Scott numbers have been used unless otherwise indicated. All items are available for viewing on approval.
The so-called "M-30" (Model [Design] 1930) Lion design had a life of 33 years, including the WWII years. The postal history of this stamp design is rich and varied with a tremendous range of postal services, rates, markings, destinations, etc.
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US$
225635
158 x2, 160 pair, 169 3-strip [M-30 Lions: 5p Brown, 20p Yellow Green, 1 1/2 mk Red Violet] (VF, F-VF) on 16 June 1931 parcel card for one 1 kilo package from HELSINKI to SALO. Unusual franking with low values not often seen on cover.
ACTUAL item.
10.00
200788
161 x4, 164, 170 (VF) [25 penni brown, 50 penni green, 1 1/2 mark carmine M-30] on 16 May 1933 airmail cover with "Postilj.v.L-S" railway cancel, to Stockholm, Sweden. Dull blue airmail label. Letter rate 2 mark, air surcharge 1 mark.
ACTUAL item.
22.00
200757
162, 169 (F-VF) [40 penni green, 1 1/5 mark violet M-30] on 21 October 1931 complete domestic printed matter 27 mark cash on delivery parcel card from "HELSINKI 2" to "SALO" with receiver. 40 penni printed matter rate to 50 grams; 1 1/2 mark rate for COD to 100 marks.
ACTUAL item.
8.00
200765
163 pair, 171 pair (F-VF, VF) [50 penni yellow, 2 mark dark blue M-30] on 23 February 1931 complete domestic parcel card from SAVANRANTA to SALO with receiver. 5 mark rate for package to 1 kilo.
ACTUAL item.
8.00
229794
163 x3, 173 [50p Green and 2m Red M-30] (VF) on 24 May 1938 cover from TURKO / ABO (nice machine cancel) to the U.S.
ACTUAL item.
8.00
229798
163, 171, 177 [50p Yellow and 2m Indigo M-30; 5m Castle] (VF, Fine) on 15 August 1931 COD (175 mk) parcel card from LAHTI to KAUSALA, with receiver.
ACTUAL item.
8.00
229799
163, 177 [50p Yellow M-30; 5m Blue Castle] (VF, F-VF) on 20 November 1930 money order from BORGÅ / PORVEO (2 types of Russian text removed cancels) to TURKU / ÅBO with receiver.
ACTUAL item.
7.00
242655
164 [1932 50p blue green M-30 Lion design] (VF) solo use on 24 December 1940 greetings picture post card from "Iltasmäki" with VF+ strike of straight-line cancellation, via HÄMEENLINNA w/machine cancellation. 50 penni printed matter rate (few or no words in message). Attractive.
ACTUAL item.
14.00
401428
Scott #164 [1932 50p blue green M-30 Lion design] (F-VF) solo use on ca.1939-1944 Christmas picture post card from "Kaltsila" with VF, fully-readable strike of straight-line cancellation. Sent to Vammala (16 miles / 13.6 km distance), without a dated side cancellation. Vammala was likely the supervising post office for tiny Kaltsila and thus this was probably delivered in Vammala before the it could even reach the Vammala post office. (This is a similar situation to same-route RFD delivery in the United States.) In addition to the postal rate, the "artist-signed; monogram" picture post card helps to date the use; the card pictures two tontut (plural) [tonttu (singular); gnome-like Christmas characters]. One appears to be eating bread pudding while the other is cutting out a coupon from a (WARTIME) BREAD RATIONING card. The card has two handwritten words, thus qualifies for the general printed matter rate was in use 1 December 1931 thru 30 November 1944 (the regular post card rate was much higher; there was no special even-lower rate for printed matter post cards). This style of straight-line cancellation were used at tiny, rural "postal stopping place" locations such as country stores, taverns, etc. Though the cancellation type was used at many different tiny locations, most are individually quite scarce!
ACTUAL item.
9.00
242658
164 [1932 50p blue green M-30 Lion design] (VF) solo use on picture post card from "Kuohenmaa" with Superb strike of straight-line cancellation, via KANGASALA with 1940 town cancellation. 50 penni printed matter rate (few or no words in message). Attractive.
ACTUAL item.
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US$
401424
Scott #164 [1932 50p blue green M-30 Lion design] (VF) solo use on cover from "Kähtäyä" with VF+ strike of straight-line cancellation, via YLIVIESKA with bridge-posthorn style 14 May 1936 cancellation, to Helsinki with 15 May 1936 receiving cancellation on reverse. 50 penni printed matter rate (few or no handwritten words in message; this non-commercial envelope probably contained a greeting card) was in use 1 December 1931 thru 30 November 1944. This style of straight-line cancellation were used at tiny, rural "postal stopping place" locations such as country stores, taverns, etc. Though the cancellation type was used at many different tiny locations, most are individually quite scarce!
ACTUAL item.
14.00
242656
164 [1932 50p blue green M-30 Lion design] (VF) solo use on Christmas picture post card (official TB society artist-signed card) from "Laasola" with VF strike of straight-line cancellation. 50 penni printed matter rate (few or no words in message). Attractive.
ACTUAL item.
10.00
401425
Scott #164 [1932 50p blue green M-30 Lion design] (VF) solo 14 April 1937 use on TINY SIZE unsealed printed matter rate "visiting card" size cover used within Helsinki. The 50 penni printed matter rate (few or no handwritten words in message; this non-commercial envelope probably contained a greeting card) was in use 1 December 1931 thru 30 November 1944. (A special local printed matter rate was discontinued in 1926.) Collecting "tiny covers" is fun and challenging.
ACTUAL item.
6.00
401426
Scott #164 [1932 50p blue green M-30 Lion design] (F-VF) BLOCK OF FOUR on 4 August 1938 cover from KUOKKALA with Russian-Text-Removed bridge-style cancellation, to somebody at the University Library in Helsinki where it was received on 5 August. It then forwarded within Helsinki and again forwarded to VISBY, SWEDEN on the island of GOTLAND. Interestingly, for the forwarding to Visby, a Swedish-English notation was added directing it to the "Oxfordgruppens [the Oxford Group] House Party". Though the letter was forwarded outside of Finland, no additional postage had to be added to the 2.00 franking because, in that period (1 December 1931 thru 15 June 1940), the rate was the same for domestic letters and Nordic letters. Finnish covers forwarded outside the country are remarkably scarce and under-appreciated.
ACTUAL item.
12.00
401429
Scott #164 [1932 50p blue green M-30 Lion design] (VF) solo use on 23 December 1932 Christmas picture post card with VF strike of RAILWAY bridge-posthorn style cancellation "P. VANNU 18 / P. VAGN (18)". The card is artist-signed "FORSSTRÖM". The card has four handwritten words, thus qualifies for the general printed matter rate was in use 1 December 1931 thru 30 November 1944 (the regular post card rate was much higher; there was no special even-lower rate for printed matter post cards). This style of railway cancellation is often incomplete or hard to read; this is a nice example.
ACTUAL item.
12.00
401477
Finland Scott #164, 205 [1932 50 penni green M-30 Lion; 1943 10 mk red-violet (shades) Lake Saimaa, Re-engraved] (VF) on 15 December 1943 domestic parcel card to SIILINJÄRVI, with Russian-text-removed receiving postmark on reverse. WWII Era (Continuation War) Soldiers Mail with a KENTTÄPOSTIA [soldier mail / field post / military mail] violet, boxed handstamp (one of the many styles) and with KPK #5 small-size, two-ring-bridge dated cancellation. Sent registered, with bold violet boxed "KIRJATAAN" [registered] handstamp and red "R" numbered registration label, but the label was cut in half when the left-side coupon was cut off upon delivery. Sender address was with unit "8029/1.KPK". KPK 5 was one of the largest and most fluid field post hubs. During the stable trench warfare phase of 1943 to early 1944, components of KPK 5 operated heavily in Ladoga Karelia and East Karelia, before falling back during the 1944 Soviet offensive.Parcel cards, ordinary mail or soldier mail, from Eastern Karelia are "quite scarce" for several reasons: The population was significantly disrupted and most normal commercial activities were on hold. Furthermore, the postal system was overburdened just moving letter mail and thus parcel mail was not encouraged. As for SOLDIER usage of parcel cards, typical soldiers did not really have much reason to be sending parcels (and again, it was not encouraged). Any type of military parcel card use in Finland, not just Karelia, is at least "unusual". Parcel cards with numbered KPK cancellations are "scarce" and registered parcel cards are "very scarce". Such parcel cards are usually in horrible condition and usually have the "receipt coupon" (at left) clipped off as intended. Upon delivery, parcel cards were supposed to be retained by the receiving post office; after a defined time period the stamps were cut off, reducing the cards to stamp cuttings sold by the post office as kiloware. While such military mail parcel cards may not look especially unusual, they are! In the last 53 years, I have had one small collection of seven cards (all different KPK numbers) and perhaps 3-4 other individual cards!
ACTUAL item.
SOLD
401478
Finland Scott #164, 173B, 205 [1932 50 penni green, 2 mk yellow M-30 Lion; 1943 10 mk red-violet (shades) Lake Saimaa, Re-engraved] (VF) on 15 February 1944 domestic FULLY COMPLETE parcel card to PUOLANKA, with bridge-style receiving postmark on reverse. WWII Era (Continuation War) Soldiers Mail (KENTTÄPOSTIA) [soldier mail / field post / military mail] with KPK #11 small-size, two-ring-bridge dated cancellation. Sent registered, with red "R" numbered registration label. Sender address was with unit "KPK 9 / 5569". This card appears to have been attached to a package as a tag. TWO CENSORSHIP HANDSTAMPS on the reverse. Having two Finnish censorship handstamps is "scarce" on any WWII-era Finnish mail. In 53 years, this is the only WWII-era parcel card that I can recall having that had ANY indications of censorship. Very scarce!KPK 11 served the 11th Division (11. Divisioona) and associated border jaeger battalions. Throughout 1943 and mid-1944, this division was entrenched in East Karelia (specifically along the Svir River / Syväri front).Parcel cards, ordinary mail or soldier mail, from Eastern Karelia are "quite scarce" for several reasons: The population was significantly disrupted and most normal commercial activities were on hold. Furthermore, the postal system was overburdened just moving letter mail and thus parcel mail was not encouraged. As for SOLDIER usage of parcel cards, typical soldiers did not really have much reason to be sending parcels (and again, it was not encouraged). Any type of military parcel card use in Finland, not just Karelia, is at least "unusual". Parcel cards with numbered KPK cancellations are "scarce" and registered parcel cards are "very scarce". Such parcel cards are usually in horrible condition and usually have the "receipt coupon" (at left) clipped off as intended. Upon delivery, parcel cards were supposed to be retained by the receiving post office; after a defined time period the stamps were cut off, reducing the cards to stamp cuttings sold by the post office as kiloware. While such military mail parcel cards may not look especially unusual, they are! In the last 53 years, I have had one small collection of seven cards (all different KPK numbers) and perhaps 3-4 other individual cards!
ACTUAL item.
SOLD
401479
Finland Scott #164, 177 pair [1932 50 penni green M-30 Lion; 1930 5 mk blue Olavinlinna Castle] (VF) on 12 April 1944 domestic FULLY COMPLETE parcel card to SIILINJÄRVI, with Russian-text-removed receiving postmark on reverse. WWII Era (Continuation War) Soldiers Mail, KENTTÄPOSTIA [soldier mail / field post / military mail] KPK #20 small-size, two-ring-bridge dated cancellation. Sent registered with red "R" numbered registration label. Sender address was with unit "1/6230". KPK 20 was the field post office assigned to the 15th Division (15. Divisioona). During 1943 and early 1944, the 15th Division was stationed permanently on the Karelian Isthmus, holding the frontline sector near Lempaala.Parcel cards, ordinary mail or soldier mail, from Eastern Karelia are "quite scarce" for several reasons: The population was significantly disrupted and most normal commercial activities were on hold. Furthermore, the postal system was overburdened just moving letter mail and thus parcel mail was not encouraged. As for SOLDIER usage of parcel cards, typical soldiers did not really have much reason to be sending parcels (and again, it was not encouraged). Any type of military parcel card use in Finland, not just Karelia, is at least "unusual". Parcel cards with numbered KPK cancellations are "scarce" and registered parcel cards are "very scarce". Such parcel cards are usually in horrible condition and usually have the "receipt coupon" (at left) clipped off as intended. Upon delivery, parcel cards were supposed to be retained by the receiving post office; after a defined time period the stamps were cut off, reducing the cards to stamp cuttings sold by the post office as kiloware. While such military mail parcel cards may not look especially unusual, they are! In the last 53 years, I have had one small collection of seven cards (all different KPK numbers) and perhaps 3-4 other individual cards!
ACTUAL item.
SOLD
401481
Finland Scott #164, 205 [1932 50 penni green; 1943 10 mk red-violet (shades) Lake Saimaa, Re-engraved] (VF) on 11 July 1944 domestic FULLY COMPLETE parcel card to POURTILA, with bridge-style receiving postmark on reverse. WWII Era (Continuation War) Soldiers Mail KENTTÄPOSTIA (violet, boxed, under the stamps) [soldier mail / field post / military mail] with KPK #24 small-size, two-ring-bridge dated cancellation. Sent registered, with violet straight-line "KIRJATAAN" (registered) under the stamps and with red "R" numbered registration label. Sender address was with unit "5058 / 2.KPK". KPK 24 was assigned to the 4th Division (4. Divisioona). This division was actively deployed in East Karelia along the Maaselkä isthmus sector until they were ordered to retreat back toward the pre-war border in the summer of 1944.Parcel cards, ordinary mail or soldier mail, from Eastern Karelia are "quite scarce" for several reasons: The population was significantly disrupted and most normal commercial activities were on hold. Furthermore, the postal system was overburdened just moving letter mail and thus parcel mail was not encouraged. As for SOLDIER usage of parcel cards, typical soldiers did not really have much reason to be sending parcels (and again, it was not encouraged). Any type of military parcel card use in Finland, not just Karelia, is at least "unusual". Parcel cards with numbered KPK cancellations are "scarce" and registered parcel cards are "very scarce". Such parcel cards are usually in horrible condition and usually have the "receipt coupon" (at left) clipped off as intended. Upon delivery, parcel cards were supposed to be retained by the receiving post office; after a defined time period the stamps were cut off, reducing the cards to stamp cuttings sold by the post office as kiloware. While such military mail parcel cards may not look especially unusual, they are! In the last 53 years, I have had one small collection of seven cards (all different KPK numbers) and perhaps 3-4 other individual cards!
ACTUAL item.
SOLD
401482
Finland Scott #164, 173B, 205 [1932 50 penni green, 2 mk yellow M-30 Lion; 1943 10 mk red-violet (shades) Lake Saimaa, Re-engraved] (VF) on 15 December 1943 domestic FULLY COMPLETE parcel card to SIILINJÄRVI, with Russian-text-removed receiving postmark on reverse. WWII Era (Continuation War) Soldiers Mail (KENTTÄPOSTIA) [soldier mail / field post / military mail] with KPK #27 large-size, single-ring-no-bridge dated cancellation. Sent registered, with red "R" numbered registration label. Sender address was with unit "KPK 1 / 7064" (?). The card has some staining, but that is to be expected under such war-time winter conditions. KPK 27 served the 2nd Division (2. Divisioona). In 1943 and 1944, the 2nd Division was positioned on the Karelian Isthmus in the central sector (around Metsäpirtti and Taipale).Parcel cards, ordinary mail or soldier mail, from Eastern Karelia are "quite scarce" for several reasons: The population was significantly disrupted and most normal commercial activities were on hold. Furthermore, the postal system was overburdened just moving letter mail and thus parcel mail was not encouraged. As for SOLDIER usage of parcel cards, typical soldiers did not really have much reason to be sending parcels (and again, it was not encouraged). Any type of military parcel card use in Finland, not just Karelia, is at least "unusual". Parcel cards with numbered KPK cancellations are "scarce" and registered parcel cards are "very scarce". Such parcel cards are usually in horrible condition and usually have the "receipt coupon" (at left) clipped off as intended. Upon delivery, parcel cards were supposed to be retained by the receiving post office; after a defined time period the stamps were cut off, reducing the cards to stamp cuttings sold by the post office as kiloware. While such military mail parcel cards may not look especially unusual, they are! In the last 53 years, I have had one small collection of seven cards (all different KPK numbers) and perhaps 3-4 other individual cards!
ACTUAL item.
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US$
401483
Finland Scott #164, 205 [1932 50 penni green M-30 Lion; 1943 10 mk red-violet (shades) Lake Saimaa, Re-engraved] (Fine, VF) on 8 April 1944 domestic FULLY COMPLETE parcel card to SIILINJÄRVI, with Russian-text-removed receiving postmark on reverse. WWII Era (Continuation War) Soldiers Mail, "KENTTÄPOSTIA" violet, sans-serif, boxed, under the stamps, [soldier mail / field post / military mail] with KPK #28 large-size, single-ring-no-bridge dated cancellation. Sent registered, with red "R" numbered registration label. Sender address was with unit "KPK 1 / 3896". KPK 28 was assigned to the 10th Division (10. Divisioona). During the 1943-1944 period, they were positioned on the Karelian Isthmus, specifically guarding the western sector along the Gulf of Finland coast near Kellomäki and Kuokkala.Parcel cards, ordinary mail or soldier mail, from Eastern Karelia are "quite scarce" for several reasons: The population was significantly disrupted and most normal commercial activities were on hold. Furthermore, the postal system was overburdened just moving letter mail and thus parcel mail was not encouraged. As for SOLDIER usage of parcel cards, typical soldiers did not really have much reason to be sending parcels (and again, it was not encouraged). Any type of military parcel card use in Finland, not just Karelia, is at least "unusual". Parcel cards with numbered KPK cancellations are "scarce" and registered parcel cards are "very scarce". Such parcel cards are usually in horrible condition and usually have the "receipt coupon" (at left) clipped off as intended. Upon delivery, parcel cards were supposed to be retained by the receiving post office; after a defined time period the stamps were cut off, reducing the cards to stamp cuttings sold by the post office as kiloware. While such military mail parcel cards may not look especially unusual, they are! In the last 53 years, I have had one small collection of seven cards (all different KPK numbers) and perhaps 3-4 other individual cards!
ACTUAL item.
SOLD
229793
165A 4-block, 166B, 170A, 179, 221 (VF, F-VF) on 11 March 1946 air cover from "HELSINKI 1" (BLUE cancels) to the U.S. Rare 5-color combination!
ACTUAL item.
20.00
229788
166B, 179, 239, 261 (F-VF) on 1947 EXPRES airmail cover to the U.S. Scarce usage!
ACTUAL item.
28.00
229791
166B, 205, 248 (F-VF, Ave, VF) on 5 gram air cover to the U.S.
ACTUAL item.
5.00
229815
166B x4, 176I, 248 x2 [1m Green, 10m Blue M-30; 20m Post Office] (F-VF) on 1946 air cover from II to the U.S.
ACTUAL item.
9.00
229838
168 x2, 172 [1,25m Yellow and 2m Red Violet M-30 Lions] (F-VF, VF) on 25 July 1934 airmail cover from KOTKA to England.
ACTUAL item.
16.00
240515
Finland #168 [1932 1.25 mark yellow M-30 Lion] (VF) on 10 August 1933 picture post card to Sweden with MARIEHAMN (Åland) cancellation. The card is produced in Åland and is a nice real photo of a tourist house near Geta.
ACTUAL item.
22.00
240516
Finland #168 [1932 1.25 mark yellow M-30 Lion] (VF) on 6 June 1933 picture post card to Borgå (Finland) with MARIEHAMN (Åland) cancellation. The card was at least sold (and may have been produced) in Åland and is a nice lithographed photo of a farm fields in the Kirkeby area near Eckerö.
ACTUAL item.
22.00
400129
Scott #169 [1930 1-1/5 mark red violet M-30 Lion] (VF) on solo use 11 July 1930 domestic cash-on-delivery parcel card in the amount of 80 penni, which was just over half the cost of the postage spent to collect that amount! Sent from HELSINKI, to the village of TYRNÄVÄ with SUPERB strike of Russian-text-removed receiving postmark on reverse. While this is a COD parcel card, in this case there was no actual parcel accompanying the card. This appears to have been a mechanism to collect an amount (probably a balance due) on some sort of subscription or dues. The 1.5 mark rate was the entire fee to collect up to 100 marks (15 January 1926 - 30 April 1931). If there had been an associated parcel, the postage for the parcel would have been additional. The small-village Russian-text-removed cancellation is at least as valuable as the unusual use of the card.
ACTUAL item.
10.00
229796
Finland #170, 172 [1-1/2m Red and 2m Violet M-30] (F-VF) on 8 December 1936 cover from LAPPEENRANTA (nice machine cancel) to CHICAGO, U.S. Forwarded with various Chicago carrier markings.
ACTUAL item.
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US$
229822
B20, 170 [1935 2-1/2m _ 25p Anders Chydenius Semi-postal; 1-1/2 Red M-30 Lion] (VF) on 8 September 1935 FLIGHT COVER from TURKU / ÅBO (special cancel) to STOCKHOLM, Sweden. Returned to sender with several nice Swedish markings.
ACTUAL item.
50.00
229785
M-30 issues - 8 different (F-VF, 3-1/2 ovpt damaged) on 4 April 1946 air cover to the U.S. The most different M-30s I have ever had on one cover!
ACTUAL item.
35.00
217881
171 [2 mk Dark Blue M-30 Lion] as additional franking on 6 September 1930 7.00 metered parcel card from TAMPERE. Nice illustrated "SMK" (Suomen Maanviljelijän Kauppa Oy) meter imprint (machine 430). The 7.00 rate was for a 3 kilo parcel, but this parcel was found to weigh 4 kilos, thus the additional franking was added at the post office. This is the only such example of additional franking that I can recall having in 33 years. Meters on parcel cards are scarce.
ACTUAL item.
30.00
229784
171 x2, 177 [2m Indigo M-30 Lion; 5m Olavinlinna Castle] (VF, damaged) on 19 June 1930 EXPRESS (RARE!) parcel card from HELSINKI to ROVANIEME (arctic region) with receiver.
ACTUAL item.
30.00
229779
173 [1936 2m Red M-30 Lion] (VF) 1940 (date unclear, but looks like February) Finnish-censored cover to Sweden. Winter War usage.
ACTUAL item.
12.00
229782
173 x2 [2m Red M-30 Lion] (VF) on 18 November 1938 registered cover from HELSINKI to KARHULA, with receiver.
ACTUAL item.
8.00
401427
Scott #173 [1936 2 mk carmine M-30 Lion design] (VF) solo use on 11 March 1940 domestic CENSORED cover with nice RAILWAY cancellations: "POSTIL.J.V.I-Y. / POSTIL.J. KUP. I-Y" (bridge-posthorn style). This was sent two days before the end of the "Winter War" which spanned 30 November 1939 thru 13 March 1940. The return address is written oddly and I cannot parse it out (there may be an interesting story there). It is addressed to a puzzling address in KUPIO with a 15 March 1940 receiving postmark (bridge-posthorn style) on the reverse. I read the addressee as a woman at "Kupio / O.Y. SKT." which offers two possibilities [some information from Google AI]: 1) Suojeluskunta (Civil Guard): If the "O.Y." was a slight misread or a joke by the sender (and this was not the address of a commercial company), Sk.T. was a common historical shorthand for Suojeluskuntatoverit (Civil Guard Companions/Auxiliaries) or a localized branch of the Kuopio Civil Guard District. One function of this organization was to host foreign volunteers (mostly Swedish) that had come to Finland to defend against the Russians. 2) There was a far-right, ultra-nationalist Finnish political and paramilitary organization active in 1940 called Suomen Kansallissosialistinen Työjärjestö (The Finnish National Socialist Labor Organization), abbreviated as SKT. Again there was also a potential Swedish Link: This group was heavily active in organizing ideological volunteers, recruitment, and anti-communist paramilitary collaboration across the Nordic region. 3) If this was addressed to a commercial company in Kuopio, the most likely are: a) Savon Kirja- ja Työ Oy (Savo Book and Labor Ltd.), a major regional printing house and newspaper publisher in Kuopio. b) 2. Suomen Kenkä- ja Nahkatehdas Oy (Kuopio Branch), another massive industrial employer in the region during the Winter War era, which commonly shortened its name to SKT in logistics paperwork. The factory operated around the clock and was overwhelmingly staffed by local women stepped in to fill industrial roles. c) Savon Kiinteistö- ja Tontti Oy, a prominent regional property, housing, and estate management cooperative operating in downtown Kuopio. In 1940, Kuopio faced a massive housing crisis as tens of thousands of civilian evacuees fled eastward from Karelia after the Winter War border changes. This company managed localized housing networks and emergency shelters, employing administrative staff to process displaced families. Why might this letter have been addressed to a company instead of to a residential address? During the air raids and chaos of 1940, residential mail delivery in Kuopio was highly unreliable. It was common practice for a woman to have family letters addressed directly to her workplace (c/o O.Y. SKT). The civilian mail carrier would drop the bundle off at the corporate office secure mailroom, where a standard military or civil censor would open, read, and stamp it before clearing it for hand-delivery to her at her desk or factory station. (If you can determine what the story of this cover is, I would enjoy knowing more about it.)
ACTUAL item.
16.00
200780
173C, 176H (F-VF) [2 mark green, 8 mark dark violet M-30] on 10 January 1947 cover from MALMI (unusual cancel type) to HELSINKI. Returned to sender. Letter rate only for year of 1947.
ACTUAL item.
8.00
200782
173C pair, 176F pair, 179 (VF, F-VF) [2 mark green, 5 mark yellow orange M-30; 25 mark Woodcutter] on 22 March 1949 air cover, with 39 mark franking, from JÄRVENPÄÄ to the U.S. Letter rate 15 mark letter rate to 20 grams (1 July 1948 thru 31 October 1949) and air surcharge of 12 mark per 5 grams (15 Jan 1947 thru 31 October 1949).
ACTUAL item.
14.00
229787
173C, 179 white paper [2m Green M-30; 25m Woodcutter] (VF) on 11 February 1952 air cover to Sweden.
ACTUAL item.
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US$
229814
173C, 179 White Paper [2m Green M-30; 25m Woodcutter] (F-VF) on 28 February 1952 airmail cover from HELSINKI to Sweden.
ACTUAL item.
12.00
200759
174 pair (VF) [2 1/5 mark blue M-30] on solo rate usage 22 April 1930 complete domestic parcel card from "PURMO" to "NARPES B" with receiver. 5 mark rate for package to 1 kilo.
ACTUAL item.
8.00
229813
174 [2-1/2 Blue M-30 Lion] (VF) solo use on 25 February 1933 cover from MALAKS to the U.S. Nice.
ACTUAL item.
16.00
229818
174, 177 [2-1/2 Blue M-30; 5m Castle] (VF, F-VF) on 1 October 1935 registered airmail cover from HELSINKI to Glasgow, Scotland. Advertising envelope: shipping company info on reverse.
ACTUAL item.
35.00
401480
Finland Scott #174A, 205 [1942 2-1/2 mk carmine M-30 Lion; 1943 10 mk red-violet (shades) Lake Saimaa, Re-engraved] (VF) on 21 June 1944 domestic FULLY COMPLETE parcel card to SIILINJÄRVI, with Russian-text-removed receiving postmark on reverse. WWII Era (Continuation War) Soldiers Mail, KENTTÄPOSTIA [soldier mail / field post / military mail] KPK #21 small-size, two-ring-bridge dated cancellation. Sent registered with red "R" numbered registration label. Sender address was with unit "5/1354". KPK 21 served the 18th Division (18. Divisioona), a major combat unit that spent 1943 and the summer of 1944 stationed on the Karelian Isthmus, particularly around the Valkeasaari and Siiranmäki sectors, where they faced the brunt of the Soviet breakthrough in June 1944.Parcel cards, ordinary mail or soldier mail, from Eastern Karelia are "quite scarce" for several reasons: The population was significantly disrupted and most normal commercial activities were on hold. Furthermore, the postal system was overburdened just moving letter mail and thus parcel mail was not encouraged. As for SOLDIER usage of parcel cards, typical soldiers did not really have much reason to be sending parcels (and again, it was not encouraged). Any type of military parcel card use in Finland, not just Karelia, is at least "unusual". Parcel cards with numbered KPK cancellations are "scarce" and registered parcel cards are "very scarce". Such parcel cards are usually in horrible condition and usually have the "receipt coupon" (at left) clipped off as intended. Upon delivery, parcel cards were supposed to be retained by the receiving post office; after a defined time period the stamps were cut off, reducing the cards to stamp cuttings sold by the post office as kiloware. While such military mail parcel cards may not look especially unusual, they are! In the last 53 years, I have had one small collection of seven cards (all different KPK numbers) and perhaps 3-4 other individual cards!
ACTUAL item.
SOLD
229816
175B, 176D [3m Red, 5m Blue M-30] (F-VF) on 17 November 1945 air cover from TURKU / ÅBO to the U.S. Attractive.
ACTUAL item.
16.00
229809
176B, 176D, 176G [4m Olive, 5m Blue, 6m Red M-30 Lions] (F-VF) on 29 August 1960 cover (address erased) with JESIÖ small village cancel.
ACTUAL item.
5.00
237447
176B, 265 [1945 4 mk Olive M-30 Lion, 1947 10 mk Plowman] (VF) on 11 March 1948 first flight cover to København, Denmark, with special cancellation. With backstamp.
ACTUAL item.
7.00
243297
Finland Scott #176D [1945 5 mk blue M-30 Lion] (VF) on 8 January 1946 cover from MARIEHAMN to Stockholm, Sweden. Censored with Finnish #63 violet censor handstamp. The Nordic 20 gram letter rate of 5.00 mk was in use for only a short time: 1 July 1945 through 15 January 1946. Post-WWII Åland censored covers are scarce -- this may be the latest example I have seen. A very nice cover.
ACTUAL item.
45.00
229789
176G x2, 248 [6m Red M-30; 1945 20m Brown Post Office] (VF) on 22 July 1946 air cover from HELSINKI to the U.S.
ACTUAL item.
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US$
239150
250 3-strip [8/5 mk Surcharge Violet M-30] (F-VF) on 18 March 1947 air cover from OKSAVA (scarcer village) to the U.S. 24 mk franking with rates: Foreign letter to 20g, 12 mk, 1 Jan 1947 - 30 June 1948; Airmail Surcharge to U.S. (Zone 2) 12 mk for 45 g (marked as 4 grams), 15 Jan 1947 - 30 Nov 1948.
ACTUAL item.
14.00
229783
259, 264 3-strip [6m Orange M-30 Lion; 1947 10m Postal Savings Bank, BEEHIVE] (VF) on 13 June 1947 8-gram air cover from HELSINKI to the U.S.
ACTUAL item.
13.00
242661
260 [1947 7 mk red M-30 Lion design] (VF) solo use on Christmas picture post card (ARTIST SIGNED: Anders Olsson) from "Mäkimuhola" with VF strike of straight-line cancellation. Short-lived 7 mk domestic printed matter rate (1 July 1950 thru 31 December 1951). Attractive.
ACTUAL item.
10.00
242660
260 [1947 7 mk red M-30 Lion design] (F-VF) solo use on Christmas picture post card (artist signed) from "Tuomoinen" with F-VF strike of straight-line cancellation. 1950 Christmas seal, not tied. Short-lived 7 mk domestic printed matter rate (1 July 1950 thru 31 December 1951). Attractive.
ACTUAL item.
10.00
229806
261 pair [10m Violet M-30] (VF) on July 1947 registered cover from HIILIMÄKI to LAUTTASAARI / DRUMSÖ with receiver. This rate/franking only possible for 11 months.
ACTUAL item.
18.00
214931
Finland #262 with TJUDÖ (Åland) bridge-style cancellation on neat cover to Stockholm. Though the year date is not clear, the 12m rate to Sweden as double rate ran only 16 January 1946 through 31 December 1946 and as single rate only 1 January 1948 through 30 November 1948. This device was the first postmark at Tjudö and it is interesting to note that Mattsen only recorded it used in 1950. If the franking is to be relied upon, then this usage moves the cancel usage range back at least a couple years. Regardless, I believe that this is the ONLY pre-1970s TJUDÖ cover I have ever had (in 32 years)! Quite scarce.
ACTUAL item.
80.00
229817
262, 275 [12m Blue, 12/10m Surcharge Violet M-30] (F-VF) on 23 April 1948 air cover from HELSINKI to the U.S. with TIED CHARITY SEAL (blue, mother and child). Scarce.
ACTUAL item.
40.00
229808
273, 291, 294, 322 [15m Blue, 8m Green, 12m Orange Red M-30; 25m Red Lilac M-54 Lion] (VF) on 6 August 1960 cover to the U.S. with EMSALO small town cancel.
ACTUAL item.
8.00
202748
274, 166B x2, 248 (VF) [24 mark red violet, 1 mark green M-30; 20 mark Post Office Building] on 11 May 1949 complete domestic parcel card for 5 kilo parcel from OLLUI to YKSRIHLAJA, with receiver. 45 mark rate for 5 kilo parcel, but what was the extra mark for? The 24 mark stamp is very scarce on cover.
ACTUAL item.
27.00
200809
302, 317 [1952 10 mk Green M-30 Lion; 1954 15 mk Red M-54 Lion] on pretty mixed issues 27 September 1954 domestic cover with neat JÄMSÄ small town cancel.
ACTUAL item.
IMAGES: Hover mouse pointer over image
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Click for more information
US$
200810
302, 317 [1952 10 mk Green M-30 Lion; 1954 15 mk Red M-54 Lion] on pretty mixed issues 21 October 1954 domestic cover with neat KARTTULA small town cancel.
ACTUAL item.
8.00
229756
365, 302 [1959 30m Women Gymnastics; 10m green M-30 Lion] (VF, F-VF) on 11 December 1958 cover from HELSINKI to U.S.
ACTUAL item.
6.00
229786
302, 317 [10m Green M-30; 15m Red M-54] (VF) on 1954 commercial cover. Scarce combination of issues.
ACTUAL item.
6.00
229810
305 x3, 302 [40m Woodchopper; 10m Green M-30] on 1954 air cover to the U.S. This is a very high postage rate (130 marks) for a cover to the U.S. The published postage rate charts for this period are confusing and appear to have some errors. At 50 grams, the rate would likely have been 120 marks; 55 grams at 132 marks. However, I am not satisfied with this calculation and cannot say whether this cover is correctly paid or not - my experience suggests that it IS correctly paid, but I cannot quote the rate at the moment. Still, an unusual franking. Note that most uses with multiple examples of the 40m Woodchopper stamp are parcel cards, not envelopes.
ACTUAL item.
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