SHS – Chainbreakers years 1919/20 stamps Used lot with errors

The “SHS verigari” or “Chain Breakers” stamps you are referring to were issued in 1919 for the short-lived State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (SHS) which later became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (predecessor to Yugoslavia).

Here are some key details about these significant early stamps from the Slovenian region:

• They featured the allegorical design of a man breaking free from chains, symbolizing the independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
• Issued in denominations of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 vinar currency units overprinted on earlier Austrian stamps.
• Printed using typesets and overprinting stones rather than engraved plates.
• The overprint text read “DRZAVA S.H.S. / DRZAVNA POSTA LJUBLJANA” indicating the SHS state and Ljubljana postal authority.
• Total quantities issued were quite limited, ranging from about 20,000 of the highest values to 150,000 of the 10 vinar stamp.
• They were only in use for mail within Slovenia and neighboring SHS regions for about a year in 1919 before being replaced.

Despite their short period of use, the iconic “Chain Breakers” design made these imperforate typographed stamps extremely popular and valuable today – representing the birth of an independent Slovenian state after World War I before unification into Yugoslavia.

They are considered the first truly Slovenian stamps and hold tremendous significance in the country’s philatelic history.