The Screaming Baby Of Slovenia - Kingdom Of Shs

This stamp was issued in 1919 after the merger of the short-lived State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (which referred to Serbs not in Serbia) and Serbia-Montenegro.

The stamp is listed in Scott as an "Allegories of Freedom" pair along with another stamp showing a lady holding a dove (or it looks more like a parrot).

The "Screaming baby" (my term) is rather graphic. There is a ruined building on the baby's right, and skulls at his (yes, obviously "his" ) feet.

This stamp appears to be Scott 3L21 under Yugoslavia. There is also a 1K vermilion value, Scott 3L20.

Anyone else have these Screaming Babies?

Here he is, along with the parrot lady and King Petar, whom I frankly think looks scarier than the screamer. These were the higher denominations of the definitive series usually known, from the lower denominations, as the 'Chainbreaker' series.



There were 4 separate printings of the 1k and 2k - and consequently a range of different shades and papers.

The first printing was at the Government printing works at Ljubjana on 19 April 1919 - 1,003,800 of the 1k and 1,002,950 of the 2k. This issue was rouletted.

The second printing was produced at the same place over a period from the 3-6 Sept 1919. 2,004,700 of the 1k 1,539,300 of the 2k. This and all subsequent issues were properly perforated 11.5.

We can assume that at this point there were technical problems at the printing works because the plates were sent to the Reissera printers in Vienna which produced the third printing on 10th Dec 1919 - 2,330,000 of the 1k and 2,500,000 of the 2k.

The 4th and final printing was again by Reissera on the 12th April 1920 - 1,008,500 of the 1k and 459,800 of the 2k

Bamra thanks for all the printing details - excellent information.

I dug deeper into my collection and found the 1k Screaming Baby. It is serrate rouletted so must be from the first Ljubljana printing.



I also found a rouletted 50f Parrot Lady.

I won this nice batch of old Slovenia on ebay for $2.50. It mostly consists of Chain-breakers, but there are s few Parrot Ladies and Screaming Babies.

They will be a great sort when they arrive!

BC, you seem to get a lot of pleasure out of what many
would call worthless stamps.

You are a true stamp collector.

Stamps are stamps! For some of us it is the classification, identification and assembling of them into a collectable format on an album page that brings the pleasure. For that process, value can be secondary. Many of my collecting friends are somewhat scornful of my specialty - collecting W/W used definitive series. Unfortunately, for me, many W/W definitives, used or mint, are expensive.

Don

Those old common stamps have been through a lot of important history from before my time that allows me to connect back into that time through them sort of like a time machine. They all have a story to tell through their design, theme, country, age, postmark, cover, etc.

Interesting design for "The Screaming Baby". What is the designer's message? Desperation? Hope? Vengeance? Prayer?

I think you are interpreting the allegory image wrong. The child is celebrating the end of oppression and the beginnings of freedom demonstrated by the waving of the large feathers, a symbol of freedom.

I agree with your interpretation Timm, the intended message of the stamp. I am describing how the stamp "looks". Perhaps the baby (or child) is screaming "Freedom!".

It is interesting to note that when the allegory stamps were re-designed in a smaller size in 1920, the Screaming Baby was not included. They kept the Chain-breaker and Parrot Lady.

The baby probably represents the new country of Yugoslavia (Slovenia) being born free right after WWI which resulted in many people being killed for this freedom from being occupied by another country or empire.

Well said DonSellos

"Stamps are stamps" is what I have been saying all along. Right now I am sorting through Russia and though many of them are CTO I have learned a lot in the process.

Great thread by the way. Keep em coming.

Dianne

Dianne:

I think most everyone on this forum will agree with your statement. Few activities or things teach us more about stamps than sorting a larger mixture. Can't help but learn about specific stamps and about stamps in general.

Don

jogil says: Those old common stamps have been through a lot of important history from before my time that allows me to connect back into that time through them sort of like a time machine. They all have a story to tell through their design, theme, country, age, postmark, cover, etc.

Well said, jogil. That is what old stamps are about. Thank you.

In my view, the baby is not waving any feathers, but a palmtree leaf. A Christian symbol of martyrdom, perhaps of those killed for countries' freedom.

Interestingly enough, the cancel on the blue baby is Titel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titel

Titel was in Serbian Vojvodina, not Slovenia. I have read that these stamps were used in Croatia after the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was proclaimed in 1919 because Croatia used the same currency. But I thought Serbia used only paras and dinars.

Anyone with a clarification?