Postage stamps and postal history of Dalmatia

Last updated November 20, 2019

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Dalmatia.

A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage, who then affix the stamp to the face or address-side of any item of mail—an envelope or other postal cover —that they wish to send. The item is then processed by the postal system, where a postmark or cancellation mark—in modern usage indicating date and point of origin of mailing—is applied to the stamp and its left and right sides to prevent its reuse. The item is then delivered to its addressee.

Postal history is the study of postal systems and how they operate and, or, the study of the use of postage stamps and covers and associated postal artifacts illustrating historical episodes in the development of postal systems. The term is attributed to Robson Lowe, a professional philatelist, stamp dealer and stamp auctioneer, who made the first organised study of the subject in the 1930s and described philatelists as "students of science", but postal historians as "students of humanity". More precisely, philatelists describe postal history as the study of rates, routes, markings, and means.

Dalmatia is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria.

Postal history

Before World War I, the stamps of Austria were used in Dalmatia. Some parts of Dalmatia were occupied by Italy during World War I, and used Italian stamps. In 1919 Italy printed special stamps for these Dalmatian territories.^[1] In 1920, this occupation was confirmed by the Treaty of Rapallo, including the annexation of Zadar to Italy.^[1] Following which Italian stamps were used. After the 1943 surrender of Italy to the Allies in World War II these former Italian parts of Dalmatia were occupied by German troops and Italian stamps were overprinted by German authorities for use. After troops under Marshal Tito took these areas, the stamps of Yugoslavia were used.

The Treaty of Rapallo was a treaty between the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, signed to solve the dispute over some territories in the former Austrian Littoral in the upper Adriatic, and in Dalmatia.

The Province of Zara was a province of the Kingdom of Italy, officially from 1918 to 1947. It was enlarged and made part of the Italian Governorate of Dalmatia, during World War II.

The Allies of World War II, called the United Nations from the 1 January 1942 declaration, were the countries that together opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War (1939–1945). The Allies promoted the alliance as a means to control German, Japanese and Italian aggression.

Italian occupation

In May 1919, Italy issued special postage stamps for the part of Dalmatia it had occupied during World War I.^[2]

The stamps were produced as surcharges of Italian stamps; the first appeared 1 May 1919, and consisted of the Italian 1-lira overprinted "una / corona". 5c and 10c overprints were issued in 1921, reading "5[10] / centesimi / di corona", followed by an additional five values in 1922. Similar overprints were made for special delivery and postage due stamps.

Postage due is the term used for mail sent with insufficient postage. A postage due stamp is a stamp added to an underpaid piece of mail to indicate the extra postage due.

Soon after the annexed territories switched to Italian currency and stamps. As a result, usage was uncommon and validly-used stamps are today worth about 50-100% more than unused. They are easily confused with the Italian issues used in occupied Austria; the Dalmatian overprints are distinguished by their use of a sans serif typeface.

German occupation

Parts of Dalmatia were occupied by Germany in September 1943 after the withdrawal of Italy and stamps of Italy were overprinted for use in this area, centered on Zara.^[3]

Zadar is the oldest continuously-inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar serves as the seat of Zadar County and of the wider northern Dalmatian region. The city proper covers 25 km² (9.7 sq mi) with a population of 75,082 in 2011, making it the second-largest city of the region of Dalmatia and the fifth-largest city in the country.

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References

1 2 Stiles, Kent B. (1931). Geography and stamps. New York: Whittlesey House (McGraw-Hill). p. 130. OCLC 1459802.
↑ Rossiter, Stuart & John Flower. The Stamp Atlas. London: Macdonald, 1986, p.94. ISBN 0-356-10862-7
↑ Rossiter & Flower, pp.118-119.

External links

Stamps of the Italian occupation of Austrian territories.

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[Stiles-1] 1 2 Stiles, Kent B. (1931). Geography and stamps. New York: Whittlesey House (McGraw-Hill). p. 130. OCLC 1459802.

[ross-2] Rossiter, Stuart & John Flower. The Stamp Atlas. London: Macdonald, 1986, p.94. ISBN 0-356-10862-7

[3] Rossiter & Flower, pp.118-119.