Bulgaria 1884 5 Stotinki on 30 Stotinki Surcharge

Bulgaria · 1884 · 5 Stotinki on 30 Stotinki

This stamp is a provisional issue featuring a black surcharge of '5' and a new value bar over the original 30 Stotinki stamp from the 1882 series. The underlying design shows the Bulgarian coat of arms, a crowned lion rampant, within an ornate frame. The surcharge was necessary due to a shortage of 5 Stotinki stamps for domestic postage.

Issued during the Principality of Bulgaria, this surcharge reflects the practical needs of a developing postal system in the years following the nation's re-establishment of autonomy from the Ottoman Empire.