SHS – Chain breakers year 1919 50v Porto stamps – MNH strip
The stamps you are asking about are a distinctive part of the very first philatelic issue of the new State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (SHS), known as the “Chainbreakers” (Verigar) issue.
The 50v Porto stamp is not a regular postage stamp, but a Postage Due (Porto) stamp created by overprinting one of the original designs.
Here are the details for this specific stamp:
SHS 1919 “Chainbreakers” (Verigar) 50v Porto Stamp
| Detail | Description |
| Issuing Entity | Država SHS (State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs) |
| Issue Name | Verigar (Chainbreakers) / Postage Due (Porto) |
| Year of Issue | 1919 |
| Denomination | 50 V (50 Vinarjev/Vienars, equivalent to 50 heller/paras in the existing Austro-Hungarian currency) |
| Purpose | Postage Due (Porto). These stamps were affixed to mail for which the sender had paid insufficient postage, indicating the amount due from the recipient. |
| Creation Method | The stamp was created by overprinting the original SHS definitive stamps with the word “PORTO” (Postage Due) in both Latin and Cyrillic scripts. |
| Base Stamp Design | It is based on the “Allegory of Yugoslavia” design, which depicts a woman holding three falcons, symbolizing the three major nations of the SHS. (This is distinct from the lower-value Chainbreaker stamps, which feature a man breaking chains). |
| Catalogue Reference | In major stamp catalogues for Yugoslavia (SHS), this stamp belongs to the Postage Due section of the Verigar issue. |
| Scott Catalogue: Typically found in the Postage Due listings, potentially as a sub-listing within the SHS issues (e.g., Scott #J1–J14 for the set, though the exact 50v value would depend on the base stamp overprinted). | |
| Michel Catalogue: Listed as part of the specialized Postage Due issues for SHS. |
Context of the Verigar Issue
The entire Verigar series (Chainbreakers) is historically significant as the first stamps of the new South Slav state formed after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918.
- Designer: Ivan Vavpotič.
- Symbolism: The “Chainbreakers” theme symbolizes the liberation of the South Slav peoples (Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs) from Imperial rule.
- Currency: The initial issues were denominated in the transitional Austro-Hungarian currency (Heller/Krone or Vinar/Krone) before the eventual introduction of the Yugoslav Dinar.
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