5th Anniversary of King Carol II — Străjeri

On 8 June 1935 Romania issued a set of five semi-postal stamps that marked two national occasions at once: the fifth anniversary of King Carol II’s return to the throne (8 June 1930) and a national sports meeting held the same day. SOSOW catalogues the issue under Scott B50–B54; Domfil lists it as «5th Anniversary of the Reign of Charles II» with numbers 935.5–935.9.

The designs keep Scouting and state youth in the same frame. The 25 bani (olive) shows a Scout salute — SOSOW identifies Sea Scout imagery on this value and notes that a Girl Scout appears here for the first time on any postage stamp. The 1 leu (violet/purple) is a Scout with bugle (reveille). The 2 lei (green) shows Scouts with a map of Romania (again with a Sea Scout figure on the left, per SOSOW). The 6 + 1 lei (brown) is a portrait of King Carol II; the 10 + 2 lei (navy) shows Scouts marching. Each value carries the emblem of the Străjeri, the boy division of Romania’s National Youth organisation, of which Scouting was then still an autonomous part.

Only the two high values print an explicit charity surcharge (6 + 1 and 10 + 2 lei); SOSOW states that the surtax benefited the Boy Scouts. The set was printed by photogravure, perforation 13½, and was valid for postage only until 29 June 1935 — a short-lived commemorative window typical of Romanian semi-postals of the decade. Within two years the Office for the Education of Romanian Youth (OETR) would merge Scouting into a single state youth structure, and by 1937 Romanian Boy Scouts could no longer remain affiliated with the Boy Scouts International Bureau. The 1935 set thus stands near the end of the free-standing Scout postal series that began with the 1931 Bucharest exhibition and the 1932–34 jamboree issues.

ATA 1964 highlights two philatelic firsts in this set: the first Girl Scout pictured on a postage stamp, and the first Sea Scouts on stamps (25 bani and the boy at left on the 2 lei). Each value shows the Străjeri emblem of the national youth organisation of which Scouting was then still an autonomous part; the surtax on the high values benefited Scouting. The handbook notes that the OETR (Office for the Education of Romanian Youth) later merged Scouting with other groups so that by 1937 Romanian Boy Scouts could no longer be affiliated with the Boy Scouts International Bureau. Fake Timisoara and Bucurest cancellations are known; commercial registered covers are preferred as genuine usage.