Stamp Day - 100th Ann of the First Croatian Commemorative Postage Stamp

The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (SCS) was created near the end of WWI that ended on November 11th, 1918 during the process of dissolution of the Austria – Hungary Monarchy that was founded on the supremacy of two nations with the greatest number of people and strongest economies. Internally, the Monarchy was divided due to the international differences, broken by the internal revolutionary events and defeated by the Triple Entente forces.

The belated promise of the Emperor and King Charles I or Karl I presented on October 16th, 1918 regarding the reorganisation of the Austrian part of the Monarchy to an “alliance of free nations” came when the diplomatic negotiations among the great powers had already drawn new maps of Europe.

Refusing the offer presented by the Emperor and King Charles I or Karl I, on October 19th, 1918 the National Council of the SCS, regarding the federalisation of the Austrian part of the Monarchy, announced that »from this moment on, authorised by all national parties and groups, it is taking over the leadership of the national politics«. The National Council was a political representation of all Slovenes, Croatians and Serbs living in the southeast part of the Austria-Hungary Monarchy that, according to the political-territorial division of the time, included: Croatia and Slavonia with Rijeka, Dalmatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Istria, Trieste, Gorica, Carniola, Styria, Carinthia, Bačka, Banat, Baranja and other parts of southwest Hungary. At its session on October 29th, 1918, the Croatian Parliament made a decision that »all previous state-legal relations and connections of the Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia on one side, and the Kingdom of Hungary and the Empire of Austria on the other side are being dissolved« and that »Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia with Rijeka are being declared fully independent from Hungary and Austria and that, according to the modern principle of nationality and on the basis of the national unity of the Slovenes, Croatians and Serbs, they are entering a common national sovereign State of Slovenes, Croatians and Serbs on the entire ethnographical area of those nations regardless of any territorial and state borders where the Slovenes, Croatians and Serbs live today«.

A day before, on October 28th, 1918, Czechoslovakia and Poland were declared republics.

Pursuant to the decision made by the Croatian Parliament, activities were undertaken to establish internal political order and stability and to reorganise public institutions. Cezar Akačić was appointed the commissioner of the newly formed General Governance for Post, Telegram and Telephone. During his mandate, he reorganised the postal system that was implemented in around 460 postal offices. He nationalised the existing Hungarian stamps and issued postage stamps of the new state.

The first Croatian postage stamp, the commemorative edition to honour Croatia's declaration of independence from Austria – Hungary entitled “October 29th, 1918” was placed into circulation on November 29th, 1918. The concept was created by academic painters: Srećko Sabljak (drawing of a slave breaking chains) and Rudolf Valić (stamp frame with the symbols of folk ornaments, the coat of arms of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia, and text: “SHS” and the word “HRVATSKA” (CROATIA) between them in the upper part of the of the stamp; October 29th, 1918; and the nominal value in the lower corners).

The postage stamps were printed using lithography in a print shop in Zagreb in 100-stamp sheets.

Even though there were disagreement during the preparation regarding the nominal values and quantities, stamps were issued in the following circulations:

• 10 deniers, red: 30,000 pieces;

• 20 deniers, purple: 30,000 pieces;

• 25 deniers, blue: 25,000 pieces;

• 45 deniers, grey-green: 15,000 pieces.

The stamps were distributed in 234 postal offices in the area of Croatia and Slavonia excluding Dalmatia. In the City of Zagreb they were sold at the Main Postal Office in Jurišićeva ulica; postal office by the Main Train Station and on Gornji grad.

Newspaper records, as well as philately literature, indicate that this edition created a great public interest. Newspapers wrote the following:

“In Zagreb, the postage stamps were available for purchasing at 8 AM, and by 7 AM, hundreds of interested people lined up in front of the main and other postal offices. The waiting line stretched from the entrance to the postal office all the way to the present day Johann Franck cafe at 9 Ban J. Jelačić Square. Six service windows were open at the main postal office (Jurišićeva), and three service windows at other locations were exclusively selling jubilee postage stamps. The 45 denier postage stamp was sold out by 10 AM, and collectors were paying up to 10 krunas (22 times as much) for it. Postal offices had to close by noon because the crowd had become hazardous. Sales resumed with the assistance of the National Guard and the Academic Guard. By 4 PM the jubilee postage stamps could not be purchased at any postal office anymore.”

This year's edition for the Stamp Day, with its colours, associated nominal values and (partially) motif is a reminder of that jubilee edition. Its purpose was to remain a memento of the liberation of Croatia from the Hungarian grip because a postage stamp is the “spokesperson” for the country that issues it.

Danijel Prerad, Bachelor of Journalism