Croatia / Serbian Krajina year 1997 stamps Europa CEPT MNH full set

Croatia / Serbian Krajina year 1997 stamps Europa CEPT / Tales and Legends MNH**full set

This is a fascinating philatelic question that touches on the complex history of the region in the 1990s, as two separate postal entities issued stamps in 1997 related to this area.

The common EUROPA CEPT theme for 1997 was “Tales and Legends” (also sometimes called “Sages and Legends”).

Here is a breakdown of the stamps issued in 1997 by the relevant entities:

1. Republic of Croatia (Hrvatska Pošta)

• Issuing Authority: Croatia (Hrvatska Pošta)
• Year of Issue: 1997
• Theme: EUROPA CEPT – Tales and Legends
• Motive: The Croatian stamps in this set were dedicated to the famous Croatian children’s writer Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić and her work. The stamps typically feature imagery illustrating stories from her works, such as Croatian Tales of Long Ago (Priče iz davnine).

2. Serbian Krajina (Sremsko-Baranjska Oblast / Eastern Slavonia)

The self-proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK) largely ceased to exist after Operation Storm in 1995. However, the last remaining part of that entity was the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia (Sremsko-Baranjska Oblast) region, which was under a UNTAES (United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium) mandate until its peaceful reintegration into Croatia in 1998.

• Issuing Authority: The postal administration of the Sremsko-Baranjska Oblast (often listed in catalogues as “Serbian Krajina” or “Croatia – Serbian Admin”).
• Year of Issue: 1997
• Theme: EUROPA ’97 (Tales and Legends)
• Motive: This administration also issued a set of stamps for the common EUROPA theme. These stamps are considered collectible postal emissions from the temporary self-governing entity in that region.

In summary, both the official Croatian Post and the temporary Serbian administration in Eastern Slavonia issued their own distinct “Tales and Legends” stamps for the 1997 EUROPA theme.