German Occupation of Zara. 1943 (Sept 25) Italian 30c non-overprinted stationery card from Zara to Ceneselli (Italy), dispatch cds, Italian censorship and arrival on front, sent by a postal employee of the post office in Zara, with interesting text stating that "here I do not receive your mail after the 10th and I have no news since then. Write a postcard everyday with the hope that any of them will arrive". A rare mail during the short forerunner period between 10.9 and 16.10.43 in which the non-overprinted Italian values were tolerated. (Image)

1943 (Nov 25) 30c stationery card showing the second overprint from Zara to Sant'Eraclio di Foligno (Italy), used with dispatch cds, displaying German "17" censor's mark in blue and receiving cds at left; very fine and scarce; signed Raybaudi and Sorani. (Image)

1943 (Oct 25) Overprinted 30c stationery card from Zara to Ceneselli (Italy), sent by the same postal employee and still asking for news from his family, as he has not heard from them after the Armistice (see previous lot), hoping that they will receive his news and asking them to just send him postcards ("who knows if one will arrive?"); cancelled by dispatch cds, also showing Italian censorship and arrival cds on obverse; a very fine and most rare usage in October (Gabbini had recorded only five non-philatelic usages in this month). (Image)

Picture postcard franked by "War Propaganda" 30c type I, tied by "Lussimpiccolo/Pola" cds, a very fine and rare usage of this issue correctly paying the required rate. Note: Some inhabitants from Zara, who had left the city as a result of the bombardments, searched for refuge in neighbouring areas in the Adriatic Coast such as Lussimpiccolo (in modern day Mali Losinj, Croatia), carrying with themselves stamps or stationery cards from Zara in valid lire/centesimi currency; the date in the cds of this item is illegible as usually found in the very few items extant dispatched at Lussimpiccolo. (Image)

1943 (Dec 15) Cover from Zara to Auronzo (Italy), bearing first issue 30c vertical pair (slight peripheral tone spots), tied by "Zara/Arrivi e Partenze" cds, repeated alongside, with German "Ueberprueft" censorship's straight line (occasionally and rarely applied on Zara's envelopes -not postcards- during the occupation) and accompanying "19" censor's mark, backstamped on arrival on 27.2; the single rate was overpaid by 10c, probably due to a lack of availability of the required value/s. An extremely rare usage as a result of the following features: the scarce censorship handstamp, the most unusual 60c franking on non-philatelically inspired correspondence, and of even more importance, a mail dispatched on the last day of service of the Zara post office -just three travelled items recorded-, as the P.O. building was already bombarded on 28 November, and it was again hit by the bombs one day after this mail was sent, on 16 December. (Image)

1944 (Jan-March) Trio of covers including two registered incoming items from Bolzano and Trieste bearing RSI frankings, with "Al Mittente" and "Servizio Sospeso" instructional markings and sent back to the sender as the Zara P.O. was no longer into service after having been destroyed by the bombardments; and 3.3.44 commercial envelope to Italy with ms "Zara/sprovvista di francobolli" endorsement denoting that no stamps were available (on 1.1.44 a fire also destroyed the last remnants of stamps in Zara), and posted at Trieste with corresponding cds, to where it was sent from Zara in that period using the "Sansego" boat or an occasional seaplane's flight; a rare group. (Image)

German Occupation of Zara. 1943 (Nov 4) 30c stationery card showing the second overprint sent to Ferrara (Fabbrica Calzature Veca commercial correspondence), posted at the neighboring Trieste and there cancelled by cds; couple of very light wrinkles mentioned for accuracy; since some incoming mail was missing, some senders did not trust the local post and cosigned their correspondence to persons traveling to post it at the Trieste P.O. (there are only about 15 items posted in other localities than Zara in this period). (Image)

1943 (Nov 9) 30c stationery card showing the first overprint sent to Ferrara (Fabbrica Calzature Veca commercial correspondence), posted at the neighboring Trieste and there cancelled by cds; small tear at bottom ,but a very scarce usage; since some incoming mail was missing, some senders did not trust the local post and cosigned their correspondence to persons traveling to post it at the Trieste P.O. (there are only about 15 items posted in other localities than Zara in this period). (Image)

1943 (Nov 29) Commercial cover from Zara to Ferrara (Fabbrica Calzature Veca correspondence), franked by "Propaganda" overprinted 50c tied by "Zara/Arrivi e Partenze" cds, alongside German "Ueberprueft" censorship's straight line (occasionally and rarely applied on Zara's envelopes -not postcards- during the occupation) and accompanying "19" censor's mark. A very rare commercial mail (one day after the first bombardment of the P.O.) and scarce usage of the censorship. (Image)