112-629: The Comic Strip Classics series of commemorative postage stamps was issued by the United States Postal Service on October 1, 1995, to honor the centennial of the newspaper comic strip . The 20 stamps all are listed in the Scott catalogue as No. 3000 for a pane and 3000a through 3000t for the individual stamps. Restricted to strips created before 1950, the series featured drawings of comic-strip characters with their logos. The stamps were arranged in five tiers with four stamps to
224-515: A funicular linked the city centre to the castle. Town Hall ( Mestna hiša , Magistrat ), located at Town Square , is the seat of city government . The original, Gothic building was completed in 1484. Between 1717 and 1719, the building underwent a Baroque renovation with a Venetian inspiration by architect Gregor Maček Sr. Near Town Hall, at Town Square , stands a replica of the Baroque Robba Fountain . The original
336-549: A hand stamp to frank the mailed item. Though this "stamp" was applied to the letter or parcel itself, rather than to a separate piece of paper, it is considered by many historians to be the world's first postage stamp. In 1835, the civil servant Lovrenc Košir from Ljubljana in Austria-Hungary (now Slovenia ), suggested the use of "artificially affixed postal tax stamps" using "gepresste Papieroblate" ("pressed paper wafers"), but although civil bureaucrats considered
448-603: A little later in the United States , and by 1860, they were in 90 countries around the world. The first postage stamps did not need to show the issuing country, so no country name was included on them. Thus the United Kingdom remains the only country in the world to omit its name on postage stamps; the monarch's image signifies the United Kingdom as the country of origin. Throughout modern history numerous methods were used to indicate that postage had been paid on
560-520: A mailed item, so several different men have received credit for inventing the postage stamp. In 1680, William Dockwra , an English merchant in London , and his partner Robert Murray established the London Penny Post . The LPP was a mail system that delivered letters and small parcels inside the city of London for the sum of one penny. Confirmation of paid postage was indicated by the use of
672-484: A monster. This monster evolved into the dragon that today is present in the city coat of arms and flag. It is historically more believable that the dragon was adopted from Saint George , the patron of the Ljubljana Castle chapel built in the 15th century. In the legend of Saint George, the dragon represents the old ancestral paganism overcome by Christianity . According to another explanation, related to
784-459: A nine-character alphanumeric code that is written as a 3x3 grid on the piece of mail as an alternative to stamps. In December 2020, 590,000 people sent cards with these handwritten codes. When the first postage stamps were issued in the 1840s, they followed an almost identical standard in shape, size and general subject matter. They were rectangular in shape. They bore the images of queens, presidents and other political figures. They also depicted
896-553: A pamphlet entitled Post Office Reform: Its Importance and Practicability to the Chancellor of the Exchequer , Thomas Spring Rice , which was marked "private and confidential", and not released to the general public. The Chancellor summoned Hill to a meeting at which he suggested improvements and changes to be presented in a supplement, which Hill duly produced and submitted on 28 January 1837. Summoned to give evidence before
1008-698: A postage stamp, but submitted no evidence of the essay's existence. Nevertheless, until he died in 1891, Patrick Chalmers campaigned to have his father recognized as the inventor of the postage stamp. The first independent evidence for Chalmers' claim is an essay, dated 8 February 1838 and received by the Post Office on 17 February 1838, in which he proposed adhesive postage stamps to the General Post Office . In this approximately 800-word document concerning methods of indicating that postage had been paid on mail he states: Chalmers' original document
1120-649: A predecessor of the present-day Triple Bridge , and the Butchers' Bridge connected the walled areas with wooden buildings. Ljubljana acquired the town privileges at some time between 1220 and 1243. Seven fires erupted during the Middle Ages. Artisans organised themselves into guilds . The Teutonic Knights , the Conventual Franciscans , and the Franciscans settled there. In 1256, when
1232-443: A purely decorative perforated edge is often present). Stamps are most commonly made from paper designed specifically for them, and are printed in sheets, rolls, or small booklets. Less commonly, postage stamps are made of materials other than paper, such as embossed foil (sometimes of gold ). Switzerland made a stamp that contained a bit of lace and one of wood . The United States produced one of plastic . East Germany issued
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#17327761354811344-708: A scent, more readily apparent when rubbed . The effect is achieved by using ink which contains microcapsules that provide the desired fragrance when broken. The scent usually only lasts for a limited time after production, such as a few months or years. Such stamps are usually related to aromatic subjects including coffee, roses, grapes, chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, pine needles or freshly baked bread. The first scented stamps were issued by Bhutan in 1973. Apart from these, there are also revenue stamps (used to collect taxes or fees on items like documents, tobacco, alcoholic drinks, hunting licenses, and medicines) and telegraph stamps (for sending telegrams), which fall in
1456-450: A separate category from postage stamps. Postage stamps are first issued on a specific date, often referred to as the First day of issue. A first day cover usually consists of an envelope, a postage stamp and a postmark with the date of the stamp's first day of issue thereon. Starting in the mid-20th century some countries began assigning the first day of issue to a place associated with
1568-465: A simple and elegant manner, with the additional benefit of room for an element of beauty to be introduced. Concurrently with the first stamps, the United Kingdom offered wrappers for mail. Later related inventions include postal stationery such as prepaid-postage envelopes, post cards , lettercards , aerogrammes , and postage meters . The postage stamp afforded convenience for both the mailer and postal officials, more effectively recovered costs for
1680-421: A small number of stamps. Souvenir sheets typically include additional artwork or information printed on the selvage , the border surrounding the stamps. Sometimes the stamps make up a greater picture. Some countries, and some issues, are produced as individual stamps as well as sheets. Stamp collecting is a hobby . Collecting is not the same as philately , which is defined as the study of stamps. The creation of
1792-601: A span of 33.34 m (109 ft 5 in) and its arch was at the time the third largest in Europe. It is protected as a technical monument. Decorated with mythological bronze sculptures, created by Jakov Brdar , from Ancient Greek mythology and Biblical stories, the Butchers' Bridge connects the Ljubljana Open Market area and the restaurants-filled Petkovšek Embankment ( Petkovškovo nabrežje ). It
1904-475: A stamp of synthetic chemicals . In the Netherlands a stamp was made of silver foil . Bhutan issued one with its national anthem on a playable record . The subjects found on the face of postage stamps are generally what defines a particular stamp issue to the public and are often a reason why they are saved by collectors or history enthusiasts. Graphical subjects found on postage stamps have ranged from
2016-648: A steel die, which was then hardened and whose impression was transferred to a printing plate. Using an engraved image was deemed a more secure way of printing stamps as it was nearly impossible to counterfeit a finely detailed image with raised lines for anyone but a master engraver. In the mid-20th century, stamp issues produced by other forms of printing began to emerge, such as lithography , photogravure , intaglio and web offset printing . These later printing methods were less expensive and typically produced images of lesser quality. Occasionally, postal authorities issue novelty "scented" or "aromatic" stamps which contain
2128-417: A tier. The featured strips are listed here in the sequence as published: This comic strip –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Postage stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office , postal administration , or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail). Then
2240-557: A valuable or comprehensive collection, however, may require some philatelic knowledge. Stamp collectors are an important source of revenue for some small countries that create limited runs of elaborate stamps designed mainly to be bought by stamp collectors. The stamps produced by these countries may far exceed their postal needs. Hundreds of countries, each producing scores of different stamps each year, resulted in 400,000 different types of stamps in existence by 2000. Annual world output averages about 10,000 types. Some countries authorize
2352-406: A widespread basis, historians and collectors began to take notice. The study of postage stamps and their use is referred to as philately . Stamp collecting can be both a hobby and a form of historical study and reference, as government-issued postage stamps and their mailing systems have always been involved with the history of nations. Although a number of people laid claim to the concept of
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#17327761354812464-494: A year. The city is known for its fog, appearing on average on 64 days per year, mostly in autumn and winter, and can be particularly persistent in conditions of temperature inversion . The city's architecture is a mix of styles. Large buildings have appeared around the city's edges, while Ljubljana's historic centre remains intact. Some of the oldest architecture dates to the Roman period, while Ljubljana's downtown got its outline in
2576-583: Is oceanic ( Köppen climate classification : Cfb), bordering on a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cfa), with continental characteristics such as warm summers and moderately cold winters. July and August are the warmest months with daily high temperatures generally between 25 and 30 °C (77 and 86 °F), and January is the coldest month with temperatures mostly around 0 °C (32 °F). The city experiences up to 90 days of frost per year, and 11 days with temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) (often even more). Precipitation
2688-411: Is a thirteen-story building that rises to a height of 70.35 m (231 ft). It combines elements of Neoclassical and Art-Deco architecture. Predominantly a place of business, Nebotičnik is home to shops on the ground floor and first story, and offices are located on floors two to five. The sixth to ninth floors are private residences. The top three floors host a café, bar and observation deck. It
2800-616: Is also known as the love padlocks -decorated bridge in Ljubljana. The Triple Bridge is decorated with stone balusters and stone lamps on all of the three bridges and leads to the terraces looking on the river and poplar trees. It occupies a central point on the east–west axis, connecting the Tivoli City Park with Rožnik Hill , on one side, and the Ljubljana Castle on the other, and the north–south axis through
2912-535: Is called philately . Because collectors often buy stamps from an issuing agency with no intention to use them for postage, the revenues from such purchases and payments of postage can make them a source of net profit to that agency. On 1 May 1840, the Penny Black , the first adhesive postage stamp, was issued in the United Kingdom. Within three years postage stamps were introduced in Switzerland and Brazil ,
3024-460: Is either glazed with an adhesive gum or self-adhesive . Because governments issue stamps of different denominations in unequal numbers and routinely discontinue some lines and introduce others, and because of their illustrations and association with the social and political realities of the time of their issue, they are often prized for their beauty and historical significance by stamp collectors , whose study of their history and of mailing systems
3136-608: Is known about the area during the settlement of Slavs in the period between the downfall of Emona and the Early Middle Ages. The parchment sheet Nomina defunctorum ("Names of the Dead"), most probably written in the second half of 1161, mentions the nobleman Rudolf of Tarcento, a lawyer of the Patriarchate of Aquileia , who had bestowed a canon with 20 farmsteads beside the castle of Ljubljana ( castrum Leibach ) to
3248-562: Is located at Cyril and Methodius Square ( Ciril-Metodov trg , named for Saints Cyril and Methodius ). The Diocese was set up in 1461. Between 1701 and 1706, Jesuit architect Andrea Pozzo designed the Baroque church with two side chapels shaped in the form of a Latin cross . The dome was built in the centre in 1841. The interior is decorated with Baroque frescos painted by Giulio Quaglio between 1703–1706 and 1721–1723. Nebotičnik (pronounced [nɛbɔtiːtʃniːk] , "Skyscraper")
3360-573: Is now in the United Kingdom's National Postal Museum. Since Chalmers used the same postage denominations that Hill had proposed in February 1837, it is clear that he was aware of Hill's proposals, but whether he obtained a copy of Hill's booklet or simply read about it in one or both of the two detailed accounts (25 March 1837 and 20 December 1837 ) published in The Times is unknown. Neither article mentioned "a bit of paper just large enough to bear
3472-413: Is relatively evenly distributed throughout the seasons, although winter and spring tend to be somewhat drier than summer and autumn. Yearly precipitation is about 1,400 mm (55 in), making Ljubljana one of the wettest European capitals. Thunderstorms are common from May to September and can occasionally be heavy. Snow is common from December to February; on average, snow cover is recorded for 48 days
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3584-466: Is the capital and largest city of Slovenia , located along a trade route between the northern Adriatic Sea and the Danube region, north of the country's largest marsh , inhabited since prehistoric times. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center and the seat of Urban Municipality of Ljubljana . During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in
3696-585: Is the lowest point of Ljubljana, with an elevation of 261 m (856 ft). Through its history, Ljubljana has been struck by floods. The latest was in August 2023, when the Sava and Gradaščica rivers flooded in their upper reaches. Southern and western parts of the city are more flood-endangered than northern parts. The Gruber Canal has partly diminished the danger of floods in the Ljubljana Marsh ,
3808-780: The Act of March 3, 1855 required the prepayment of postage on all mailings. Thereafter, postage stamp use in the United States quickly doubled, and by 1861 had quadrupled. In 1856, under the direction of Postmaster General James Campbell , Toppan and Carpenter, ( commissioned by the United States government to print United States postage stamps through the 1850s ) purchased a rotary machine designed to separate stamps, patented in England in 1854 by William and Henry Bemrose, who were printers in Derby , England. The original machine cut slits into
3920-762: The Hradecky Bridge ( Slovene : Hradeckega most ), and the Trnovo Bridge ( Trnovski most ). The last mentioned crosses the Gradaščica , whereas all other bridges cross the Ljubljanica River . The 1901 Dragon Bridge , decorated with dragon statues on pedestals at four corners of the bridge has become a symbol of the city and is regarded as one of the most beautiful examples of a bridge made in Vienna Secession style. It has
4032-660: The Parisian Jardins de Tivoli . Between 1921 and 1939, it was renovated by Slovene architect Jože Plečnik , who unveiled his statue of Napoleon in 1929 in Republic Square and designed a broad central promenade, called the Jakopič Promenade ( Jakopičevo sprehajališče ) after the leading Slovene impressionist painter Rihard Jakopič . Within the park, there are trees, flower gardens, several statues, and fountains. Several notable buildings stand in
4144-1079: The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia . It retained this status until Slovene independence in 1991. Ljubljana is the capital of independent Slovenia , which joined the European Union in 2004. The city covers 163.8 km (63.2 sq mi). It is situated in the Ljubljana Basin in Central Slovenia , between the Alps and the Karst . Ljubljana is located some 320 km (200 mi) south of Munich , 477 km (296 mi) east of Zürich , 250 km (160 mi) east of Venice, 350 km (220 mi) southwest of Vienna , 124 km (77 mi) west of Zagreb and 400 km (250 mi) southwest of Budapest . Ljubljana has grown considerably since
4256-515: The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia . The city retained this status until Slovenia became independent in 1991 and Ljubljana became the capital of the newly formed state. The exact origin of the name Ljubljana is unclear. In medieval times , both the river and the town were also called Laibach ( German: [ˈlaɪbax] ) in German. This name was used within the region until 1918 and continues to be used in German. In Italian,
4368-665: The Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity started. In 1779, St. Christopher's Cemetery replaced the cemetery at St. Peter's Church as Ljubljana's main cemetery. From 1809 to 1813, during the " Napoleonic interlude", Ljubljana (as Laybach ) was the capital of the Illyrian Provinces . In 1813, the city returned to Austria and from 1815 to 1849 was the administrative centre of the Kingdom of Illyria in
4480-644: The Zürich 4 and 6 rappen on 1 March 1843. Although the Penny black could be used to send a letter less than half an ounce anywhere within the United Kingdom, the Swiss did not initially adopt that system, instead continuing to calculate mail rates based on distance to be delivered. Brazil issued the Bull's Eye stamp on 1 August 1843. Using the same printer used for the Penny black, Brazil opted for an abstract design instead of
4592-581: The conquest of 774 . The connection between the Slovene and German names has posed a puzzle for scholars. In 2007, linguist Tijmen Pronk , an authority in comparative Indo-European linguistics and Slovene dialectology from the University of Leiden , provided strong support for the theory that the Slavic ljub- 'to love, like' was the most likely origin. He argued that the river's name likely stemmed from
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4704-481: The 12th century. At around 1200, market rights were granted to Old Square ( Stari trg ), which at the time was one of Ljubljana's three original districts. The other two districts were an area called "Town" ( Mesto ), built around the predecessor of the present-day Ljubljana Cathedral at one side of the Ljubljanica River, and New Square ( Novi trg ) at the other side. The Franciscan Bridge ,
4816-566: The 1850s, and by the 1860s most countries issued stamps. Perforation of postage stamps began in January 1854. The first officially perforated stamps were issued in February 1854. Stamps from Henry Archer's perforation trials were issued in the last few months of 1850; during the 1851 parliamentary session at the House of Commons of the United Kingdom ; and finally in 1853/54 after the United Kingdom government paid Archer £4,000 for his machine and
4928-467: The 1890s as an agent of Hamilton Bank Note Company . He approached Latin American countries with an offer to produce their entire postage stamp needs for free. In return. he would have exclusive rights to market stamps to collectors. Each year a new issue would be produced, but would expire at the end of the year. This assured Seebeck of a continuing supply of remainders. In the 1960s, printers such as
5040-522: The 1970s, mainly by merging with nearby settlements. The city stretches out on an alluvial plain dating to the Quaternary era . The mountainous regions nearby are older, dating from the Mesozoic ( Triassic ) or Paleozoic . Earthquakes have repeatedly devastated Ljubljana, notably in 1511 and 1895 . Ljubljana has an elevation of 295 m (968 ft). The city centre , located along
5152-543: The Austrian Empire. In 1821, it hosted the Congress of Laibach , which fixed European political borders for that period. The first train arrived in 1849 from Vienna and in 1857 the line extended to Trieste . In 1895, Ljubljana, then a city of 31,000, suffered a severe earthquake with a moment magnitude of 6.1 and a maximum EMS intensity of VIII–IX ("heavily damaging – destructive"). 21 people died due to
5264-1152: The Barody Stamp Company contracted to produce stamps for the separate Emirates and other countries. The sparse population of the desert states made it wholly unlikely that many of these stamps would ever be used for mailing purposes, and earned them the name of the "sand dune" countries. Ljubljana [REDACTED] Archbishop of Salzburg (1112–1555) [REDACTED] Habsburg Monarchy (1555–1804) [REDACTED] Austrian Empire (1804–1809) [REDACTED] Illyrian Provinces (1809–1814; capital ) [REDACTED] Austrian Empire (1814–1867) [REDACTED] Austria-Hungary (1867–1918) [REDACTED] State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (1918) [REDACTED] Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941) [REDACTED] Kingdom of Italy (1941–1945; annexed ) [REDACTED] Nazi Germany (1943–1945; de facto ) [REDACTED] SFR Yugoslavia (1945–1991) [REDACTED] Slovenia (1991–present; capital ) Ljubljana (also known by other historical names )
5376-524: The Carinthian duke Ulrich III of Spanheim became lord of Carniola, the provincial capital was moved from Kamnik to Ljubljana. In the late 1270s, Ljubljana was conquered by King Ottokar II of Bohemia . In 1278, after Ottokar's defeat, it became—together with the rest of Carniola —property of Rudolph of Habsburg . It was administered by the Counts of Gorizia from 1279 until 1335, when it became
5488-536: The Commission for Post Office Enquiry on 13 February 1837, Hill read from the letter he wrote to the Chancellor that included a statement saying that the notation of paid postage could be created... by using a bit of paper just large enough to bear the stamp, and covered at the back with a glutinous wash..." This would eventually become the first unambiguous description of a modern adhesive postage stamp (though
5600-732: The Italian capitulation, Nazi Germany with SS-general Erwin Rösener and Friedrich Rainer took control in 1943, but formally the city remained the capital of an Italian province until 9 May 1945. In Ljubljana, the Axis forces established strongholds and command centres of Quisling organisations, the Anti-Communist Volunteer Militia under Italy and the Home Guard under German control. Starting in February 1942,
5712-494: The Middle Ages. After the 1511 earthquake , it was rebuilt in the Baroque style following Italian, particularly Venetian, models. After the earthquake in 1895, it was again rebuilt, this time in the Vienna Secession style, which is juxtaposed against the earlier Baroque style buildings that remain. Large sectors built in the inter-war period often include a personal touch by the architects Jože Plečnik and Ivan Vurnik . In
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#17327761354815824-540: The Patriarchate. According to the historian Peter Štih 's deduction, this happened between 1112 and 1125, the earliest mention of Ljubljana. The property changed hands repeatedly until the first half of the 12th century. The territory south of the Sava where Ljubljana developed, gradually became property of the Carinthian Dukes of the House of Sponheim . Urban settlement started in the second half of
5936-574: The Penny Red and all subsequent designs. In the United States, the use of postage stamps caught on quickly and became more widespread when on 3 March 1851, the last day of its legislative session, Congress passed the Act of March 3, 1851 ( An Act to reduce and modify the Rates of Postage in the United States ). Similarly introduced on the last day of the Congressional session four years later,
6048-816: The area remained a transit point, for groups including the Illyrians , followed by a mixed nation of the Celts and the Illyrians called the Iapodes , and then in the 3rd century BC a Celtic tribe, the Taurisci . Around 50 BC, the Romans built a military encampment that later became a permanent settlement called Iulia Aemona . This entrenched fort was occupied by the Legio XV Apollinaris . In 452, it
6160-658: The area. The city was first mentioned in the first half of the 12th century . It was the historical capital of Carniola , one of the Slovene -inhabited parts of the Habsburg monarchy . It was under Habsburg rule from the Middle Ages until the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. After World War II , Ljubljana became the capital of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia , part of
6272-426: The beginning of the Counter-Reformation . Catholic Bishop Thomas Chrön ordered the public burning of eight cartloads of Protestant books. In 1597, the Jesuits arrived, followed in 1606 by the Capuchins , seeking to eradicate Protestantism . Only 5% of all the residents of Ljubljana at the time were Catholic, but eventually they re-Catholicized the town. The Jesuits staged the first theatre productions, fostered
6384-471: The capital town of Carniola. Renamed Laibach , it was owned by the House of Habsburg until 1797. In 1327, the Ljubljana's " Jewish Quarter "—now only "Jewish Street" ( Židovska ulica ) remains—was established with a synagogue, and lasted until Emperor Maximilian I in 1515 and expelled the Jews from Ljubljana at the request of its citizens, for which he demanded a certain payment from the town. In 1382, in front of St. Bartholomew's Church in Šiška , at
6496-523: The central Slovenian botanical garden and the oldest cultural, scientific, and educational organisation in the country. It started operating under the leadership of Franc Hladnik in 1810. Of over 4,500 plant species and subspecies , roughly a third is endemic to Slovenia, whereas the rest originate from other European places and other continents. The institution is a member of the international network Botanic Gardens Conservation International and cooperates with more than 270 botanical gardens all across
6608-449: The city centre. The area surrounding the castle has been continuously inhabited since 1200 BC. The castle was built in the 12th century and was a residence of the Margraves , later the Dukes of Carniola . Its Viewing Tower dates to 1848; it was manned by a guard whose duty it was to fire cannons announcing fire or important visitors or events, a function the castle still holds. Cultural events and weddings also take place there. In 2006,
6720-427: The city is referred to as Lubiana , and in Latin , it is known as Labacum . The German name was first documented in 1144, and the Slovenian form appeared in records as early as 1146. The 10th-century work "Life of Gregentios" provides the Greek variant Λυπλιανές ( Lyplianes ) and situates it among the Avars in the 6th century. This account is influenced by an earlier northern Italian source written shortly after
6832-560: The city was rebuilt in the Renaissance style and a new wall was built around it. Wooden buildings were forbidden after a large fire at New Square in 1524. In the 16th century, the population of Ljubljana numbered 5,000, 70% of whom spoke Slovene as their first language , with most of the rest using German. The first secondary school , public library and printing house opened in Ljubljana. Ljubljana became an important educational centre. From 1529, Ljubljana had an active Slovene Protestant community . They were expelled in 1598, marking
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#17327761354816944-412: The city was surrounded by barbed wire , later fortified by bunkers , to prevent co-operation between the resistance movements that operated inside and outside the fence. Since 1985, the commemorative trail has ringed the city where this iron fence once stood. Postwar reprisals filled mass graves . After World War II, Ljubljana became the capital of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia , part of
7056-472: The city were led by the mayor Ivan Hribar . In 1918, following the dissolution of Austria-Hungary , the region joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes . In 1929, Ljubljana became the capital of the Drava Banovina , a Yugoslav province. In 1941, during World War II , Fascist Italy occupied the city, and then on 3 May 1941 made Lubiana the capital of Italy's Province of Ljubljana with former Yugoslav general Leon Rupnik as mayor. After
7168-406: The city, represented by the river. It was enlarged in order to prevent the historically single bridge from being a bottleneck by adding two side pedestrian bridges to the middle one. The Fish Footbridge offers a view of the neighbouring Triple Bridge to the north and the Cobbler's Bridge to the South. It is a transparent glass-made bridge, illuminated at night by in-built LEDs. From 1991 to 2014
7280-473: The county of Forfar), and 12 June 1839. At this same time, other groups organized petitions and presented them to Parliament. All petitions for consumer-oriented, low-cost, volume-based postal rates followed publication of Hill's proposals. Other claimants include or have included Postage stamps have facilitated the delivery of mail since the 1840s. Before then, ink and hand-stamps (hence the word 'stamp'), usually made from wood or cork, were often used to frank
7392-420: The denomination of the postage-paid, and with the exception of the United Kingdom , depicted the name of the country from which issued. Nearly all early postage stamps depict images of national leaders only. Soon after the introduction of the postage stamp, other subjects and designs began to appear. Some designs were welcome, others widely criticized. For example, in 1869, the United States Post Office broke
7504-414: The development of Baroque music , and established Catholic schools. In the middle and the second half of the 17th century, foreign architects built and renovated monasteries, churches, and palaces and introduced Baroque architecture . In 1702, the Ursulines settled in the town, and the following year they opened the first public school for girls in the Slovene Lands . Some years later, the construction of
7616-511: The early portrayals of kings, queens and presidents to later depictions of ships, birds and satellites , famous people , historical events, comics, dinosaurs, hobbies (knitting, stamp collecting), sports, holiday themes, and a plethora of other subjects too numerous to list. Artists, designers, engravers and administrative officials are involved with the choice of subject matter and the method of printing stamps. Early stamp images were almost always produced from an engraving —a design etched into
7728-476: The earthquake and some 10% of the city's 1,400 buildings were destroyed. During the subsequent reconstruction, some districts were rebuilt in the Vienna Secession style. Public electric lighting arrived in 1898. The rebuilding period between 1896 and 1910 is referred to as the "revival of Ljubljana" because of architectural changes that defined the city and for reform of urban administration, health, education and tourism. The rebuilding and quick modernisation of
7840-435: The first stamps were separated from their sheets by cutting them with scissors. The first stamps did not need to show the issuing country, so no country name was included on them. The United Kingdom remains the only country to omit its name on postage stamps, using the reigning monarch's head as country identification. Following the introduction of the postage stamp in the United Kingdom, prepaid postage considerably increased
7952-640: The intention of retrieving and collecting the mailed item at a later time and place. The envelope used for this type of FDC often bears a printed design or cachet of its own in correspondence with the stamp's subject and is usually printed well in advance of the first day of issue date. The latter type of FDC is usually far more common; it is usually inexpensive and relatively easy to acquire. Covers which were sent without any secondary purpose are considered non-philatelic and often are much more challenging to find and collect. Postage stamps are sometimes issued in souvenir sheets or miniature sheets containing one or
8064-520: The inventor or inventors of the stamp. Before the introduction of postage stamps, mail in the United Kingdom was paid for by the recipient, a system that was associated with an irresolvable problem: the costs of delivering mail were not recoverable by the postal service when recipients were unable or unwilling to pay for delivered items, and senders had no incentive to restrict the number, size, or weight of items sent, whether or not they would ultimately be paid for. The postage stamp resolved this issue in
8176-499: The item is delivered to its address. Always featuring the name of the issuing nation (with the exception of the United Kingdom ), a denomination of its value, and often an illustration of persons, events, institutions, or natural realities that symbolize the nation's traditions and values, every stamp is printed on a piece of usually rectangular, but sometimes triangular or otherwise shaped special custom-made paper whose back
8288-489: The largest marsh in Slovenia, south of the city. The two major ponds in Ljubljana are Koseze Pond in the Šiška District and Tivoli Pond in the southern part of Tivoli City Park . Koseze Pond has rare plant and animal species and is a place of meeting and recreation. Tivoli Pond is a shallow pond with a small volume that was originally used for boating and ice skating, but is now used for fishing. Ljubljana's climate
8400-405: The mail and confirm the payment of postage. The first adhesive postage stamp, commonly referred to as the Penny Black , was issued in the United Kingdom in 1840. The invention of the stamp was part of an attempt to improve the postal system in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , which, in the early 19th century, was in disarray and rife with corruption. There are varying accounts of
8512-579: The most common rectangular shape, stamps have been issued in geometric (circular, triangular and pentagonal) and irregular shapes. The United States issued its first circular stamp in 2000 as a hologram of the Earth . Sierra Leone and Tonga have issued stamps in the shapes of fruit. Stamps that are printed on sheets are generally separated by perforations, though, more recently, with the advent of gummed stamps that do not have to be moistened prior to affixing them, designs can incorporate smooth edges (although
8624-504: The most notable archeological findings from the marshland. These lake-dwelling people survived through hunting, fishing and primitive agriculture. To get around the marshes, they used dugout canoes made by cutting out the inside of tree trunks. Their archaeological remains, nowadays in the Municipality of Ig , have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 2011, in the common nomination of six Alpine states . Later,
8736-497: The norm. Hill's brother Edwin invented a prototype envelope-making machine that folded paper into envelopes quickly enough to match the pace of the growing demand for postage stamps. Rowland Hill and the reforms he introduced to the United Kingdom postal system appear on several of its commemorative stamps. In the 1881 book The Penny Postage Scheme of 1837 , Scotsman Patrick Chalmers claimed that his father, James Chalmers , published an essay in August 1834 describing and advocating
8848-941: The northern part of the city. The main watercourses in Ljubljana are the Ljubljanica , the Sava , the Gradaščica , the Mali Graben , the Iška and the Iščica rivers. From the Trnovo District to the Moste District , around Castle Hill, the Ljubljanica partly flows through the Gruber Canal , built according to plans by Gabriel Gruber from 1772 until 1780. Next to the eastern border, the rivers Ljubljanica, Sava, and Kamnik Bistrica flow together. The confluence
8960-492: The number of letters mailed. Before 1839, the number of letters sent in the United Kingdom was typically 76 million. By 1850, this increased five-fold to 350 million, continuing to grow rapidly until the end of the 20th century when newer methods of indicating the payment of postage reduced the use of stamps. Other countries soon followed the United Kingdom with their own stamps. The canton of Zürich in Switzerland issued
9072-583: The paper rather than punching holes, but the machine was soon modified. The first stamp issue to be officially perforated, the 3-cent George Washington, was issued by the United States Post Office on 24 February 1857. Between 1857 and 1861, all stamps originally issued between 1851 and 1856 were reissued with perforations. Initial capacity was insufficient to perforate all stamps printed, thus perforated issues used between February and July 1857 are scarce and quite valuable. In addition to
9184-589: The park, among them Tivoli Castle , the National Museum of Contemporary History and the Tivoli Sports Hall . Tivoli–Rožnik Hill–Šiška Hill Landscape Park is located in the western part of the city. The Ljubljana Botanical Garden ( Ljubljanski botanični vrt ) covers 2.40 ha (5.9 acres) next to the junction of the Gruber Canal and the Ljubljanica, south of the Old Town. It is
9296-407: The patent. The Universal Postal Union , established in 1874, prescribed that nations shall only issue postage stamps according to the quantity of real use, and no living persons shall be taken as subjects. The latter rule lost its significance after World War I . After World War II , it became customary in some countries, especially small Arab nations, to issue postage stamps en masse as it
9408-637: The portrait of Emperor Pedro II , so his image would not be disfigured by a postmark. In 1845, some postmasters in the United States issued their own stamps , but it was not until 1847 that the first official United States stamps were issued: 5 and 10 cent issues depicting Benjamin Franklin and George Washington . A few other countries issued stamps in the late 1840s. The famous Mauritius "Post Office" stamps were issued by Mauritius in September 1847. Many others, such as India , started their use in
9520-429: The postage stamp, it is well documented that stamps were first introduced in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 1 May 1840 as a part of postal reforms promoted by Sir Rowland Hill . With its introduction the postage fee was paid by the sender and not the recipient, though it was still possible to send mail without prepaying. From when the first postage stamps were used, postmarks were applied to prevent
9632-486: The postal service, and ultimately resulted in a better, faster postal system. With the conveniences stamps offered, their use resulted in greatly increased mailings during the 19th and 20th centuries. Postage stamps released during this era were the most popular way of paying for mail; however by the end of the 20th century were rapidly being eclipsed by the use of metered postage and bulk mailing by businesses. As postage stamps with their engraved imagery began to appear on
9744-508: The postal system. Most national post offices produce stamps that would not be produced if there were no collectors, some to a far more prolific degree than others. Sales of stamps to collectors who do not use them for mailing can result in large profits. Examples of excessive issues have been the stamps produced by Nicholas F. Seebeck and stamps produced for the component states of the United Arab Emirates . Seebeck operated in
9856-492: The production of postage stamps that have no postal use, but are intended instead solely for collectors. Other countries issue large numbers of low denomination stamps that are bundled together in starter packs for new collectors. Official reprints are often printed by companies who have purchased or contracted for those rights and such reprints see no postal use. All of these stamps are often found "canceled to order", meaning they are postmarked without ever having passed through
9968-521: The ragged edges of surviving examples. Mechanically separating stamps from a sheet proved an inconvenience for postal clerks and businesses, both dealing with large numbers of individual stamps on a daily basis. By 1850, methods such as rouletting wheels were being devised in efforts of making stamp separation more convenient, and less time-consuming. The United Kingdom was the first country to issue postage stamps with perforations. The first machine specifically designed to perforate sheets of postage stamps
10080-412: The river, sits at 298 m (978 ft). Ljubljana Castle , which sits atop Castle Hill ( Grajski grič ) south of the city centre, has an elevation of 366 m (1,201 ft). The highest point of the city, called Grmada , reaches 676 m (2,218 ft), 3 m (9.8 ft) more than the nearby Mount Saint Mary ( Šmarna gora ) peak, a popular hiking destination. These are located in
10192-633: The same personal name. The city's symbol is the Ljubljana Dragon . It is depicted on the top of the tower of Ljubljana Castle in the Ljubljana coat of arms and on the Ljubljanica-crossing Dragon Bridge ( Zmajski most ). It represents power, courage, and greatness. Several explanations describe the origin of the Ljubljana Dragon. According to a Slavic myth, the slaying of a dragon releases
10304-577: The second half of the 20th century, parts of Ljubljana were redesigned by Edvard Ravnikar . The central square in Ljubljana is Prešeren Square ( Prešernov trg ) home to the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation ( Frančiškanska cerkev ). Built between 1646 and 1660 (the bell towers followed), it replaced an older Gothic church. It offers an early-Baroque basilica with one nave and two rows of lateral chapels. The Baroque main altar
10416-480: The second, the dragon was at first only a decoration above the city coat of arms. In the Baroque , it became part of the coat of arms and, in the 19th and especially the 20th century, it outstripped the tower and other elements in importance. Around 2000 BC, the Ljubljana Marsh was settled by people living in pile dwellings . Prehistoric pile dwellings and the oldest wooden wheel in the world are among
10528-403: The separated stamp defines a characteristic meme for the appearance of a postage stamp. In the first decade of postage stamps' existence (depending on the country), stamps were issued without perforations. Scissors or other cutting mechanisms were required to separate a desired number of stamps from a full sheet. If cutting tools were not used, individual stamps were torn off. This is evidenced by
10640-540: The settlement's name. Silvo Torkar, a linguist with expertise in Slovene names, put forth the idea that Ljubljana's name has its roots in Ljubija , the original name of the Ljubljanica River . This can be traced back to the Old Slavic male name Ljubovid , which translates to 'the one with a lovely appearance'. Torkar also asserted that the name Laibach is a combination of German and Slovene, sharing its origins with
10752-403: The stamp is affixed to the face or address-side of any item of mail —an envelope or other postal cover (e.g., packet, box, mailing cylinder)—which they wish to send. The item is then processed by the postal system, where a postmark or cancellation mark—in modern usage indicating date and point of origin of mailing—is applied to the stamp and its left and right sides to prevent its reuse. Next
10864-600: The stamp", so Chalmers could not have known that Hill had made such a proposal. This suggests that either Chalmers had previously read Hill's booklet and was merely elaborating Hill's idea, or he had independently developed the idea of the modern postage stamp. James Chalmers organized petitions "for a low and uniform rate of postage". The first such petition was presented in the House of Commons on 4 December 1837 (from Montrose). Further petitions which he organized were presented on 1 May 1838 (from Dunbar and Cupar), 14 May 1838 (from
10976-460: The stamps being used again. The first stamp, the " Penny black ", became available for purchase 1 May 1840, to be valid as of 6 May 1840. Two days later, 8 May 1840, the Two penny blue was introduced. The Penny black was sufficient for a letter less than half an ounce to be sent anywhere within the United Kingdom. Both stamps included an engraving of the young Queen Victoria , without perforations, as
11088-471: The subject of the stamp design, such as a specific town or city. There are two basic types of First Day Covers (FDCs) noted by collectors. The first and often most desirable type among advanced collectors is a cover sent through the mail in the course of everyday usage, without the intention of the envelope and stamp ever being retrieved and collected. The second type of FDC is often referred to as "Philatelic", that is, an envelope and stamp sent by someone with
11200-407: The suggestion in detail, it was not adopted. The 'Papieroblate' were to produce stamps as paper decals so thin as to prevent their reuse. In 1836, Robert Wallace , a Member of (British) Parliament, gave Sir Rowland Hill numerous books and documents about the postal service, which Hill described as a "half hundred weight of material". After a detailed study, on 4 January 1837 Hill submitted
11312-470: The term "postage stamp" originated at a later date). Shortly afterward, Hill's revision of the booklet, dated 22 February 1837, containing some 28,000 words, incorporating the supplement given to the Chancellor and statements he made to the commission, was published and made available to the general public. Hansard records that on 15 December 1837, Benjamin Hawes asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer "whether it
11424-595: The time a nearby village, now part of Ljubljana, a peace treaty was signed between the Republic of Venice and Leopold III of Habsburg . In the 15th century, Ljubljana became recognised for its art, particularly painting and sculpture. The Latin Catholic Archdiocese of Ljubljana was established in 1461 and the Church of St. Nicholas became the diocesan cathedral. After the 1511 Idrija earthquake ,
11536-467: The tradition of depicting presidents or other famous historical figures, instead using other subjects including a train and horse.(See: 1869 Pictorial Issue .) The change was greeted with general disapproval, and sometimes harsh criticism from the American public. Perforations are small holes made between individual postage stamps on a sheet of stamps, facilitating separation of a desired number of stamps. The resulting frame-like, rippled edge surrounding
11648-544: The waters and ensures the fertility of the earth, and it is thought that the myth is tied to the Ljubljana Marsh , the expansive marshy area that periodically threatens Ljubljana with flooding. According to Greek legend , the Argonauts on their return home after having taken the Golden Fleece found a large lake surrounded by a marsh between the present-day towns of Vrhnika and Ljubljana. There Jason struck down
11760-757: The world. In 2014, Ljubljana won the European Green Capital Award for 2016 for their environmental achievements. Ljubljana's best-known bridges, listed from northern to southern ones, include the Dragon Bridge ( Zmajski most ), the Butchers' Bridge ( Mesarski most ), the Triple Bridge ( Tromostovje ), the Fish Footbridge ( Slovene : Ribja brv ), the Cobblers' Bridge ( Slovene : Šuštarski most ),
11872-498: Was designed by Slovenian architect Vladimir Šubic . The building opened on 21 February 1933. It was once the tallest residential building in Europe. Tivoli City Park ( Mestni park Tivoli ) is the largest park. It was designed in 1813 by French engineer Jean Blanchard and now covers approximately 5 km (1.9 sq mi). The park was laid out during the French imperial administration of Ljubljana in 1813 and named after
11984-682: Was destroyed by the Huns under Attila 's orders, and later by the Ostrogoths and the Lombards . Emona housed 5,000 to 6,000 inhabitants and played an important role during battles. Its plastered brick houses, painted in different colours, were connected to a drainage system . In the 6th century, the ancestors of the Slovenes moved in. In the 9th century, they fell under Frankish domination, while experiencing frequent Magyar raids. Not much
12096-485: Was executed by sculptor Italian Francesco Robba . Much of the original frescos were ruined by ceiling cracks caused by the Ljubljana earthquake in 1895 . The new frescos were painted by the Slovene impressionist painter Matej Sternen . Ljubljana Castle ( Ljubljanski grad ) is a medieval castle with Romanesque , Gothic , and Renaissance architectural elements, located on the summit of Castle Hill, which dominates
12208-526: Was invented in London by Henry Archer , an Irish landowner and railroad man from Dublin , Ireland. The 1850 Penny Red was the first stamp to be perforated during trial course of Archer's perforating machine. After a period of trial and error and modifications of Archer's invention, new machines based on the principles pioneered by Archer were purchased and in 1854 the United Kingdom postal authorities started continuously issuing perforated postage stamps in
12320-594: Was moved into the National Gallery in 2006. The fountain is decorated with an obelisk; at the foot are three figures in white marble symbolising the three chief rivers of Carniola. It is work of Francesco Robba, who designed other Baroque statues there. Ljubljana Cathedral ( ljubljanska stolnica ), or St. Nicholas's Cathedral ( stolnica sv. Nikolaja ), serves the Archdiocese of Ljubljana . Easily identifiable due to its green dome and twin towers, it
12432-505: Was realized how profitable that was. During the 21st century, the amount of mail—and the use of postage stamps, accordingly—has reduced in the world because of electronic mail and other technological innovations. Iceland has already announced that it will no longer issue new stamps for collectors because sales have decreased and there are enough stamps in stock. In 2013 the Netherlands PostNL introduced Postzegelcodes ,
12544-651: Was the intention of the Government to give effect to the recommendation of the Commissioners of the Post-office, contained in their ninth report relating to the reduction of the rates of postage, and the issuing of penny stamps?" Hill's ideas for postage stamps and charging paid-postage based on weight soon took hold, and were adopted in many countries throughout the world. With the new policy of charging by weight, using envelopes for mailing documents became
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