State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs: Issues for Bosnia and Herzegovina

November–December 1918. Stamps of Bosnia and Herzegovina, issued in 1910 to commemorate 80 years of rule of Emperor Francis Joseph, were overprinted after the fall of Austria-Hungary with the name of new state in Latin (DRŽAVA S.H.S.) and in Cyrillic (ДРЖАВА С.Х.С.). Stamps were overprinted in letterpress in black and red color.

A. CONSTANT VARIETIES – YEAR MARKS
I Left: 191; right: 1918
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 3, 5, 10, 20 and 25 heller
Value €: –
II Left: 1918; right: 1 18
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: only 10 heller
Value €: –
III Left: 18; right: 1918
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 10, 40, 45 heller, 10 krone
Value €: –
IV Left: 19; right: 1918
Field №: 50 (5 heller) Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 5, 10, 20, 40 heller, 10 krone
Value €: –
V Left: 1981; right: 1918
Field №: 36 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 5, 10, 30, 40 heller
Value €: –
VI Left: 981; right: 1918
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 3, 5, 20, 30, 40, 45, 50 heller
Value €: –
VII SHS Bosnia and Herzegovina postage stamp overprint error 918 instead of 1918 Left: 918; right: 1918
Field №: 25 (3 heller), 34 (5, 25, 45 heller) Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 3, 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 40, 45, 50 heller, 10 krone
Value €: –
VIII Left: 1918; right: missing
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 10 heller
Value €: –
IX SHS Bosnia Herzegovina Yugoslavia postage stamp overprint error 918 Left: 1918; right: 918
Field №:34 (3 heller); 20, 21, 28, 29 (10 heller); 18, 37 (20 heller); 37 (25 heller); 5 (10 krone) Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 3, 10, 20, 25 heller and 10 krone
Value €: –
X SHS Bosnia Herzegovina 1918 postage stamp overprint error missing year mark Left: missing; right: 1918
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 10 heller
Value €: –
XI Left: 19 8; right: 1918
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 45 heller
Value €: –
XII Left: 1891; right: 1918
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 40 heller
Value €: –
XIII Left: 891; right: 1918
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 10, 40 heller
Value €: –
XIV Left: 191; right: missing
Field №: 15 (3 heller); 50 (5 heller); 15 (10 heller); 15 (25 heller) Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 3, 5, 10, 20, 25 heller
Value €: –
XV Left: 1918; right: 191
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 3, 5, 10, 20, 25 heller
Value €: –
XVI Left: 1918; right: 18
Field №: 42 (40 heller) Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 5, 40, 90 heller
Value €: –
XVII Left: 1918; right: 19
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 5 heller, 10 krone
Value €: –
XVIII Left: 1918; right: 1981
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 10 and 40 heller
Value €: –
XIX Left: 1918; right: 981
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 5 heller
Value €: –
XX Left: 1918; right: 1891
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 40 heller
Value €: –
XXI Left: 918; right: 891
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 10 heller
Value €: –
XXII Left: 918; right: 918
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 10 heller
Value €: –
XXIII Left: missing; right: missing
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 10 hellers, 10 krone
Value €: –
B. MISSING LETTERS AND MARKS
XXIV SHS Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp overprint flaw letter Ž in DRŽAVA damaged Letter “Ж” in “ДРЖАВА” damaged.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 30, 80 heller, 3 and 10 krone
Value €: –
XXV The letter “X” in the denomination (Cyrillic “h”) is missing.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 80 heller
Value €: –
XXVIa The left canceling block is missing.
Field №: 24 (90 heller) Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 80, 90 heller
Value €: –
XXVIb Left canceling block damaged.
Field №: 20 (90 heller) Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 90 heller
Value €: –
XLIII Zero in denomination damaged.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 90 heller
Value €: –
XXVIII The letters “го” in “Херцеговина” are damaged.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 5, 30, 40, 45, 50, 80 heller and 10 krone
Value €: –
XXIX Dot missing after the first “S” in “S.H.S.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 2 krone
Value €: –
XXX Dot missing after the second “S” in “S.H.S.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 2 and 4 krone
Value €: –
XXXI The comma after the first “S” in “S.H.S.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 4 krone
Value €: –
XXXII Dot missing after “H” in “S.H.S.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 2, 4 krone
Value €: –
XXXIII Large letter “B” in “Bosna.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 2, 4 krone
Value €: –
XXXIV Drzava SHS Bosna i Hercegovina Z instead of Ž in DRŽAVA Letter “Ž” in “DRŽAVA” without diacritical sign – “DRZAVA.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 4 krone
Value €: –
XXXV Both letters “s” in “Bosna” are missing – “Bo na.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 2, 4 krone
Value €: –
XXXVI Letter “i” in “Hercegovina” thin.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 2 krone
Value €: –
XXXVII SHS Bosnia Herzegovina 1918 postage stamp overprint error letter D in DRZAVA missing Letter “D” in “DRŽAVA” missing – “RŽAVA.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 4 krone
Value €: –
XXXVIII Numeral 1 in denomination missing – “0 K.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 10 krone
Value €: –
XXXIX Numeral 1 in denomination imprinted in the second run (shifted to the left).
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 10 krone
Value €: –
C. OTHER CONSTANT VARIETIES
XL Numeral 9 in 1918 is deformed.
Field №: 49 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 40 heller
Value €: –
XLI Thick numerals.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 60 and 80 heller
Value €: –
XLII SHS Bosnia Herzegovina 1918 postage stamp overprint error 4 filled with color Numeral 4 filled with color.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 4 krone
Value €: –
XLIII SHS Bosnia Herzegovina 1918 postage stamp overprint error Chipped number 4 Chipped number 4 in the denomination.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 4 krone
Value €: –
XLIV Zero in denomination open on top.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: –
Value €: –
XLV SHS Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp overprint error o in Bosna damaged The letter “o” in “Bosna” is open on top.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 3 heller
Value €: –
XLVI The letter “а” in “Херцеговина” is damaged.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 45 heller
Value €: –
XLVII The right canceling block is larger.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 90 heller
Value €: –
XLVIII SHS Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp overprint flaw The letters “Бос” in “Босна” shifted upwards.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 30 heller
Value €: –
XLIX SHS Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp flaw in overprint The letters “Bosn” in “Bosna” shifted upwards.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: another example
Value €: –
CONSTANT VARIETIES OF OVERPRINTS
COINCIDENTAL VARIETIES (probably intentionally produced)
5 Double overprint, one of them inverted. SHS Bosnia 1919 double head to tail overprint All values
6 Wrong script: Cyrillic instead of Latin and vice versa. 3, 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 40, 45, and 50 heller
7 Wrong overprint color. 3, 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 40, 45, and 50 heller
8 Both red and black overprints, normal settings or inverted:

  • red in Latin and black in Cyrillic,
  • red in Cyrillic and black in Latin,
  • black in Latin and red in Cyrillic inverted,
  • red in Latin and black in Cyrillic inverted,
  • black in Cyrillic and red in Cyrillic inverted,
  • red in Cyrillic and black in Cyrillic inverted.
 3, 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 40, 45, and 50 heller
POSSIBLE CONSTANT VARIETIES (unlisted)
6 The letter “с” in “Босна” shifted upwards. SHS Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp overprint letter s in Bosna shifted upwards
8 The lower right part of the left canceling block is damaged. SHS Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp overprint flaw damaged canceling block
9 The left canceling block is damaged at the bottom. SHS Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp overprint error canceling block
11 Open letter “Д” in “ДРЖАВА.”
12 Numerals 9 and 8 in the right-sided year mark damaged on top.
13 Numeral 8 smaller.

13 December 1918. Bosnia and Herzegovina special delivery stamps with a black overprint DRŽAVA S. H. S. Bosna i Hercegovina / ДРЖАВА СХС Босна и Херцеговина in letterpress.

CONSTANT VARIETIES
2 heller
I The letters “И” and “Н” in “ХЕРЦЕГОВИНА” are broken.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: –
Value €: –
II “Босна и” instead of “БОСНА И.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: –
Value €: –

28 December 1918. The 1916 charity issue for disabled veterans with a black overprint DRŽAVA S. H. S. Bosna i Hercegovina / ДРЖАВА С. Х. С. Босна и Херцеговина in letterpress.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
10 + 10 heller
1 A horizontal line on the letter “B” in “ДРЖАВА.”
COINCIDENTAL VARIETIES
Both denominations
1 Double overprint
2 Shifted overprint.

Postage dues

CONSTANT VARIETIES
I Letter “И” in “БОСНА” damaged.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: all values with Cyrillic overprint.
Value €: –
II The letters “И” and “Н” in “ХЕРЦЕГОВИНА” are broken.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: all values with Cyrillic overprint.
Value €: –
III Letter “A” in “ХЕРЦЕГОВИНА” is damaged (so-called narrow “A”).
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: all values with Cyrillic overprint.
Value €: –
IV The letter “A” in “ХЕРЦЕГОВИНА” is thick.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: all values with Cyrillic overprint.
Value €: –
V Letter “A” in “ХЕРЦЕГОВИНА” missing – “ХЕРЦЕГОВИН.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: all values with Cyrillic overprint.
Value €: –
VI SHS Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp overprint error Bosna in small instead of in capital letters “Босна и” instead of “БОСНА И.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: all values with Cyrillic overprint.
Value €: –
VII The inscription “HELLERA” is missing.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 25 heller
Value €: –
VIII The inscription “KRUNA” is missing.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 1 krone
Value €: –
IX Inscription “xелера” missing.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 20 heller
Value €: –
X Inscription “круна” instead of “xелера.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 5, 10 heller
Value €: –
XI Letter “O” in “BOSNA” missing – “B SNA.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 25, 40 heller
Value €: –
XII The last letter “A” in “DRŽAVA” is missing – “DRŽAV .”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 1 krone
Value €: –
XIII “D” and the last “A” in “DRŽAVA” are missing – ” RŽAV .”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 4 heller and 1 krone
Value €: –
XIV “D” in “DRŽAVA” is missing – ” RŽAVA.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 1 krone
Value €: –
XV The last letter “A” in “DRŽAVA” and “BOSN” in “BOSNA” are missing – “DRŽAV S.H.S. A I HERCEGOVINA.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 1 krone
Value €: –
XVI Letters “E”, “G” and “V” in “HERCEGOVINA” are missing – “HERC O NA.”
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 1 krone
Value €: –
COINCIDENTAL VARIETIES
1 Inverted overprint SHS Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp inverted overprint Inverted overprint on YUGOSLAVIA stamp All values
2 Double overprint. Yugoslavia Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp double overprint error All values
3 Double overprint, one of them inverted. Yugoslavia Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp double inverted overprint error All values
4 Offset. Yugoslavia Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp overprint offset error All values
5 Overprint in Latin instead of in Cyrillic script. 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50 heller, 3 krone.
6 Overprint in Cyrillic instead of in Latin script. 4, 6, 15, 25, 40 heller and 1 krone.
7 Shifted overprint – horizontally and vertically. Yugoslavia Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp shifted overprint error SHS Bosnia Yugoslavia shifted overprint error All values.
SPECIAL POSTAL USAGE
1 Postage dues used as franco stamps. SHS Bosnia postage due FRANCO overprint

Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes: Issues for Bosnia and Herzegovina

A. Definitive issue

After unification with the Kingdom of Serbia, a new state was formed – the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In 1919 stamps of Bosnia and Herzegovina, issues of 1906, 1912, and 1916, were overprinted in letterpress in black and red color with new country name in Latin (KRALJEVSTVO S.H.S) and Cyrillic (КРАЉЕВСТВО С.Х.С) scripts.

CONSTANT VARIETIES
I Without the “mask” over the Emperor’s head.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 3, 5, 20/35, 25, 30, 45, 45/80, 50/72, 60, 80, 90 heller and 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 krone. Probably intentionally produced.
Value €: –
II The word “KRALJEVSTVO” is missing.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 3, 45/80 heller and 2, 10 krone
Value €: –
III The top horizontal canceling line is aligned to the lower on the left side.
Field №: 44 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 5 heller
Value €: –
IV The upper horizontal canceling line is missing.
Field №: 50 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 5 heller
Value €: –
V Inscription S.H.S. standing ½ cm lower.
Field №: 77 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 5, 25 heller
Value €: –
VI The second letter “S” in “S.H.S.” is missing (S.H. ).
Field №: 68 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 3 heller
Value €: –
VII Letter “K” in “KRALJEVSTVO” is missing ( RALJEVSTVO).
Field №: 1 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 5, 25 heller, 3 K
Value €: –
VIII Without the left canceling box.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 50/72 heller
Value €: –
IX Numeral 5 in 45 thick.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 45/80 heller
Value €: –
X SHS Bosnia 1919 overprint error lower corner The bottom right corner of the “mask” over the Emperor’s face missing.
Field №:74 (3 heller), 45 (10/6 heller), 78 (20/35 heller), 78 (45/80 heller) Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 3, 10/6, 20/35 and 45/80 heller.
Value €: –
XI The top left corner of the “mask” over the Emperor’s face missing.
Field №:16, 52 (45/80 heller), 7 (60 heller), 27 (3 krone) Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 45/80, 60 heller and 3 krone
Value €: –
XII The lower left corner of the “mask” over the Emperor’s face missing.
Field №: 23 (30 and 60 heller) Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 30, 60 heller
Value €: –
XIII Yugoslavia Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp overprint error comma The left side of the dot after the first letter S in S.H.S. missing (the “comma flaw”).
Field №: 48 (2 krone) Pane: Pane
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: 2 krone
Value €: –
XIV The mask on the Emperor’s face is deformed.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: –
Value €: –
COINCIDENTAL VARIETIES
1 Inverted overprint. All values
2 Double overprint. SHS Bosnia 1919 double overprint error SHS Bosnia 1919 double overprint error All values
3 Double overprint, one of them inverted. All values
4 Double overprint, both inverted. 5 heller
5 Triple overprint. 3, 5, 10/6, 20/35, 25, 30, 45, 45/80, 50/72, 60, 80, 90 heller and 10 krone
6 Rotated overprint (90°). All values, except 50 heller
7 Offset All values
8 Shifted overprint – horizontally or vertically. Yugoslavia Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp shifted overprint error All values
OTHER VARIETIES, PROBABLY INTENTIONALLY PRODUCED
9 The mask on the overprint on 2 krone stamp. 2 krone
10 Both regular and rotated overprint. All values (?)
11 Overprint in Latin instead of in Cyrillic script. 3, 20/35, 30, 50, 60, 90 heller and 3, 5 krone
12 Overprint in Cyrillic instead of in Latin script. 5, 10/6, 25, 80 heller and 2, 4, 10 krone
13 Double overprint, one in Cyrillic the other in Latin script. ?
14 Double overprint in Latin script, one in black and the other in red color. ?
15 Double overprint in Latin script, one in black and the other in red color, the black overprint inverted. ?
OTHER UNLISTED OBSERVED VARIETIES
1 Position of the “mask” shifting to the left.
(only on 90 heller stamp)		 SHS Bosnia 1919 overprint error canceling block shifted
POSSIBLE CONSTANT OR COINCIDENTAL VARIETIES
1 The top left side of the “mask” is damaged. Yugoslavia Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp overprint error damaged mask
2 A dot in the upper left corner of the “mask”. Yugoslavia Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp overprint error a dot in the corner
3 Circle-shaped hole in the “mask”. Yugoslavia Bosnia Herzegovina postage stamp overprint error circle in the mask
4 The left side of the “mask” is damaged.
5 The bottom right corner of the mask is damaged, almost missing.
6 The top left corner of the mask is almost completely missing.
7 The letter “O” in “KRALJEVSTVO” is broken on top right.

B. Postage dues

CONSTANT VARIETIES OF OVERPRINTS On values Description Field number
I 40 heller Numeral 4 in denomination thin. Only one in a pane.
COINCIDENTAL VARIETIES
1 Inverted overprint. All values
2 Double overprint. 2, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 heller and 1, 3, 4 krone
3 Offset. Yugoslavia Bosnia Herzegovina postage due stamp overprint offset error All values
4 Shifted overprint, horizontally or vertically.
POSSIBLE CONSTANT OR COINCIDENTAL VARIETIES
1 Colorless spot at the top of the right canceling block. 20 heller

 

References

Bibliography

  1. Fleck, Vladimir (1941): Priručnik Maraka Hrvatskih Zemalja, Book 1, Tome 2, Hrvatski Filatelistički Savez, Zagreb
  2. Katalog poštanskih maraka jugoslovenskih zemalja (1991), Jugomarka (Belgrade). YU ISSN 0351-4447

Contributors
Some of the images on this page were contributed by:

  • mag. Boštjan Petauer FRPSL