Josip Broz Tito Signed Letter 1959 – Birthday Reply with Registered Presidential Envelope, Belgrade

Description

This Tito signed letter is a typed letter from Josip Broz Tito, President of Yugoslavia, dated Beograd, maja 1959 and signed “Tito” in blue ink. It thanks Andrija Rajsman and his family of Odžaci for their birthday congratulations. It comes with its original registered envelope from the Cabinet of the President of the Republic, posted in Belgrade on 27 June 1959.

What does the letter say?

Below the engraved letterhead Josip Broz Tito, the typed text reads:

“Toplo zahvaljujem na čestitci povodom rodjendana i želim Vam mnogo uspjeha u radu i sve najbolje u životu.”

In English: “I warmly thank you for your congratulations on the occasion of my birthday and wish you much success in your work and all the best in life.” The signature “Tito” is written below in blue ink, with its characteristic long upward stroke.

Why a birthday letter?

Tito’s official date of birth was 7 May 1892, but from 1945 his birthday was celebrated on 25 May. In 1957, on his initiative, the day became the Dan mladosti, Yugoslavia’s Day of Youth. Every year citizens, schools, workplaces and families sent him congratulations, and the presidential cabinet answered them. This letter belongs to the replies to the birthday of May 1959.

The original envelope

The letter keeps its envelope, which is unusual. It carries:

• The printed sender Josip Broz Tito and Kabinet Pretsednika Republike (Cabinet of the President of the Republic), with the state emblem.
• A Jugoslavija franking-machine impression of 55 dinars, with a Beograd meter date of 27 June 1959.
• A blue registration label, R, Beograd 2, No. 7062, and a Beograd 2 postmark of 27 June 1959.
• The typed address Rajsman Andrija sa porodicom, Odžaci, Štrosmajerova 22 (“Andrija Rajsman and family”).
• Two Odžaci arrival postmarks on the reverse, dated 28 June 1959.

The envelope therefore dates the dispatch precisely, a month after the birthday celebrations, and shows the letter’s route from the presidential cabinet to a family in Vojvodina.

Is the signature authentic?

Yes. I have examined the Tito signature on this letter personally, as a qualified graphologist and handwriting examiner, and I consider it an authentic original signature, applied by hand in ink, not printed, stamped or reproduced in facsimile. My opinion rests on a consistent set of features, including the line quality and pressure of the ink stroke, the letter forms and the overall movement of the signature, read together with the letter, its date and its context. Our Authenticity & Provenance page explains how autographs are assessed at Autographs & Militaria.

Collector’s Note

A loose Tito signature tells you little. Here the letter, the signature and its registered presidential envelope have stayed together, with the name of the family who wrote to him and the dates of dispatch and arrival. It is a small, complete piece of Yugoslav presidential correspondence from 1959, a decade after Tito’s break with Stalin had set Yugoslavia on its independent course. For background on signed documents, see our guides on facsimile and original signatures and autograph value, and our Authenticity & Provenance policy.

Condition

• Letter: one horizontal mailing fold, light toning, a few small spots, slight creasing and corner wear; typed text clear and the blue signature strong.
• Envelope: postal handling wear, toning and creasing; all postal markings and the registration label present.

All photographs show the actual items offered and form part of this condition description.

Frequently asked questions

Is the signature original?
Yes. It is a hand-applied ink signature, examined and considered authentic by Juan García Nicolás, qualified handwriting examiner.

What type of document is it?
A typed letter signed (TLS) in Serbo-Croatian, signed “Tito” in blue ink.

When was it sent?
The letter is dated May 1959; the envelope was posted in Belgrade on 27 June 1959 and arrived in Odžaci on 28 June.

Why was Tito’s birthday celebrated on 25 May?
Although born on 7 May, he celebrated on 25 May, which became Yugoslavia’s Day of Youth in 1957.

Who received it?
Andrija Rajsman and his family, of Odžaci.

Historical Responsibility Notice

This original document is offered exclusively for historical collecting, preservation, research and education. Political figures and events are described only within their historical context. Autographs & Militaria does not endorse the ideologies, policies or regimes associated with any historical figure represented.

References & Further Reading

• Vreme (Belgrade), Dan mladosti: Tito’s birthday on 25 May and its designation as Day of Youth in 1957.