Prince Nicholas I of Montenegro, First Definitive Issue

Montenegro · 1874 · 2 novčića

This stamp features a left-facing portrait of Prince Nicholas I (Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš), the ruling monarch of the Principality of Montenegro. The design is simple, with the portrait enclosed in an oval frame, surrounded by inscriptions of the country's name 'ЦРНА ГОРА' (Crna Gora) in Cyrillic script and the denomination '2 НОВЧИЋА' (2 Novčića). This was the first postage stamp ever issued by Montenegro.

Issued in 1874, this stamp marks Montenegro's entry into the Universal Postal Union and the establishment of its independent postal service. Prince Nicholas I's long reign saw Montenegro's transformation from a principality to a kingdom and its eventual recognition as an independent nation.