Name: Serbia Principality postage stamps year 1866-Belgrade edition
SKU: 53180
Availability: InStock

Serbia Principality postage stamps year 1866-Belgrade edition MH

In 1866, the Principality of Serbia issued its first regular postage stamps. These were produced shortly after the postal service was formalized that same year.
The stamps were issued under the inscription К. СРБСКА ПОШТА (K. Srbska Pošta – Royal Serbian Post) with imperial connections still influencing production.

📅 The 1866 Stamp Issues

These were the first definitive stamps for regular postal use in Serbia:

Depiction: Portrait of Prince Mihailo Obrenović III.
Denominations & Colors:
- 10 para – typically orange/yellowish
- 20 para – red
- 40 para – blue
  These three shared the same design, differing only in color and face value.
Printers & Printings:
There were two main printings of these stamps:
1. Vienna printing — perforation 12, produced at the Imperial State Printing House in Vienna.
2. Belgrade printing — perforation 9½, done locally in Belgrade (often on pelure — very thin — paper).
Scarcity:
- Vienna printing 10 pa is considered very rare (RR).
- Belgrade printing versions are rare (R) — both unused and used — because fewer were printed and survival rates are low.

These issues are highly collectible and represent key classic Serbian philately.

Also in 1866, a separate newspaper tax stamp issue was produced for mailing newspapers, featuring the Serbian coat of arms and the same inscription К. С. ПОШТА.
These were issued in small quantities in two nominal values: 1 para and 2 para.
These are distinct from the Prince Michael regular stamps and are rarer still in good condition.

📊 Print Characteristics & Collecting Notes

Vienna Printing (Perf 12):
- Sharper detail, typical of foreign production.
- These are scarce, especially the 10 pa.
Belgrade Printing (Perf 9½):
- Usually on thin pelure paper.
- Slight color and paper variations exist, which are of great interest to specialists.