WWII – Croatia NDH stamps year 1941/44 Lot

WWII – Croatia NDH stamps year 1941/44 Lot Used

🇭🇷 Background: NDH (& Stamps During WWII)

After the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) was proclaimed on 10 April 1941. The new regime quickly set up its postal administration and began issuing stamps for use within its territory.

Early in NDH existence, overprints on existing Yugoslav stamps were used because printing new stamps took time. These were valid until replaced by new NDH issues.

📮 Main NDH Stamps 1941–1944

1) Provisional Overprints — “Nezavisna Država Hrvatska” (Apr 1941)

• Very first NDH issues were existing Kingdom of Yugoslavia stamps overprinted with NEZAVISNA DRŽAVA HRVATSKA (Independent State of Croatia).
• These overprints date from April 1941, shortly after the state’s establishment.
• They typically include the new country name and sometimes the denomination in kuna (the NDH’s wartime currency).

💡 These are significant as the first postal issues of NDH.

2) “Landscape” Definitive Series (Late 1941 – Sep 1942)

• First proper NDH definitive issue showing Croatian landscapes and scenes.
• Released from November 1941 through 1942 in several denominations (often 0.25 k to 100 k).
• These stamps served as regular postage for everyday mail.
• Due to wartime conditions, they exist with many paper, printing, and perforation varieties — e.g., printed on different papers or with bisected values because of shortages.

3) Anniversary & Commemorative Issues

a) 1st Anniversary of NDH — 9 April 1942

• Set issued to mark one year of the NDH.
• Features overprints or inscriptions like 1941–1942 added to existing designs.
• Catalogued with Michel numbers such as MiNr. 52, 55, 60, etc.

b) 2nd Anniversary of NDH — 10 April 1943

• A special set issued in 1943.
• Depicts Dr. Ante Pavelić, leader of the NDH.
• Issued in multiple perforation types and some souvenir sheets.

c) 3rd Anniversary of NDH — 22 May 1944

• Another commemorative set showing e.g. Croatian Black Legion scenes and notable figures like Jure Francetić.
• Known in collectors’ catalogs as MiNr. 158–160 (with color/perf variations).

4) Semi-Postal & Charity Issues

NDH also issued semi-postal stamps where the surcharge funded charities (e.g., Red Cross) or war aid. Some of these appear with inscriptions like Za Crveni Križ (For the Red Cross).