Yugoslavia year 1945 J. Broz Tito Corner blocks

Yugoslavia year 1945 J. Broz Tito Corner blocks

In 1945, shortly after the end of World War II, Yugoslavia issued its first postage stamps featuring Josip Broz Tito, the leader of the Yugoslav Partisans and soon-to-be ruler of the new Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Here are the key details about this early Tito stamp issue:

The Set:

• It consisted of stamps in denominations of 1, 1.50, 2, 3, 4 and 20 dinars.
• All stamps featured the same portrait of Tito facing left, wearing his famous marshal’s cap with the red star emblem.

Design:

• The engraved portrait was based on a photograph of Tito in his military uniform taken during WWII.
• The inscriptions included “MARŠAL TITO” and “JUGOSLAVIJA 1945” in Serbian Cyrillic and Latin scripts.
• Minimal design elements allowed the large portrait to be the main focus.
• The stamps were engraved and printed using intaglio (recess) printing.

Significance:

• This was the first stamp issue to depict Tito, establishing his cult of personality from the onset of communist rule.
• It helped solidify Tito’s image as the pre-eminent wartime hero and leader of the new Yugoslav state.
• The prominent display of Tito’s portrait set the tone for the personality cult that would continue through many subsequent stamp issues.
• For collectors, it marks an important historical and topical issue related to Tito and the establishment of Socialist Yugoslavia after WWII.

While the designs are rather austere, the 1945 Marshal Tito stamps hold significant philatelic value as the inaugural depiction of one of the 20th century’s most notable communist leaders on the postage stamps of Yugoslavia.