One simple and worth cover to keep history written by philately!
Even that I personally don't like to mix philately with politics, it is an unavoidable, because philately and stamp issue, is in hands of gov't administration, and directly - it is "weapon" for any country government that sit on power at time and place.
What it have to do with this cover that I'm showing now? Let's start to examine this one simple, not attractive cover, even I can say ugly one!
We will start from beginning - it is issue of Yugoslavia, Michel number 2999, issued on Nov 7, 2000 year, not worth some money, mint is just 3.50 euro, and used little as 0.50 euro by full catalogue value, from dealer You will have it in mint condition not more than 1.00 euro. On cover, with nice cancel like this, and in block of four it can reach also 1.00 euro, if it is one simple, ordinary mail. BUT, BUT - this is NOT simple and ordinary!
Here we see: name of town on cancel is K. Mitrovica-M. eKosoves dated 09 02 2001. So what - someone will ask? And I will reply with question - but NATO give independence to Kossovo (against majority of population living in Yugoslavia/Serbia, that Kossovo is part) in 2000 year, and what is that now stamp on this cover from 2001, with Yugoslavia inscription, in use on the Kossovo soil, and more interesting this red one and blue one cancel, in Russian and in German telling us "Yugoslavian (Serbian) post in Kossovo"!
Normally, any educated and informed person will start to analyze this, and I (not so big intellectual) person, come to conclusion, that some leader from this country, thought "back door" give instruction, to prepare public for some kind of or better say, to inform public, for some kind of separation or dividing this autonomy - by issuing one stamp, to using one post, one simple cancel, and it will do the job.
Actually today, eight and half year after this cancel, slowly, and very carefully - both gov't, Serbian and Albanian (living on the Kossovo soil) are "talking" about dividing Kossovo and made part for Serbian population, and part for Albanian population. (Don't ask me what Kossovo have common with Albania - it is another story, very sensitive to comment on this page). Because that I can and wish to suggest, to all collectors that specialize this countries - to keep an eye on every cancel obtained, every used cover obtained - it will tell You lot of untold story by CNN or by NATO or by politician that are or will come to the power - actually it will told us thruth.
And what to say about prices for this simple CTO cover? See, I saw it on one public auction, it was mentioned like CTO cover from Kossovo, low starting price, and I start to 'play' - till I saw that I'm not single person that want it - yes I win, and pay one high price for something that I want in my collection - till today, I didn't find any like this one or near this one - and if I will find it, again I will try to obtain it. Fairly - it can reach again, some 50-60.00 euros per one.
