultramarine	Стојичевић – Вагнер	Oct. 17, 1934	2.825.100	Jan. 5, 1935	237.500
4 din, deep orange		Oct. 24, 1934	1.396.600	Jan. 5, 1935	1.444.200
5 din, purple		Oct. 24, 1934	434.900	Jan. 5, 1935	895.800
10 din, brown olive		Oct. 24, 1934	1.602.600	Jan. 5, 1935	163.700
15 din, deep brown		Nov. 4, 1934	436.300	Jan. 5, 1935	258.300
20 din, dark violet		Nov. 4, 1934	642.100	Jan. 5, 1935	104.900
20 din, dark violet	Д. ВАГНЕР	Nov. 4, 1934
30 din, rose		Nov. 4, 1934	212.200	Jan. 5, 1935	234.400
30 din, rose	Д. ВАГНЕР	Nov. 4, 1934

F. Black frame analysis of the second production procedure

In the second production procedure the black frames had to be printed in two phases. Special tools had to be made for this task, still some frames remained unprinted while other printed twice. Dozens of different frame types exist. According to S. Manželej (Priručnik maraka jugoslovenskih zemalja, Tome 8, 164-209) frame types appear in different layout within a sheet as different tools for printing black frames existed. Types of frames by different layouts are presented in the table below:

TYPES OF FRAMES OF THE SECOND PRINTING PROCEDURE
Layout A: All values, except 1.75 din. The 20 and 30 din stamps both with and without engraver’s signature Д. ВАГНЕР below the frame.	Layout B: Only 0.75 para and 1, 5, 10, 15 and 30 din, the latter both with and without engraver’s signature.	Layout C: Is actually inverted layout A. Only 1, 5 and 10 din were produced in this layout.

TYPES OF FRAMES
	Type III/1: double frame on the right, top and left perforation colored.
	Type II/2: double frame on the left, top perforation colored.
	Type I/s: top perforation colored.
	Type I/10: top and right perforations colored.
	Type III: double frame on the right, left perforation colored.
	Type II: double frame on the left.
	Type I/i: right perforation colored.
	Type VI: frame on the left unprinted, double frame on top right and bottom right corner.
	Type VII: double frame on top left and bottom left corner.
	Type VIII/82: double frames on the left and on the bottom.
	Type IV: double frame on the bottom.
	Type X: double frame on the bottom left corner, right perforation colored.
	Type IX/90: double frame on the top right corner, left and bottom perforations colored.
	Type V: double frame on top, bottom perforation colored.
	Type IV/90: double frame at the bottom, right perforation colored.
	Type V/92-1 (B1): frame split in the lower left corner, bottom perforation colored.
	Type V/c: double frame on top.
	Type V/96: double frame on top, left frame split in the middle.

POSSIBLE CONSTANT VARIETIES OF BLACK FRAME (not mentioned in literature)
1	White dot on black frame above the letter Л in ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА.

COINCIDENTAL VARIETIES
1	Parts of frame appear to be torn. Note: In literature it is suggested that such flaws occur on stamps of the 2nd production procedure that had gum spilled on the face of the stamp. When soaked in water the gum and the black color came off. Clearly, this can’t be the case with presented 75 para stamp from the 3rd production procedure, so there must me other reasons as well.
2	Gone through paper print.
3	Border residues. Note: in the 2nd production procedure sheet borders had to be manually removed as they represented an obstacle to printing a black frame. As this was done manually it wasn’t precise. Sometimes parts of borders remained and were overprinted, as in case of this Type III stamp. Sometimes stamps got damaged during this process.
4	Black dots (impressions of perforation) on the back of the stamp.
5	Color spills.

 

References

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Bibliography

1. Katalog poštanskih maraka jugoslovenskih zemalja (1991), Jugomarka (Belgrade), YU ISSN 0351-4447
2. Novak, Dragan: Priručnik maraka jugoslovenskih zemalja (1948), Tome 8, Filatelistički savez Hrvatske (Zagreb)