Serbia

Not to be confused with Republika Srpska, a part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Serbia is a country in the central Balkans region.

Ottoman Empire
 File:Serbia Michael 40.jpg|1866 40 para Vienna printing. File:Serbia Milan 1869.jpg|1878 40p value. File:Serbia arms newspaper.jpg|1866 1p newspaper tax stamp. File:Serbia black news tax.jpg|2p newspaper tax. 
 * As an autonomous principality of the Ottoman Empire, Serbia first issued its own stamps in 1866. Inscribed К. СРБСКА ПОШТА, they bore the portrait of Prince Michael.
 * In 1869-78, stamps showing Prince Milan were released,inscribed only ПОШТА and the denomination.
 * In 1866, newspaper tax stamps inscribed К. С. ПОШТА were issued.
 * In 1872-79, newspaper tax stamps showing Prince Milan were released, inscribed КЊ. СРП. ПОШТА.

Kingdom

 * Serbia became independent in 1880. It issued stamps showing King Milan I, now inscribed СРБИJА.
 * In 1889, Milan I abdicated. Beginning in 1890, stamps showed King Alexander.
 * In 1903-04, stamps with the portrait of assassinated King Alexander were overprinted with the royal arms, marking the installation of King Peter I.
 * In 1904, the Karađorđević Dynasty commemoratives were released.
 * In 1905, definitives with King Peter I's portrait was issued.
 * In 1911-14, a set with Peter I in uniform was released.
 * In 1915, a commemorative set was issued but never used except as currency. Serbia was invaded and occupied that year; see below.
 * In 1918, at the end of World War I, a set commemorating the Karađorđević Dynasty was issued. Serbia cecame part of Yugoslavia in December 1918, with King Peter taking the throne. Yugoslavian stamps would not be issued until 1921, after which Serbia would used Yugoslavian stamps. See: Yugoslavia.

 File:Serbia Aleksandr 20p.jpg|1890 20p Alexandar. File:Serbia Aleksandr blue.jpg|1898-1900 25p definitive. File:Serbia small Aleksandr.jpg|1901-03 5p Alexander. File:Serbia arms ovpt.jpg|1903-04 5p arms overprint. File:Serbia Karageorge.jpg|1904 50p Karađorđević Dynasty. File:Serbia profile.jpg|1905 10p King Peter I. File:Serbia uniform.jpg|1911 10p definitive. File:Serbia two heads.jpg|1918 10p Karađorđević Dynasty. 

Austrian occupation
 File:Serbia Austr occu diag.jpg|1916 3k diagonal overprint. File:Serb Aust occp sl.jpg|1916 2h horizontal overprint. 
 * In 1915, Austria-Hungary invaded and occupied Serbia.
 * At the end of World War I, Serbia regained its independence with the region of Syrmia and the Hungarian provinces Banat, Bačka, and Baranja joining Serbia. In December 1918 Serbia became part of Yugoslavia.

German puppet state
 File:Serbia castle.jpg File:Serbia 12d air.jpg File:Serbia bicolor due.jpg File:Serbia eagle due.jpg 
 * In 1941, Axis armies invaded and occupied Serbia. Yugoslavian stamps were overprinted SERBIEN diagonally.
 * Commemoratives, semipostals and airmails, officials and postage dues followed, inscribed СРБИJА.
 * By December 1944, Serbia had been liberated. Yugoslavia was restored as a socialist federation and stamps were issued for it. See: Federal republic.

Serbia and Montenegro
With the breakup of Yugoslavia, in 1992, Montenegro merged with Serbia, adopting the name "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia". It continued to issue stamps looking much like those of the old Socialist Federation. In 2003, it became Serbia and Montenegro. See: Serbia and Montenegro.

In June 2006, Montenegro declared its independence and Serbia returned to its old name.

 File:Serbia and Montenegro jewel.jpg|From the 2004 silver issue. 

Independent country
 File:Serbia Tesla 2006.jpg|2006 16.50d Tesla, one of the stamps printed before Montenegro declared independence but still released. File:Serbia Easter 2012.jpg|2012 Easter set. Note bilingual country inscriptions on the different stamps. 
 * After releasing two sets inscribed for Serbia and Montenegro, Serbia returned to issuing stamps with Serbia in either Latin or Cyrillic lettering.

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