Postage stamps 1940–1945

Slovak State · The war years · 116 stamps

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1940

1940 Presidential Residence

The 10 Ks stamp appeared on 14 March 1940, the first anniversary of the state, and shows the Presidential Palace in Bratislava – today's Grassalkovich Palace.

In those years the rococo palace was adapted as the president's seat to a design by the architect Emil Belluš. Since 1996 it has again been the seat of the President of the Slovak Republic.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1940, Wikipédia: Grasalkovičov palác

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed	Mint	Used
78	46	Q	10 Kc	dark blue	542 000

1940–1943 Mountain Landscapes

Issued: 1. August
Watermark: None
Perforation: 12½
Design: E. Belluš

The small-format definitives with Tatra motifs appeared on 1 August 1940, designed by J. Votruba: Zelené pleso (5 h), Kriváň (10 h), Tatra flowers (20 h), a chamois (25 h) and Javorina (30 h). They were among the state's most used stamps – the first printing of the 20 h alone ran to over 27 million – and later printings were also made on newsprint or card paper without watermark.

Sources

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1940

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Description	Printed
79	47	R	5 H	dark olive green		2 400 000
80	48	S	10 H	lilac brown		14 781 000
81	49	T	20 H	bluish grey		29 744 000
82	50	U	25 H	dark brown	Rupicapra rupicapra	7 765 000
83	51	V	30 H	reddish brown		28 032 000
79‑83					Set

1940 Delivery Stamps

Issued: 16. August
Watermark: 1 – Patriarch's cross
Schematic – shows the device, not its exact proportions
Perforation: Imperforated

The Slovak State's personal-delivery stamps appeared on 16 August 1940: two 50 h stamps, blue and red, designed by J. Vlček, printed by Grafia on watermarked paper and issued imperforate.

The print runs were small – 208,000 blue and 201,000 red. Czechoslovakia had issued a similar pair in 1937 – a blue 'postage' and a red 'postage due' 50 h stamp for items to be delivered only into the addressee's own hands.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – doručné, Burda Auction: Doruční (ČSR I.)

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
84	DR1	X	50 H	blue	208 000
85	DR2	X1	50 H	carmine	201 000
84‑85				Set

1940 Airmail - Airplane & Eagle

Issued: 30. November
Watermark: 1 – Patriarch's cross
Schematic – shows the device, not its exact proportions
Perforation: 12½

A year after the first airmail stamps, on 30 November 1940, the Slovak State added three high airmail values – 5, 10 and 20 Ks. They were again designed by J. Vlček and printed by Grafia, this time on watermarked paper.

Between 219,000 and 273,000 of each were printed. They remained valid until 30 April 1945.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – letecké

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
86	L7	W	5 Kc	blackish purple	273 000
87	L8	W1	10 Kc	bluish violet	244 000
88	L9	W2	20 Kc	dark bluish green	219 000
86‑88				Set

1941

1941 Slovakian Castles

The 1941 definitive set 'Slovak Castles and Châteaux' was designed by J. Votruba, who also drew the Tatra landscapes, and printed by Grafia on watermarked paper.

Its four values show Banská Štiavnica (1.20 Ks), Lietava (1.50 Ks), Spiš Castle (1.60 Ks) and Bojnice (2 Ks); the 2 Ks Bojnice had the largest print run, almost 9 million. Spiš Castle is one of the largest castle complexes in Slovakia and since 1993 has been part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. The set remained valid until 30 April 1945.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1941, StampWorld: Slovakia 1941, Wikipédia: Spišský hrad

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Description	Printed
89	52	Y	1.20 Kc	brownish lilac	Banska Stiavnica	4 195 000
90	53	Z	1.50 Kc	carmine	Lietava	4 313 000
91	54	AA	1.60 Kc	blue	Spissky Hrad	2 568 000
92	55	AB	2 Kc	green	Bojnice	8 974 000
89‑92					Set

1941 The 80th Anniversary of the Memorandum of the Slovak Nation - Štefan Marko Daxner & Štefan Moyzes

Issued: 26. May
Watermark: 1 – Patriarch's cross
Schematic – shows the device, not its exact proportions
Perforation: 12½

For the 80th anniversary of the Memorandum of the Slovak Nation, adopted at the assembly in Martin on 6–7 June 1861 and written by Štefan Marko Daxner, who appears on the stamps together with Bishop Štefan Moyzes.

It demanded recognition of the Slovaks as a distinct nation within Hungary, a self-governing Upper-Hungarian Slovak District, and Slovak in offices, courts and schools.

Sources: Wikipédia: Memorandum národa slovenského

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
93	56	AC	50 H	blackish olive	149 000
94	57	AC1	1 Kc	blue	96 000
95	58	AC2	2 Kc	blackish brown	100 000
93‑95				Set

1941 Red Cross - Soldiers

Issued: 10. November
Watermark: 1 – Patriarch's cross
Schematic – shows the device, not its exact proportions
Perforation: 12½

The Red Cross charity set with soldiers appeared on 10 November 1941, designed by M. Schurmann, at a time when the Slovak army had been fighting alongside Germany against the Soviet Union since the summer of 1941.

Grafia printed 175,000 to 230,000 of each value, and the set was valid for only three months – until 10 February 1942.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1941, Wikipedia: Slovak Republic (1939–1945)

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
96	59	AD	50+50 Kc	green	223 000
97	60	AD1	1+1 Kc	red	230 000
98	61	AD2	2+1 Kc	blue	175 000
96‑98				Set

1941 Child Welfare - Mother and Child

The second 'For Children' set appeared on 12 December 1941, only a month after the Red Cross set and by the same designer, M. Schurmann. Grafia printed 210,000 of each of the three mother-and-child values – 50 h, 1 Ks and 2 Ks with surcharges of 50 h, 1 Ks and 1 Ks. Like the state's other charity stamps they were valid only briefly, until 12 March 1942.

Sources

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1941, StampWorld: Slovakia 1941

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
99	62	AE	50+50 H	dark bluish green	210 000
100	63	AE1	1+1 Kc	bronce	210 000
101	64	AE2	2+1 Kc	violet	210 000
99‑101				Set

1942

1942 Aid for the Hlinka Youth Society

The set in aid of the Hlinka Youth appeared on 14 March 1942, the third anniversary of the state, designed by M. Schurmann, and was valid until 14 June 1942.

The Hlinka Youth was founded in 1938 and under the Slovak State was the only permitted political youth organisation; from July 1940 it was an independent paramilitary branch of the ruling HSĽS party. At first it enrolled boys aged 6 to 20; a girls' section was added later.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1942, Wikipédia: Hlinkova mládež

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
102	65	AF	70+1 Kc	reddish brown	250 000
103	66	AF1	1.30+1 Kc	dark blue	230 000
104	67	AF2	2+1 Kc	brown carmine	180 000
102‑104				Set

1942–1943 Andrej Hlinka

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed	Mint	Used
105	33	AG	1.30 Kc	dark violet	5 880 000

1942 National Stamp Exhibition, Bratislava

The set for the National Stamp Exhibition held on 23–31 May 1942 at the Slovak Museum in Bratislava, organised by the Club of Slovak Philatelists together with the Bratislava stamp collectors' group of the Nazi leisure organisation Kraft durch Freude (KdF). The stamps – a post horn, a young collector with his album and a philatelist with a magnifier – were designed by Juraj Zelinka, who also designed the medal awarded as a prize at the exhibition.

They were valid only until 31 August 1942.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1942, StampData: Stamps of Slovakia, 1942, SNS Bratislava: Medaily a plakety Slovenského štátu 1939–1945 (PDF)

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
106	68	AH	30 H	blackish green	165 000
107	69	AI	70 H	lilac brown	165 000
108	70	AJ	80 H	dark violet	165 000
109	71	AK	1.30 Kc	dark brown	165 000
106‑109				Set

1942 European Postal Congress - Peace Dove & St. Stephen's Cathedral

In October 1942 the European Postal and Telecommunications Union was founded in Vienna under the Axis powers, as Germany's means of dominating postal traffic in Europe.

Of the thirteen administrations taking part, only four issued stamps for it – Slovakia among them, on 12 October 1942. The stamps show a dove of peace and Vienna's St Stephen's Cathedral.

Sources: ResearchGate: The European Postal Congress (October 1942), Colnect: European Postal Congress, Vienna (Slovakia)

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
110	72	AL	70 H	dark bluish green	1 503 000
111	73	AL1	1.30 Kc	greenish olive	1 056 000
112	74	AL2	2 Kc	blue	750 000
110‑112				Set

1942 The 150th Anniversary of the Slovakian Educational Society

For the 150th anniversary of the Slovak Learned Society, founded in Trnava in 1792. It gathered the followers of Anton Bernolák – among them Juraj Fándly and Alexander Rudnay – and published books in the first standard Slovak, Bernolák's codification.

The Latin inscription on the stamps, 'Literata Societas Slovacorum', is its original name.

Sources: Wikipédia: Slovenské učené tovarišstvo

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
113	75	AM	70 H	black	328 000
114	76	AM1	1 Kc	carmine	300 000
115	77	AM2	1.30 Kc	dark blue	675 000
116	78	AM3	2 Kc	dark brown	299 000
117	79	AM4	3 Kc	blackish green	299 000
118	80	AM5	4 Kc	dark violet	299 000
113‑118				Set

1943

1943–1944 Andrej Hlinka

Issued: 20. January
Watermark: None
Perforation: 14

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed	Mint	Used
119	83	AN	1.30 Kc	blue	33 413 000

1943 Child Welfare

The charity set of 8 February 1943 was designed by I. Kováts and printed by the Andrej printing house. 479,000 of each of the three values were issued and they were valid until 31 May 1943.

Sources

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1943, infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1942

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
120	84	AO	50+50 H	blackish green	479 000
121	85	AP	70+1 H/Kc	dark carmine	479 000
122	86	AQ	80+2 H/Kc	blackish blue	479 000
120‑122				Set

1943 Newspaper Stamps

Issued: 15. June
Watermark: None
Perforation: Imperforated

A new series of newspaper stamps appeared on 15 June 1943, again designed by J. Roubal, this time with six values from 10 h to 2 Ks, printed by the Andrej printing house on unwatermarked paper.

Over 31 million of the lowest value, the 10 h, were printed. Like most of the state's stamps, they were valid until 30 April 1945.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – novinové

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
123	NV23	AR	10 H	dark green	31 459 000
124	NV24	AR1	15 H	blackish brown	6 081 000
125	NV25	AR2	20 H	dark ultramarine	4 974 000
126	NV26	AR3	50 H	red	2 090 000
127	NV27	AR4	1 Kc	blackish green	2 155 000
128	NV28	AR5	2Kc	dark greenish blue	2 016 000
123‑127				Set
123‑128

1943 Tax for Soldiers Welfare

The charity set for soldiers was designed by L. Ilečko and appeared on 28 July 1943, while Slovak units were fighting on the Eastern Front. All three values carried the same 2 Ks surcharge – almost three times the face value of the 70 h stamp.

260,000 of each were issued and the set was valid only until 31 October 1943.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1943, Wikipedia: Slovak Republic (1939–1945)

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
129	87	AS	70+2 Kc	dark carmine	260 000
130	88	AT	1.30+2 Kc	blackish blue	260 000
131	89	AU	2+2 Kc	dark olive	260 000
129‑131

1943 Opening of the Railroad Line Between Prešov and Strážske

The Prešov – Strážske railway was ceremonially opened on 5 September 1943 in the presence of President Tiso – hence the date 5. IX. 1943 on the stamps.

The line ran 62 km with 10 bridges and viaducts and two tunnels. Among those who built it were interned Roma and others the state considered undesirable.

Sources: Rádio Regina Východ: 80 rokov trate Prešov–Strážske, ŽSR: Nové trate 1939–1945

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
132	90	AV	70H	blackish purple	307 000
133	91	AW	80H	blackish blue	307 000
134	92	AX	1.30Kc	black	307 000
135	93	AY	2Kc	dark carmine	307 000
132‑135

1943 Tax for Slovakian Cultural Institutions

The cultural set of 16 October 1943, with a surcharge for Slovak cultural institutions, was the joint work of two artists – Jozef Cincík and the painter Martin Benka.

Cincík, an art historian, had been secretary of the Art Section of Matica slovenská since 1933. The Andrej printing house produced 300,000 of each of the four values, which were valid until 31 January 1944.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1943, Wikipédia: Jozef Cincík (maliar)

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
136	94	AZ	30+1 H/Kc	reddish brown	300 000
137	95	BA	70+1 H/Kc	dark olive	300 000
138	96	BB	80+2 H/Kc	bluish black	300 000
139	97	BC	1.30+2 Kc	brown	300 000
136‑139

1944

1944 Ľudovít Štúr & Martin Rázus

Issued: 20. January
Watermark: None
Perforation: 14

Portrait definitives designed by J. Vlček: the 80 h shows Ľudovít Štúr, who codified standard Slovak, and the 1 Ks Martin Rázus – poet, prose writer, Lutheran pastor and politician.

The 1.30 Ks with Andrej Hlinka from 1943 belongs to the same group of portraits. They were valid until 30 April 1945.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1943, Wikipédia: Ľudovít Štúr, Wikipédia: Martin Rázus

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
140	81	BD	80H	blackish olive	2 750 000
141	82	BE	1Kc	dark carmine	5 000 000
140‑141

1944 The 5th Anniversary of Independence - Slovak Royalty

Issued: 14. March
Watermark: None
Perforation: 14

For the 5th anniversary of the state's founding, eight stamps appeared on 14 March 1944 showing rulers of the Great Moravian era and the Principality of Nitra: Pribina (50 h), Mojmír (70 h), Rastislav (80 h), King Svätopluk (1.30 Ks), Koceľ (2 Ks), Mojmír II (3 Ks), Svätopluk II (5 Ks) and Braslav (10 Ks). The state used them to claim a historical pedigree.

The portraits are artistic inventions – nobody knows what these princes looked like – and whether some of them, such as Koceľ or Braslav, belong to Slovak history at all is disputed among historians.

Sources

Sources: StampData: Stamps of Slovakia, 1944, Paul Voller: My Slovakia stamps of 1944

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
142	98	BF	50H	dark green	2 000 000
143	99	BG	70H	brownish lilac	2 000 000
144	100	BH	80H	reddish brown	1 000 000
145	101	BI	1.30Kc	blue	2 000 000
146	102	BJ	2Kc	greenish blue	1 000 000
147	103	BK	3Kc	dark brown	600 000
148	104	BL	5Kc	purple violet	400 000
149	105	BM	10Kc	blackish grey	200 000
142‑149

1944 Mountain Landscapes

Issued: 1. April
Watermark: None
Perforation: 14

On 1 April 1944 the same Tatra pictures by J. Votruba came out again in a larger format – Kriváň, Tatra flowers, a chamois, Javorina and Zelené pleso – with values from 10 to 50 h, this time printed by the Andrej printing house.

According to R. Ovšonka the Slovak State issued 16 stamps with Tatra motifs in all, but only seven different views: five from these two series and two from the 1939 airmail stamps.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1944, postoveznamky.sk: R. Ovšonka – Tatranské motívy na poštových známkach

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Description	Printed
150	106	S1	10H	carmine		4 080 000
151	107	T1	20H	ultramarine		3 000 000
152	108	U1	25H	carmine brown	Rupicapra rupicapra	2 000 000
153	109	V1	30H	violet		7 800 000
154	110	R1	50H	dark yellowish green		5 000 000
150‑154

1944 Sports

Issued: 30. April
Watermark: None
Perforation: 14

The semi-postal sports stamps came out on 30 April 1944, designed by J. Vlček. The surcharge equalled the face value, so buyers paid double.

They were valid for only three months – until 31 July 1944.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1944

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
155	111	BS	70+70 H	black olive	300 000
156	112	BT	1+1 Kc	purple violet	300 000
157	113	BU	1.30+1.30 Kc	bluish grey	300 000
158	114	BV	2+2 Kc	carmine brown	300 000
155‑158

1944 National Protection

The set that the infofila.cz catalogue calls 'Before the Fiery Dragon' and StampWorld 'National Protection' was designed by J. Cincík and appeared on 4 October 1944 – while the Slovak National Uprising, which began on 29 August 1944, was under way.

Two values carried a high 4 Ks surcharge and were issued in 180,000 copies each, the two without surcharge in a million each. The set was valid only until 31 December 1944.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1944, Wikipedia: Slovak National Uprising

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed
159	115	BW	70+4 H/Kc	blue	180 000
160	116	BW1	1.30+4 Kc	brownish carmine	180 000
161	117	BW2	2Kc	dark green	1 000 000
162	118	BW3	3.80Kc	lilac	1 000 000
159‑162

1944 Youth Welfare

The Slovak State's last charity stamp for children appeared on 18 December 1944, designed by J. Cincík, with a 4 Ks surcharge on a 2 Ks face value.

53,000 miniature sheets of eight were issued. It was valid until 31 March 1945.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1944

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Printed	Mint	Used
163	119	BX	2+4 Kc	blue	424 000
163	A119			Minisheet

1945

1945 President Jozef Tiso

Issued: 14. March
Watermark: None
Perforation: 14

The Slovak State's last issue came out on 14 March 1945 for the sixth anniversary of its founding – the date '14. III. 1945' is printed on the stamps themselves, which bear President Jozef Tiso's portrait.

They were designed by J. Roubal and printed by the Andrej printing house. They were meant to be valid until 30 April 1945, but the Red Army entered Bratislava as early as 4 April 1945.

Sources: infofila.cz: Katalóg Slovenska – 1945, Wikipedia: Slovak Republic (1939–1945)

SW	Pofis	Type	Value	Colour	Description	Printed
164	120	BY	1Kc	dark orange		165 000
165	121	BY1	1.50Kc	dark brown		200 000
166	122	BY2	2Kc	green		210 000
167	123	BY3	4Kc	carmine red		165 000
168	124	BY4	5Kc	ultramarine		65 000
169	125	BY5	10Kc	lilac rose	Wm: 1	333 000
164‑169