Unknown stamps
by Michael Kaczur
I recently found these stamps and am not sure what they are. Can you help?
16.11.02 01:40Added by Ivo Steijn
Hi. This is one of the stamps with the alleged overprint of the "Pribaikal Provisional Government".
There actually was such an entity, loosely controlling the shores of Lake Baikal in early 1920.
Banknotes were overprinted AND issued with this design. But these overprinted stamps are generally
accepted to be a fantasy issue, despite the existence of a fair number of (forged) covers.
The overprint exists on all the high-value Arms types, and on the Kerensky Chainbreaker issue. I have
also seen at least one item of postal stationery with this overprint. The stamps are not that scarce,
the postal stationery is VERY scarce. I'll post a picture of the (entirely legitimate) banknote issue
tonight.
17.11.02 16:08Added by Philip Robinson
It is interesting to know that there actually was a “Pribaikal Provisional Government”, albeit short- lived. As Ivo says, these overprints are generally considered to be fantasies, and the covers forged. I have seen maybe half a dozen covers, all of which had addresses written in the same handwriting - my own cover is shown here. The VERKHOLENSK postmark has only been recorded on these Pribaikal covers, and must be considered suspect. This cover is almost identical to the one illustrated by Ray Ceresa in the “Post-Rider” No. 6 - the date, franking, address “Lieutentant Mikhail Koltsov, Garrison Barracks, Chita”, postmarks and handwriting are the same, only the registration number being different, Ray’s being No. 27. Ray also shows an unused 1 kopek Arms-type wrapper with the overprint.
17.11.02 16:17Added by Philip Robinson
Here is the back of my cover. The CHITA receiving mark has been reported used in 1915-16 and may be genuine - if so, it could have fallen into the wrong hands during the Civil War. I have seen it used as a cancellation on a Pribaikal cover addressed to Chelyabinsk with a “CHITINSKAYA K-RA” registration cachet.
18.11.02 16:59 Added by
Thanks Ivoi and Philip.I appreciate the informatiom
Michael
20.11.02 21:37 Added by Alexander Epstein
I would like only adding to the Ivo's information that, in my personal opinion, the stamps and postal
stationery might be prepared for use by the short-lived Pribaikal government but never issued. Of course,
all the covers offered at the market are fakes.
20.11.02 21:51 Added by Anatoly Kiryushkin
I don't think that the covers are really fakes. As they were using genuine postmarks used in the period
it looks that they were either philatelic made (i.e. cancelled to order) or even really posted from
Verkholensk to Chita and the PO's didn't care too much that the stamps were not valid for postage (during
1991-1995 period postal eployees hardly could trace which stamps were valid and which not and a great
deal of really postally used items exist "franked" with everything looking as if a postage stamp. I think
the situation was about the same during the Civil war period)
Probably a term "bogus covers" is more suitable for this case?