Serbia Stamps
Definitives of 1894-1903
The definitive Serbia stamps of 1894 to 1903 reflect a transitional period in the history of the Kingdom of Serbia. They include the portrait issues of the last king from the House of Obrenović and the interregnum issues that followed his untimely death.
The nine portrait definitive Serbia stamps shown above were issued between 1894 and 1900. They are perforated 13 x 13 1/2 or 11 1/2.
The common design features a youthful, left-facing portrait of King Alexander I, about eighteen years of age when these stamps were first issued.
The catalog attributes, for stamps printed on granite paper, are as follows:
- 05 P. (1894 - Sc. #40) - Green.
- 10 P. (1894 - Sc. #41) - Carmine Rose.
- 15 P. (1894 - Sc. #42) - Violet.
- 20 P. (1894 - Sc. #43) - Orange.
- 25 P. (1894 - Sc. #44) - Blue.
- 50 P. (1894 - Sc. #45) - Brown.
- 01 D. (1894 - Sc. #46) - Dark Green.
- 01 D. (1896 - Sc. #47) - Red Brown on Blue.
The catalog attributes, for stamps printed on ordinary paper, are as follows:
- 01 P. (1898 - Sc. #48) - Dull Red.
- 05 P. (1898 - Sc. #49) - Green.
- 10 P. (1898 - Sc. #50) - Rose.
- 15 P. (1898 - Sc. #51) - Violet.
- 20 P. (1898 - Sc. #52) - Orange.
- 25 P. (1898 - Sc. #53) - Deep Blue.
- 50 P. (1898 - Sc. #54) - Brown.
The three overprinted and re-valued portrait definitive Serbia stamps shown above were issued between 1900 and 1901.
The catalog attributes are as follows:
- 10 P. on 20 P. (1900 - Sc. #56) - Rose.
- 10 P. on 20 P. (1901 - Sc. #57) - Rose.
- 15 P. on 01 D. (1901 - Sc. #58) - Red Brown on Blue.
The nine portrait definitive Serbia stamps shown above were issued between 1901 and 1903. They are all perforated 11 1/2.
The common design features a left-facing portrait of King Alexander I.
The catalog attributes are as follows:
- 05 P. (1901 - Sc. #59) - Green.
- 10 P. (1901 - Sc. #60) - Rose.
- 15 P. (1903 - Sc. #61) - Red Violet.
- 20 P. (1903 - Sc. #62) - Orange.
- 25 P. (1901 - Sc. #63) - Ultramarine.
- 50 P. (1903 - Sc. #64) - Bister.
- 01 D. (1903 - Sc. #65) - Brown.
- 03 D. (1903 - Sc. #66) - Bright Rose.
- 05 D. (1903 - Sc. #67) - Deep Violet.
New, larger format, portrait definitive stamps, featuring a more mature portrait of King Alexander I, were being prepared, when the king was assassinated on June 11, 1903.
Since stamps for the new monarch were not yet available, the ten definitive Serbia stamps shown above were issued on June 25, 1903, overprinted with the Serbian Coat of Arms obliterating the portrait.
The overprints were applied in four different colors, with them being blue, black, red, and red brown.
The overprint comes in two types, as follows:
- Type 1 - Overprint is 12 mm wide. Bottom of mantle is defined by a single line. Wide crown above shield.
- Type 2 - Overprint is 10 mm wide. Double line at bottom of mantle. Smaller crown above shield.
The catalog attributes, for stamps that are perforated 13 1/2, are as follows:
- 01 P. (1903 - Type 1 - Sc. #68) - Red Lilac & Black.
- 05 P. (1903 - Type 1 - Sc. #69) - Yellow Green & Black.
- 10 P. (1903 - Type 1 - Sc. #70) - Carmine & Black.
- 15 P. (1903 - Type 1 - Sc. #71) - Olive Gray & Black.
- 20 P. (1903 - Type 1 - Sc. #72) - Orange & Black.
- 25 P. (1903 - Type 1 - Sc. #73) - Blue & Black.
- 50 P. (1903 - Type 1 - Sc. #74) - Gray & Black.
- 01 D. (1903 - Type 2 - Sc. #75) - Blue Green & Black.
- 03 D. (1903 - Type 2 - Sc. #76a) - Violet & Black.
The catalog attributes, for stamps that are perforated 11 1/2, are as follows:
- 05 P. (1903 - Type 1 - Sc. #75A) - Yellow Green & Black.
- 50 P. (1903 - Type 1 - Sc. #75B) - Gray & Black.
- 01 D. (1903 - Type 1 - Sc. #75C) - Blue Green & Black.
- 03 D. (1903 - Type 2 - Sc. #76) - Violet & Black.
- 05 D. (1903 - Type 2 - Sc. #77) - Light Brown & Black.
The 01 P. through the 01 D. denominations exist without the Coat of Arms overprint. They are all shown above. The 2018 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalog values the set at $75.00.
The 5 D. denomination definitive Serbia stamp shown above was overprinted and re-valued in 1903.
The catalog attributes are as follows:
- 01 P. on 05 D. (1903 - Perf. 11 1/2 - Sc. #78) - Light Brown & Black.
- 01 P. on 05 D. (1903 - Perf. 13 1/2 - Sc. #78a) - Light Brown & Black.
Most of the definitive postage stamps shown on this page exist with errors, including inverted overprints, double overprints, and imperforate, and as such, they are relatively common and inexpensive.
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Return to Serbia Stamps from
Definitives of 1894-1903
Alexander Obrenović (1876-1903) was the King of Serbia, as Alexander I, from 1889 to 1903.
In 1900, Alexander married Draga Masin, a former lady-in-waiting to his mother and twelve years his elder. This marriage was disapproved by Alexander's parents, as she was not from a noble family, and, at the age of thirty-six, she was beyond her child-bearing years. This weakened the kings position in the eyes of the army and in the country at large.
With returning the House of Karageorgevich to the Serbian throne as a hidden agenda, a Serbian army captain, Dragutin Dimitrijević organized a conspiracy against the royal couple. On the morning of May 29, 1903, the conspirators stormed the palace and murdered the twenty-six year old King Alexander and the thirty-eight year old Queen Draga.
Shortly after the assassination, Peter Karageorgevich was proclaimed King Peter I of Serbia by the Serbian military and by the Serbian parliament.