Croatian First Issue

[Edo_Rajh]

I see that in club's catalog Croatian first issue is stamp issued 21th November 1991. Actually, this is 4th stamp published in new Croatia. Here is link to online catalog of Croatian Post Stamps:
http://www.posta.hr/markeasp/frame_e.html

Is there any reason why 4th stamp is listed as first issue? Some rule that I missed?  

[Tim_Balm]

The stamp numbering is different in may catalogs used around the world.  I believe the first issues that are on the listing in this web site are based on the Scott catalog.  Some catalogs list all stamps in chronological order of being issued, regardless of whether they are airmail, regular issue, etc.  Scott catalog separates regular postage stamps (leaving definitive stamps and regular issue stamps together) from semi-postal stamps (numbered B1, B2, etc) from airmail stamps (numbered C1, C2, etc) from postage due stamps (J1, J2, etc) and so on. The stamp listed as #4 on the website in the previous posting is the same stamp listed by Scott catalog as the #1 stamp.  Perhaps this is because the first 3 stamps are airmail stamps -- perhaps Scott catalog has decided not to include the first three stamps because they were no for general use -- or perhaps there is another reason.

[Jesper]

Edo_Rajh wrote: "... Stamp Atlas and see that they listed as first Croatian stamp Obligatory Tax Stamp issued on 1st April 1991. Scott #1 for Croatia is issue from 21st November 1991, while Croatian post consider as first issue one from 9th September 1991 (air mail).

So, I'm not sure how reliable is Stamp Atlas because it seems to me that they have different definition of first issue than this club.

I don't think it is fair to say that they are not reliable; it is more a matter of definition.

If you want STRICT chronology for Croatia, you will probably say:
#1 Obligatory Tax Stamp issued on 1st April 1991
#2 Air mail issued 9th September 1991
#3 Regular postage stamp issued 21st November 1991
But the Scott catalog (and others, I believe) do not organize the issues this way. Scott separates regular mail (#1, #2, so forth) and "the rest", called "back-of-the-book", or BOB, issues. Those issues are again sub-divided into
1) semi-postals (with benefit surcharges for example (Red Cross)) as the B numbers (B1, B2,...)
2) Air mails like C1, C2 ...
and a host of other groups.

So, according to this scheme, we have:
#1 Regular postage stamp issued 21st November 1991
#C1 Air mail issued 9th September 1991
#R1 Obligatory Tax Stamp issued on 1st April 1991
(I'm not sure about the R1). Magic, they ALL became #1's!  
What joy for us!

What we (FICC) do is to follow Scott in some sense, by separating the "normal" postage stamps and "all the others". The only "mix" we make is that we generally consider K, L, M and N numbers "regular" stamps, too. Look around on the forums for an explanation.

The Scott catalogs, used extensively here in the US, are both a curse and a blessing to us First Issues collectors. They provide little help, but plenty of necessity for research.

As always, there's only ONE person who can make the final decision as to how to collect: YOU

[Tim_Balm]

Where is Edo's post (the one frm which Jesper gets the quote)?

[Jesper]

Aaaahhh, the privilege of a moderator ;-)

Edo had first posted his reply to the "Bulgaria..." post and I felt it didn't really belong there. So I looked for a way to move his reply in here ... but couldn't find a way to do it!

So, instead of creating a post in my name with Edo's reply, I added the text of his reply as a quote...

As you see, it is the old story of "they can send a man to the moon, but ..."

[Edo_Rajh]

I didn't put it well. I don't think they are not reliable in general, but maybe not according to our definition of first issue. Jesper, you write the same thing in your first sentence, but you did put it beter. Not reliable maybe sounds to cruel.

As English is not my native language.... well you know.  

[Jesper]

Don't worry about the language - we'll misunderstand it any way we want anyway

No, really, if we have problems understanding each other all we have to do is ask, right?