Vojna Uprava Jugoslavenske Armije

Came across this today. Anyone know if its a common stamp/postmark?



"Military Authorities of Yugoslav Army"

Managed to find this on Google but little else so far.

Trieste – Zone B – "Vojna Uprava Jugoslovenska Armije Slobodna Teritorija Trsta" – Military Administration Yugoslav Army, Free Territory of Trieste

On 10 February 1947, the Peace Treaty with Italy was signed in Paris, creating the Free Territory of Trieste (F.T.T.) divided temporarily into Zone A (Trieste and its northern hinterland) under Anglo-American military administration, and Zone B which included the north-west side of Istria (Istra) under Yugoslav administration. By mid-September Gorizia and other parts of Western Venezia Giulia were given back to Italy, while Fiume, Pula and other portions of Istria were assigned to Yugoslavia. Two weeks after Zone A and B were officially implemented, on 1 October 1947, 37 Italian stamps overprinted A.M.G.—F.T.T. were issued in Trieste. Zone B issued Yugoslav stamps in February with the overprint VOJNA UPRAVA JUGOSLAVENSKE ARMIJE (Yugoslav Military Administration, later abbreviated as VUJA) continued to be postally valid. (Istria and Slovene Coast, Scott 42-52 and J20-J24). Specific issues for the Free Territory of Trieste Zone B (abbreviated as S.T.T.) began on 1 May 1948 with a strip of three 100 lira stamps celebrating Labor Day. Later on, issues specifically devised for Zone B were alternated with Yugoslav stamps overprinted VUJA-S.T.T.

Your stamp came off a cover that, in its day, was considered hilarious junk mail, over 50 years ago. Here are two examples, and note that one indeed has a Yugoslavian stamp, with "exotic" cancel.

The "strategy" was that people would open a letter that chased them all over the world, instead of throwing it away. Covers like these came with an address overlay, of real people at real addresses. I don't know what they were selling, but the covers perplex a lot of beginners.

The stamps were apparently picked at random, and the cancels were "created" to look authentic. Yes, the stamp is quite common; it's Yugoslavia Zone B (issues for Istria and the Slovene Coast), see #42 through #51, I can't tell which yours is. All catalog 20c mint or used.

Thanks Doug - appreciate the scans - very interesting. Certainly makes for an unusual looking cover.

I wonder - were they ever posted? - there is no final address showing.

Any one else have information on the reason for these letters?

As far as I know, these were sent in a separate wrapper, or maybe a paper band around them with the actual address, etc.

And the reason, they contained advertising of some kind, and the sender wanted to make sure you opened it instead of throwing it away. Clever, who could resist?

That is weird - never seen it before!

Very clever.
Like BeeSee, its the first time I've come across them.

They do have a certain appeal, so I guess someone somewhere perhaps collects them.