SOUTH RUSSIA

Return To Catalogue - Russia overview - Other stamps of Russia with various overprints

Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
contact me if you want to purchase them: evert@klaseboer.com.

Kuban, South Russia

1919 Stamps of Russia surcharged

  '-25' on 1 k yellow (perforated or imperforated)
  '-50' on 2 k green (perforated or imperforated)
  '-70 k' on 5 k lilac (perforated or imperforated)
  '1 p.' on 3 k red (perforated or imperforated)
  '-1 p.' on 3 k red (perforated or imperforated)
  '3 pybnR' on 4 k red
  '10 pybnen' on 4 k red 

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1919 Except overprints on normal Russian stamps, overprints were also made on semi postal stamps

  10 R on 1 k red on yellow
  10 R on 5 k green
  10 R on 10 k brown on yellow

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1920 Stamps of Russia surcharged

  '70 KOP' on 1 k (imperforate)
  '70 KOP' on 1 k (perforated)
  '10 py6peN' on 15 k (imperforate)
  '10 py6peN' on 15 k (perforated)
  '25 py6peN' on 3 k (imperforate)
  '25 py6peN' on 3 k (perforated)
  '25 py6peN' on 7 k (perforated)
  '25 py6peN' on 14 k (perforated)
  '25 py6peN' on 25 k (perforated)

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Don issue

1918 Stamps of Russia surcharged

(Genuinly used, image obtained from Bill Wagner)

(Genuinly used in Novocherkassk 4yh April 1919, image obtained from Bill Wagner)

  25 on 1 k yellow (perforated or imperforated)
  25 on 2 k green (perforated or imperforated)
  25 on 3 k red (perforated or imperforated)
  25 on 4 k red
  50 on 7 k blue

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

I have seen an inverted overprint of a 25 on 2 k perforated stamp (thanks to Bill Wagner).

Forged overprints exist, the following information was given to me by Bill Wagner (USA):
I can tell you that the Don Cossack issue can be very difficult to authenticate.  These were surcharged in panes of 25 stamps at a time (the office sheets involved were of 100 stamps, arranged in 4 panes of 5 X 5) by a local newspaper in Rostov.  Their press was not well suited to the job, and produced a wide variety of impressions.  Provided one has an intact pane of 25, or a smaller multiple of it which includes position 19, it becomes easier.  There are three varieties of the "2" figure, and two of the "5."  The "2" variety of position 19 is unique : all other "2"s have the upper stroke beginning on a diagonal or slant, but position 25 begins almost vertically (at close to a 90-degree angle to the base).  

In the next table, the number of stamps issued is given (thanks to Bill Wagner), the imperforate stamps were issued in October 1918 and the perforated stamps in November of that same year:

A bogus 'Franco' cancel:

(Bogus 'Franco' cancel)

Bill Wagner mentions about postmarks:
As you will notice, the postmark (although, as often during the Civil War era, not well-struck) is in the Cyrillic alphabet used in all Russian postal markings (except those specifically made for mail going abroad, which had to be marked in French, by Universal Postal Union rules)(although even then the stamps themselves were postmarked in Russian). Nothing like the fantasy "Franco" markings (Spanish perhaps ?) is ever found on Russian stamps unless they escaped being cancelled by oversight on mail going abroad.  But since letters to addresses outside of Russia from Don Army Oblast (Province) from midsummer of 1918 and later are unknown (except those of German soldiers going by military post up until November of 1918), there is no possibility of this being the case.  Foreign mail to, from and via the Bolshevist-controlled North continued without interruption throughout the Revolution and Civil War, but when the Don Cossacks drove the Reds out of Don Army Oblast in the summer of 1918, postal communications with the north stopped, and there was no alternative route out to other countries throughout the war.  (These were issued in October & November of 1918).  

Crimean issue

1918 Stamps of Russia surcharged

(Image obtained from Bill Wagner)

  '35 KOP' on 1 k yellow

There is a nice website concerning this issue on: http://www.firstissues.org/ficc/details/south_russia_sulkevich_1.shtml (made by Bill Wagner).

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Issues for the Wrangel army (Crimea)

1920 Stamps of Russia surcharged

(Genuinly used stamps, images obtained from Bill Wagner)

  5 R on 5 k lilac (perforated or imperforated)
  5 R on 20 k blue and red

14000 of these surcharges for each of these stamps were made. A similar overprint was made on the Denikin (South Russia) issue (35 k blue).

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

(Reduced size)

  100 R on 1 k yellow (perforated or imperforated)
    

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

The 100 R stamp was prepared, but never issued. The following information was obtained from Bill Wagner (USA):
The Crimean 100 roubles surcharges were prepared for use, but never issued.  "Used" copies of them were subsequently manufactured in Paris by a former postal official, using cancellors which he carried away with him in the evacuation.  His downfall, however, was that these are postmarked with dates previous to the supposed "issue date."  If you want an illustration of these, you can find a multiple of them at http://hometown.aol.com/byckoff1/SRUSSIA.html   Note that there are different settings !  The "1" of "100" can be above the "B" or the "L" of "Rublei" below it.  This is because the typographic plate was originally set up to print double-figure surcharges, being modified at the last minute to print three-figure surcharges.

Rostov (Don) issue

1919 Inscription 'EPMAKb'

(Reduced size)

  20 k green

This stamp mainly seems to have been used as paper money.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

The Denikin Army

1919 As Russian stamps, but with St. George in the center (instead of arms of Russia)

(Reduced sizes)

Small size (imperforated)  
  5 k orange
  10 k green
  15 k red
  35 k blue
  70 k black

Larger size (imperforated or perforated)
  1 R brown and red
  2 R violet and yellow
  3 R red and green
  5 R blue and lilac
  7 R green and red
  10 R red and green

Surcharged

  5 R on 35 k blue

26000 of these surcharges were made.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

The large sized stamps seem to have been forged; they have rosettes instead of numerals in the circles at both sides (sorry, no picture available).

Don Army occupation of Ukraine

1918 Stamp of Ukraine, surcharged

(certified genuine)

(Reduced size)

  '35 k.' on 10 sh brown
  '70 k.' on 50 sh red

The above images were obtained thanks to Bill Wagner; according to him these are the position 3 and 4 of the 35 k on 10 sh printing. These stamps were issued after the departure of the German troops. These provisional surcharges were made because there was a shortage of 35 k and 70 k stamps for letters and registered letters.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Stamps used as coins

The next stamp was merely used as a replacement of a coin, but was also valid for postal purposes. Inscription: 'KPbIMCHAGO KPAEBOGO PPABHTEDbCTBH':

(Front and backside of this stamp)

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer