Bulgaria



1879 5c stamp
 Source

Bulgaria released its first stamps on 1st May 1879, featuring a crowned lion, Bulgaria’s national symbol. The same design in slightly differing varieties was then used for most of the country’s 19th century stamps. 

Bulgaria’s premier issue was printed in St. Petersburg, Russia. The 10-centime and 1-franc values had the lowest printings of only 100,000 copies each. Half a million 25-centime stamps were printed. This was the rate for ordinary letters and obviously the most needed value. The design of the stamps shows strong similarities with contemporary Russian stamps.

1881 3s stamp. Source.

The Bulgarian currency was the lev which is divided into 100 stotinki. In 1881, Bulgaria issued six new stamps with denominations in stotinki. As with the previous issue, the 1881 stamps were also printed in two colours. These were subsequently surcharged with new values.



The Unification of Bulgaria was the act of unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and the then-Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia in the autumn of 1885.


Source

On two stamps of 1901 commemorative of the War of Independence Bulgaria pictured a cherry wood cannon, a home-made affair used by the Bulgarian patriots against the Turks, and drawn from one which is preserved in the national museum at Sofia.

1902 5s Battle of Shipka Pass stamp
Source

The following year, 1902, the 25th anniversary of the battle of Shipka Pass (August 21, 1877) was the occasion for a set of stamps showing a view of the ravine with the Bulgars tumbling rocks down upon their enemies.

1907 5s stamp. Source

Later stamps of this country show some interesting portraits of King Ferdinand in naval and military uniforms, and one showing the King with the sceptre in his right hand and the orb in his left, and wearing the garb of the ancient Tsars of Bulgaria.

These form part of a fine pictorial issue of 1911, and it is noteworthy that these stamps may be found with Turkish cancellations, used by the victorious Bulgars before they could substitute Bulgarian postmarks for those left behind by the Turks.

Source

In 1913 the pictorial set up to the 25 stotinki, was issued with an overprint in Sclavonic characters signifying "War of Liberty" to mark the successes against the Turks.








Includes edited excerpts from The Project Gutenberg e-Book of The Postage Stamp in War, by Fred. J. Melville