Postage stamps 1939

The autonomous Slovak government was already preparing its own stamps before 14 March 1939; once the state existed, however, it was stocks of Czechoslovak stamps that were overprinted 'Slovenský štát 1939' and came into use from 21 March 1939 – the Slovak State's first stamps, in use until stamps of its own design appeared.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska 1939

After the state was proclaimed, Jaroslav Benda's 1937 Czechoslovak newspaper stamps with a dove received a red or blue overprint '1939 Slovenský štát', printed by Grafia. There were nine values from 2 h to 1 Kč, and their life was short – they were valid only until 10 July 1939.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – novinové, Wikipedie: Seznam poštovních známek Československa 1918–1939

Andrej Hlinka, Catholic priest and leader of the Slovak People's Party, died on 16 August 1938 in Ružomberok. The first stamps with his portrait – 50 h and 1 K – were printed, inscribed 'ČESKO-SLOVENSKO', for autonomous Slovakia and were overprinted once the state was proclaimed. This series inscribed 'SLOVENSKÁ POŠTA' appeared on 1 April 1939 as the new state's first definitive series, printed in photogravure. As early as August 1939 letterpress forgeries of the 1 Ks turned up on mail.

Sources: Wikipedia: Andrej Hlinka, postoveznamky.sk: Falošný Hlinka plný tajomstiev, StampWorld: Slovensko 1939 – Andrej Hlinka „SLOVENSKÁ POŠTA“

The set for the 20th anniversary of the death of Milan Rastislav Štefánik, killed near Ivanka pri Dunaji on 4 May 1919. StampWorld lists it as unissued; other sources say it was valid for a single day, 4 May 1939.

Sources disagree on whether the set was issued at all: StampWorld lists it as unissued, others say it was valid for a single day.

Sources: Ian Ridpath: Slovakia 1939 – Milan Štefánik

The small definitives with the portrait of Jozef Tiso were designed by L. Kožehuba and printed by Grafia. The first appeared in 1939 while Tiso was still prime minister – parliament elected him president only on 26 October 1939. They were printed on paper with and without watermark and in different perforations; they were among the most used stamps of the state – over 41 million of the 50 h alone – and remained valid until 30 April 1945.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1939, Wikipédia: Jozef Tiso

The Slovak State's first newspaper stamps of its own were designed by J. Roubal: the Slovak double-cross arms with the inscription 'Slovenská pošta'. The nine values from 2 h to 1 Ks were printed by Grafia, and in 1940–1942 the Andrej printing house reprinted five of them on watermarked paper and added four new values (15, 25 and 40 h and 2 Ks). The 5 h had the largest first printing – over 12 million – but in the watermarked reprints the 10 h ran to 48 million.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – novinové

The three higher definitive values with scenes of folk life – embroidery (2 Ks), a woodcutter (4 Ks) and a woman at a spring (5 Ks) – were designed by the painter Martin Benka. He came to stamp design by way of miniature labels for matchboxes made by the match factory in Ružomberok, and folk life dominates his stamps. They remained valid until 30 April 1945.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1939, StampData: Stamps of Slovakia, 1939, Región Záhorie: Martin Benka

For the 10th anniversary of the death of Jozef Murgaš (1864–1929), a native of Tajov, Catholic priest, painter and inventor who contributed to the development of wireless telegraphy – radio. The stamps show him with aerial masts.

Sources: Wikipedia: Jozef Murgaš, postoveznamky.sk: Banská Bystrica v poštových službách a filatelii

The first charity stamp of the Slovak State appeared on 2 November 1939, a week after parliament elected Jozef Tiso president. The 1939 'For Children' stamp was designed by L. Kožehuba, who also drew the definitives with Tiso's portrait, and printed by Grafia. The 2.50 Ks surcharge equalled the face value; 199,000 were issued and the stamp was valid only until 30 April 1940.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1939, Wikipédia: Jozef Tiso

The Slovak State's first airmail stamps appeared on 20 November 1939, designed by J. Vlček and printed by Grafia. The six values share just two pictures – each used on three stamps – of an aircraft over a Tatra landscape. They remained valid until 30 April 1945.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – letecké, postoveznamky.sk: R. Ovšonka – Tatranské motívy na poštových známkach