Pre-Philatelic Mailings

1768, entire letter from Riga to Pernov (now - Parnu, Estonia), boxed Riga postmark in black (Dobin No.40/0.01), sealed with wax, usual fold, otherwise VF, M. Dobin certificate stated: "...genuine and very rare postal mailing" br>Click here to see the certificate

200.00

1834, official entire letter from Lugansk Foundry Administration (Yekaterinoslav Gub.) to Tambov Chamber of Commerce, tied by two-line black pre-philatelic marking "Luganskiy Zavod. 1 iyunia 1834 go" (Dobin No.14-2-7/1.02), complete wax seal, VF

300.00

1857, entire wrapper locally sent by City Post in St. Petersburg, addressed to Chancellery of Empress Marie Alexandrovna, three-line boxed marking reads "Gorodsk. Pochta. 1857 avg: 24. 10 chas", part of wax seal, VF

200.00

Imperial Postal Stationery Items

1845-48, St. Petersburg City Post stationery envelope 5+1k blue, the first issue, size 85x48mm, inverted indicia at the bottom left with typical stroke over "a" in "Pochta", very fresh, unused, VF
Click here to see enlarged fragment

750.00

1867, two unissued stationery envelopes of 20k blue, size 140x58mm and 113x73mm, negligible soiling, fresh, unused, VF

150.00

1872, stationery postcard 5k green, no dot on the left side of inscription variety, sent from Mogilev to Moscow, all appropriate markings, VF
Click here to see enlarged fragment

100.00

1883, stationery envelope 5k lilac, size 86x68mm (not mentioned in Michel), sent from St. Petersburg to Tsarskoye Selo, uprated by vertical pair of 1k orange, all appropriate markings, VF and scarce, Venets Cat. #II.39 i, rank "R"

600.00

1883, stationery envelope 14k blue, size 86x68mm (not listed in Michel), sent from St. Petersburg Telegraph PO No. XXXIV to Warsaw, postmarked on arrival, back flap with a hole, still VF and very rare, Venets Cat. #II.41 g

1882-84, essay of Imperial stationery entire wrapper of 1k yellow, size 375x70mm, inscribed "Pochtovaia Banderol", excellent condition, VF and rare, ex-Breitfuss, Faberge

1907, stationery envelope 14k blue, size 145x81mm, sent by registered mail from Kharkov to Moscow in 1918, uprated by eight adhesives, postmarked on arrival, VF and scarce

200.00

1907, stationery envelope 14k blue, size 145x120mm, flawless condition, unused, VF and scarce, most of these envelopes were used in Russian PO in China

200.00

1907, stationery envelope 14k blue, size 145x120mm, sent by registered mail from Kharkov to Moscow in 1919, uprated by four stamps, arrival ds on reverse, slight fold, still VF

200.00

1913, Romanov Dynasty issue, proof for postal stationery card of 4k in red, names of artist (Lancere) and engraver (Lundin) printed at the bottom of stamp, produced on a thin card, size is 140x90mm, VF and rare

Imperial Postage Stamps and Postal History

1857, 10k brown and blue, watermark numeral "1", balanced margins imperforated exemplar, "36" inside dotted circular cancellation (Pskov), a part of oval merchant marking in black, VF

250.00

1858, 10k brown and blue, watermark numeral "1", perforation 14 1/2x15, Riga cancellation, fresh quality, VF, C.v. $150

75.00

1858, 10k brown and blue, watermark numeral "1", perforation 14 1/2 x15, the stamp has slightly rounded top right corner, used on January 14 on entire wrapper from Moscow to Byezhetsk, pen cross cancellation and three-line pre-philatelic Moscow marking, wax seal, left part of wrapper is missing, usual folds, otherwise F/VF and rare early usage, N. Mandrovski certificate

1858, 20k blue and orange, perforation 14 1/2x15, watermark numeral "2", printed on thin paper, "38" inside circular dotted cancellation (Riga), VF

500.00

1869, five stamps, including 20k blue and orange with perforation 12 1/2, met altogether 28k postal rate, used on entire wrapper from Taganrog to Marseille, Moscow transit and arrival ds on reverse, VF, an interesting postal history item bearing mixed franking of three issues, ex-Liphschutz

750.00

1863, City Post, 5k black and light blue, bottom sheet margin block of four, full OG, NH, VF

150.00

1865, trial color perforated proof of 5k in orange, printed on horizontally laid paper, full OG, previously hinged, VF

200.00

1879, 7k gray and rose, printed on horizontally laid paper, block of four, full OG, NH, VF

200.00

1875, 20k blue and orange, printed on horizontally laid paper, complete pane of 25 from the top right corner of a sheet, cross-shaped "t" variety on positions 2, 5, 9, 18, 20, 24 and 25, full OG, NH, VF

1889, imperforated plate proof of 10k in dark blue, printed on very thin pasted up paper with text on reverse, in addition proof of 5k (defected), no gum as produced, VF and scarce

300.00

1889-92, 1k-7r, printed on horizontally laid paper, complete set of nine, in addition color shades of 1k, 7k, 35k and 3.50r, full or large part of OG, mostly VF

200.00

1889, imperforated plate proof of 14k in blue and carmine, printed on thin chalk-surfaced card, fitted to stamp size, creased at the top, no gum as produced, F/VF appearance, very rare, expertized by Z. Mikulski

750.00

1889-92, 3.50r black and gray, printed on horizontally laid paper, diagonal boxed overprint "Specimen" in black, full OG, previously hinged, VF

100.00

1891, stationery postcard 4k red, sent from French Exhibition in Moscow to Lier (Belgium), blue exhibition special date stamp, postmarked on arrival, VF and rare
Click here to see enlarged fragment

500.00

1897, stationery postcard 4k red, bearing agricultural machinery advertising on reverse, sent from TPO No.136 to Basel, all appropriate markings, VF
Click here to see the front, Click here to see enlarged fragment

100.00

1899, three provisional small town registered labels which were in use one year only, Bolhov (Oriol Gub.), Debaltsevo (Katerinoslav Gub.) and Konstantinograd (Poltava Gub.), appropriately used on registered covers, all appropriate markings, VF and scarce assembly
Click here to see Part 2

500.00

1902, 1k orange, printed on vertically laid paper, background is strongly shifted to the top left, full OG, LH, VF

100.00

1902, 14k blue and carmine rose, printed on vertically laid paper, bottom left corner margin block of four, full OG, NH, VF

150.00

1905, 15k brownish violet and blue, printed on vertically laid paper, right margin block of four, slightly toned perforation at the top left, full OG, NH, VF

100.00

1906, 5r dark blue, green and light blue, printed on vertically laid paper, block of four, perfect quality, full OG, NH, VF

250.00

1908, two perforated plate proofs of 10k in light blue and blue, both have changed design of the center oval and curls of the top ribbon, left sheet margin exemplars, printed on wove paper without gum, very fresh, VF and rare assembly

1912-17, 15k lilac brown and blue, double impression, one of which is mirrored and inverted, top sheet margin vertical pair, lightly folded between stamps, full OG, NH, VF

200.00

1913, Alexander II, 2k green, bottom left corner margin block of four, partly missing design (printed on reverse) of two bottom stamps due to foldover, full OG, NH, VF

300.00

1913, Romanov Dynasty, 3k carmine, double impression, block of four, flawless condition, full OG, NH, VF and scarce multiple, C.v. $2,800 as hinged singles

1913, Nicholas II, two proofs of central vignette in dark blue for 10k denomination, printed on chalk-surfaced paper, approximate size 48x68mm, different stages of completion, no gum as produced, VF

750.00

1913, Nicholas I, two-color proof of 15k in violet and green, printed on chalk-surfaced paper, size 35x42mm, no gum as produced, VF

600.00

1913, Alexander I, proof of central vignette in olive green for 20k denomination, printed on chalk-surfaced paper, size 50x78mm, unfinished design (unclear oval), no gum as produced, VF

400.00

1913, Romanov Dynasty, proof of frame for 35k denomination in red lilac, printed on chalk-surfaced paper, size 40x48mm, no gum as produced, VF

500.00

1913, Romanov Dynasty, proof of frame for 70k denomination in brown orange, printed on chalk-surfaced paper, size 38x49mm, no gum as produced, VF

500.00

1913, Romanov Dynasty, Winter Palace, 2r red brown, right sheet margin imperforated copy, full OG, previously hinged, VF, C.v. $1,000

500.00

1913, Nicholas II, two die proofs of central vignette in black for 5r denomination, large and small portraits, litho printing on wove paper or on thin card, fresh condition, VF and rare

1915, Romanov Dynasty, money stamp 15k orange brown, left sheet margin block of four with reversal text strongly misplaced, no gum as issued, NH, VF

150.00

1915, Romanov Dynasty, money stamp 15k orange brown, horizontal imperforated pair, no gum as issued, NH, VF

250.00

1915, 10r scarlet, yellow and gray, yellow background is inverted, perfect quality, full OG, NH, VF, C.v. $500 as hinged

300.00

1916-17, Romanov Dynasty, money stamps, complete set of five, including both surcharge values, no gum as produced, NH, VF

60.00

1916, Romanov Dynasty money stamps, 1k-3k, complete set in blocks of four, no gum as issued, NH, VF, C.v. $243++

150.00

1916, Alexander II, money stamp 2k green, complete sheet with intact margins of 100 stamps, folded once along horizontal perforation, very fresh, no gum as issued, VF, C.v. $3,500 as singles

1917, 1k-10r, imperforated complete set of 17, all are sheet margin exemplars, full OG, NH or LH (10r), VF

75.00

1917, two imperforated trial color proof of 1r with background in green or black, horizontal varnish lines, full OG, LH, VF

100.00

Sea Post

1913, pre-printed cover from Baku to Isfakhan, delivered by a steamship of Caspian Sea line "Baku-Enzeli", franked by Romanov Dynasty 10k dark blue, transit markings of Recht, Tehran and arrival of Isfakhan are on the back, mostly VF
Click here to see the backside

200.00

Rail Road Traveling Post Offices
Postage Due Markings

1904, PPC addressed to Kiev, posted in unnumbered TPO "Vitebsk-Zhlobin", oval mailcar due marking with endorsement of 6k, arrival ds, slightly rounded corners, otherwise VF

250.00

1905, PPC addressed to Shuvalovo (St. Petersburg suburb), posted in TPO No. 192 "Zhlobin-St. Petersburg", oval mailcar postage due marking, endorsed "6k", St. Petersburg arrival ds, VF

200.00

1909, PPC addressed to Shuya (Vladimir Gub.), posted in TPO No.77 "Murom-Nerekhta", oval mailcar postage due marking with "6k" endorsement, postmarked on arrival, VF

200.00

1909, PPC addressed to Dubbeln (Lifland Gub.), posted in TPO No.106 "Riga-Vezhbolovo", franked by 2k green, oval mailcar postage due marking with "2k" endorsement, arrival ds, VF

200.00

1909, PPC addressed to Kiev, posted in TPO No.175 "Vorozhba-Khutor Mikhailovsky", oval mailcar postage due marking with "6(k)" endorsement, arrival ds, VF

200.00

1912, PPC addressed to Uman', mailed from TPO No.182 "Gaivoron-Zhytomyr", oval mailcar postage due marking with "6k" endorsement, postmarked on arrival, VF

200.00

1912, PPC addressed to a military unit located at village Klement'evo (Moscow Gub.), posted in TPO No.249 "Vladimir-Ryazan", red oval mailcar postage due marking, endorsed "6(k)", forwarded to Moscow, where additional tax due date stamp "Nevpoln. Oploch." was applied, VF and scarce

200.00

1912, PPC to Bielostok (now Poland), mailed from TPO No.285 "Siedlce-Polotsk", insufficiently franked by 1k orange, red oval mailcar postage due marking with endorsement of 4k, arrival ds, minor water staining, mostly VF and scarce

200.00

1914, PPC addressed to Vapniarka (Podolia Gub.), posted in TPO No.53 "Kiev-Graevo", oval mailcar postage due marking with letter "e", but without the number, endorsed 6k, no arrival postmark, mostly VF

200.00

1914, PPC addressed to Irkutsk, mailed from TPO No.197 "Krasnoyarsk-Irkutsk", red oval mailcar postage due marking with endorsement "6(k)", arrival date stamp, mainly VF

200.00

Soviet Period TPO marking

1926, entire letter to Moscow, posted in TPO No.242 "Chita-Irkutsk", oval postage due marking with red endorsement "8(k)", arrival ds, filing fold, otherwise VF

200.00