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US$
243302
Russia Used in Åland: Facit #R7P2 [10 kopek, vertically laid paper] (damaged from placement over edge of card) on 8 March 1906 picture post card (fancy embossed design). This divided address-side card was used in 1906 before this format was approved in late 1907 for general use between UPU countries; in 1906 divided address-side cards were only being used domestically in some countries, or by agreement between a few countries. Mailed at JERSÖ (no post office) and picked up by a rural carrier using RURAL LETTER CARRIER #939 NUMERAL CANCELLATION; This rural route was established 1 February 1905 -- this is early use. Date canceled at MARIEHAMN (bilingual postmark) to the U.S. In this period, Russian stamps were required on mail to other countries, however examples from Åland are hard to find. Even domestic covers within Åland or from Åland to Finland are scarce with numeral cancellations. However, examples to other countries are extremely scarce. Despite the damage to the stamp, this card is very attractive -- and extremely scarce!
45.00
242687
Russia Used in Finland: 1917 1 kopek Orange and 3 kopek Carmine, 5 kopek Brownish Lilac, and 1 rubel Brown and Orange IMPERFORATE Russian 1909-design stamps, Facit #RM30 3-strip, #RM32 pair, #RM34 pair, and sheet margin single of #RM37. All VF on 12 December 1917 REGISTERED cover from "HELSINKI H:o.I" to Sweden, with Helsinki processing postmark on reverse. (Sweden often did not backstamp registered mail at this time.) This WWI-ear cover bears a tri-lingual censor tape and a red censor handstamp on reverse. These stamps are "co-runners", Russian stamps that were not distributed in Finland, but were valid in Finland (they were usually carried in by travelers or obtained by philatelists), thus uses are usually very scarce. This is only the second Finnish on-cover use of these IMPERFORATE 1917 stamps that I have had in 46 years -- despite relatively modest catalog values, they are rarely offered in any Finnish-used form, not even as single used stamps. The 1 rubel stamp is extremely scarce Facit 2020 prices a used example at SEK 1600 but is unable to price any of these higher denominations on cover due to lack of sales information -- examples are that rare. While a high-franking cover such as this may presumed to be philatelic (but is still rare), but since it did go through censorship (and Sweden often did not backstamp registered mail at this time), it is NOT a "hand back" cover. This actually passed through the mail to Sweden. A very special item! I am not prepared to say that the imperforate 1 rubel on cover is unique, but it is certainly rare on or off cover (used in Finland). Despite the modest catalog values for the lower denominations (these imperforates are very scarce used in Finland), the Finnish-canceled stamps on this cover would, if removed from the cover, fetch at least $350. A spectacular Russification of Finland cover!
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