(1948) MiNr. 556 ** C - Yugoslavia - Lovrenc Košir (II).

Lovrenc Košir - Pioneer of the postage stamp

Lovrenc Košir (1804-1879) was a Slovenian civil servant whose name is associated with one of the most important inventions of modern postal service - the postage stamp. He was born in the village of Spodnja Luša in present-day Slovenia and, after studying in Ljubljana, joined the civil service of the Austrian Empire, where he worked in the postal service. It was here that he became interested in streamlining the postal system, which led him to the groundbreaking idea of prepaying postage using adhesive stamps.

In 1835, a few years before the first official postage stamp was introduced in the UK, Kosir proposed the concept of the "gepresste Papieroblate" - pressed paper envelopes that would be used to pay for postage - to the Austrian Court Chamber in Vienna. Although this proposal was not adopted, it remains a testament to his vision and contribution to postal reforms. His idea was ahead of its time and inspired other postal systems across Europe.

Although regarded as the official inventor of the postage stamp as Englishman Rowland Hill, Koshir's contribution to the development of postal services is highly regarded today. Several commemorative stamps commemorating his revolutionary ideas have been issued in his honour in Austria, Slovenia and the former Yugoslavia. In 2004, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of his birth, the Slovenian Post issued a special stamp as a tribute to this important reformer.

Lovrenc Kosir died in Vienna in 1879, but his innovations remain a lasting legacy in the history of the postal service. Today he is seen as a symbol of Slovenian ingenuity and commitment to bringing new ideas and improving social life.