RayB's Vojvodina

[rayb]

Vojvodina is known nowadays as an autonomous province in the North of Serbia. But historically (and by 'historically' in this context I mean pre WW1) the name referred to a wider area, including parts of modern-day Hungary and Romania (and to a lesser extent Croatia) much of which contained ethnic Serbians. The bulk of this was divided into three areas - Banat, Baranya and Bacska.

To avoid any case of misunderstanding this thread should be called RayB's Collection of Stamps from those parts of the Banat, Baranya and Bacska Areas of the Historic Serbian Vojvodina disputed by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. It struck me that, though admirably precise, this title might not be particulary attractive or helpful to those members who are even now reaching for an atlas just to remind themselves where Serbia is.

This, courtesy of Wikipedia, is a 19th Century sketch of what we will be looking at:

[rayb]

Before WW1 these areas were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and were served by the Hungarian Postal Service:

Ujvidek (later Novi Sad) in Bacska


Temesvar (later Timisoara) in Banat:

[Craig]

How fascinating are these?!!!

[rayb]

During WW1 Austria-Hungary invaded the whole of Serbia and a substantial part of Romania. In 1918 the tide of the war changed and both those countries began to recover their former territory. Unsurprisingly they also attempted to take advantage of the decline of the Central Powers to go beyond their former boundaries and claim extra territory.

The 11th of November 1918 did NOT mark an end to this activity. The Armistice led to a general cessation of fighting, but the war, as far as the Balkans were concerned, did not end until the signing of the Treaty of Trianon in June 1920. Throughout 1919 both Romania and the newly formed SHS (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes) - not, as catalogues tend to suggest, Serbia alone - continued to use military forces to occupy parts of the Vojvodina. This naturally gave them the responsibility of running the postal systems there; this was done by issuing overprinted stamps taken from the stock of captured Hungarian post offices.

On the 5th May 1919 SHS issued stamps for Baranya:
(The last 3 stamps in line 4 should be numbered 11,11a,11b)
Sub-types 3b, 11b, 12c and 13b are the result of the use of a serif font on 2 stamps in each pane of 25.

[rayb]

[rayb]

[rayb]

[rayb]

Much scarcer than the stamps is the postal stationery:

[rayb]

And now we move on to the dodgy stuff!
The overprints were not approved on these two stamps, and whilst it is not impossible a local postmaster produced them for emergency postal use, it is far more likely that they were produced by favour for a collector.

[rayb]

These were authorised for sale to stamp collectors, but not for postal purposes!

[rayb]

Although they do not bear the name Baranya, we know that they were produced in Baranya at this time - by a local postmaster, at the request of the Philatelic Society in the town of Pecs!

[rayb]

Finally, some postage dues. The bottom 3 are genuine: SG D39,D40, D38.
The top two are fantasies. The distinguishing mark is the shape of the 'y'.


Under the Treaty of Trianon most of Baranya was returned to Hungary. The SHS received only the most southerly part.

[rayb]

On 10th May 1919 the military forces of the SHS issued stamps for the town of Temesvar in the Banat.

[rayb]

Postage Dues SG D6,D7,D8 

[rayb]

However they were soon forced out by Romanian troops who issued their own stamps in August 1919.

[rayb]

Postage dues SG D11, D12, D13, D11a, D12a, D13a

[rayb]

Under the Treaty of Trianon Temesvar/Timisoara was awarded to Romania, along with the most easterly two thirds of the Banat.

[rayb]

Another E. Banat town, Zombolja/Jimbolia, which had been captured by Serbian troops troops before the Armistice was awarded to the SHS. Hence this postmark:


However in 1924 it was returned to Romania as a 'swap' for the town of Modos.

[rayb]

In July 1919, a month before they issued the stamps in Temesvar, the Romanians had produced a general issue of stamps for those places in Bacska and the Banat where they were in control.
The unlisted stamp is likely to be another 'by favour' concoction.

Note that nos 40 & 42 are not overprinted directly onto the Hungarian stamps, but are a second overprint over the SHS overprints issued at Temesvar, and which the Romanians had subsequently captured.

[rayb]

Postage dues SG D47, D49