Srpska Republic stamps

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Flag of Republika Srpska

The Republic of Srpska is one of the two political entities that together constitute the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other entity being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The de facto capital of the RS is Banja Luka. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republika_Srpska

See: Bosnia and Herzegovina stamps

See: Yugoslavia stamps

cartedf_yougo_1998.gif (43122 octets)


1992

Scott: #???O

Issued: 26.10.1992

Inside #???: Stamps on Envelope

Overprint Yugoslavia #2005


2010 bosnia herz world post day ss

Scott: #???P

Issued: 09.10.2010

World Post Day

#41 Inside #611: Bosnia Herzegovina #41O

Lou wrote: When this s/s came out, I wondered why the reproduced stamp was chosen, as it seemed to have no relationship to the buildings, olives and cheeses in the balance of the design.  The explanation was right there in the English translation of the Cyrillic inscription in the lower right:  “Private Perforation Banja Luka”, but it took some web surfing to find the story.

The stamp pictured is not the common Sc #41 in the scan, but a very rare 11½ private perforation variety that has all to do with the buildings and the cheeses. The buildings are the “Marija Zvijezda” (Mary the Star) Trappist Monastery near Banjaluca. Bosnia, where the monks produced cheeses, beer and wine (and olive oil?) for themselves and to support the works of the Order. The “Trapist” brand of white cheese was very popular and mailed throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and 45 heller was the postage for mailing a small wheel of cheese. 

In 1910, due to a problem at the government printers, the Monastery received a quantity of imperforate sheets of 45h stamps, and because of the volume of mail, found that the hand separation of the stamps was delaying shipments. On their own initiative, the monks used an available 11½ line perforator on some of the sheets until the local post office was able to supply perforated stamps again. They were used for only an unrecorded short period and there was no publicity of the use; collectors did not discover the variety until many years later, as used examples and covers were examined.  No mint stamps exist.

The 16 definitive stamps that included the 45h were perforated on all available machines in a wide range of settings including compound perfs; according to an article in Stamps Magazine, almost 2500 variations exist— and the Banja Luka stamp is the rarest of them all.

I’ve read that “every stamp has a story”, and I guess if you look hard enough, you’ll find it.  I like this one, and thought you’d like to know about it too.

Thanks to Lou Guadagno


Best website related:

Srpska Republic stamps

http://www.euro-soft.nl/yuclub/

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1992

Scott: #???O