EESTI
POST OVERPRINTS
Handstamped overprint "Eesti Post" on Russian stamps of
Arms type in violet or black (No. 16 only).
The
overprinting was done by the GPO with a rubber handstamp made by Heinrich
Kiiver in Tallinn. Although small color shades do occur, the basic
violet is rather stable and can be distinguished. Very light overprints
can be found with some of the letters missing. The positioning of
the diagonal OPT is surprisingly stable and only a very few OPT variations
are known.
The stamps were sold in the new currency, whereby 1 kop. = 1 penni
and 1 Rbl. = 1 Mark.
The overprinting was mainly done on May 5, 1919. An official record
about the issue was prepared by the postal officials concerned and
this record is still used as a basic source for the number of stamps
issued. Different dates of issue have been given by various sources.
We can today firmly state that the sale over the counterdid begin
on May 7, 1919 at the Main Post Office in Tallinn. Not all denominations
of the issue were available to the public. The latest information
available indicates that only the following stamps were sold over
the counter:
| 1 |
kop.
imperf. |
1.700 |
| 2 |
kop.
perf. |
2.500 |
| 3 |
kop.
perf. |
1.400 |
| 5 |
kop. |
3.700 |
| 10 |
kop.
(black OPT) |
850 |
| 15 |
kop.
|
1.050 |
| 25 |
kop.
|
800 |
It is without doubt that an additional number of the stamps of the
issue were overprinted by the postal officials for their own use.
These overprints cannot be distinguished. The additional number is
insignificant but makes it impossible to state the real number overprinted.
Further overprints were made by the postal officials at a later date
with the genuine handstamp. In most cases these can be distinguished.
Stamps other than these originally issued are known with a similar
overprint.
Proofs: In the end of April 1919 a small number of
stamp was overprinted as proofs. These proofs were not sold but presented
to postal officials and are known with genuine cancellations from
April 29. The proofs only can be distinguished by the date of cancellation.
Forgeries: A large number of forgeries are known.
Most of them are rather crude but there are a few very dangerous ones.
Unfortunately quite a few forgeries have been authenticated by well-known
experts as genuine. Forgeries of expertizing marks are known. We would
recommend that a new expertization should be made, especially when
trading.
Valid: The issue was valid both for domestic as well
as for international mail until October 1, 1919. Genuine covers with
later dates are known. Until now the cancellations are only known
from Tallinn, Tallinn-Sadam and Nõmme.
Literature:
Heldur Alver: Pealetrükid 1919, ("Eesti Post" overprints
1919), Eesti Filatelist No 11, 1970 (in Estonian).
H. Alver & E. Ojaste: Die FaIscher und die Fä1schungen der
estnischen Briefmarken, Eesti Filatelist No 18/19, 1976 (in German
and Estonian).
H.
Alver:"Eesti Post" 1919 auf Briefen, Eesti Filatelist 20/21,
1977 (in German).
H. Alver & Ojaste: Die Fälscher und die Fälschungen
der estnischen Brief marken II, Eesti Filatelist No 22/23, 1978 (in
German and Estonian).
H. Alver: Estlands Aufdruckmarken "Eesti Post" 1919 und
deren Fälschungen, Eesti Filatelist No 26, 1980 (in German).
| |
No
of OPT's |
Color
of OPT |
Eichenthal |
Michel |
Scott |
Price
USD |
| PERFORATED |
| 5 |
1
Kop. |
7 |
violet |
7 |
1A |
8 |
1.800 |
| 6 |
2
Kop. |
2.654 |
violet |
8 |
2A |
9 |
30 |
| A:1
Horiz. gutter pair |
|
|
|
|
|
90 |
| A:2
Vert. gutter pair |
|
|
|
|
|
90 |
| E:1
Double OPT |
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
| E:2
Vertical OPT |
|
|
|
|
|
60 |
| E3
Horizontal OPT |
|
|
|
|
|
60 |
| E:4
EEST(I) missing |
|
|
|
|
|
60 |
| 7 |
3
Kop. |
1.584 |
violet |
9 |
3A |
10 |
35 |
| A:1
Horiz. gutter pair |
|
|
|
|
|
100 |
| 8 |
5
Kop. |
3.803 |
violet |
10 |
4 |
11 |
25 |
| A:1
Horiz. gutter pair |
|
|
|
|
|
75 |
| A:2
A:2 Vert. gutter pair |
|
|
|
|
|
75 |
| A:3
lnverted set-off of OPT |
|
|
|
|
|
60 |
| 9 |
10
Kop. |
817 |
black |
11 |
5b |
13 |
40 |
| E:6
EE(S) missing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 9a |
10
Kop. |
100 |
violet |
12 |
5a |
12 |
150 |
| 10 |
10/7
Kop. |
45 |
violet |
13 |
6 |
14 |
400 |
| 11 |
15
Kop. |
1.197 |
violet |
14 |
7 |
15 |
35 |
| A:1
Horiz. gutter pair |
|
|
|
|
|
100 |
| A:2
Vert. gutter pair |
|
|
|
|
|
100 |
| E:1
Double OPT |
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
| E:7
E(E) missing |
|
|
|
|
|
70 |
| 12 |
25
Kop. |
998 |
violet |
15 |
8 |
16 |
40 |
| A:1
Horiz. gutter pair |
|
|
|
|
|
120 |
| 13 |
35
Kop. |
12 |
violet |
16 |
9 |
17 |
1.200 |
| 14 |
50
Kop. |
344 |
violet |
17 |
10 |
18 |
90 |
| 15 |
1
Rbl. |
170 |
violet |
18 |
11A |
19 |
150 |
| 16 |
10
Rbl. |
11 |
violet |
19 |
14 |
20 |
3.300 |
| IMPERFORATE |
| 17 |
1
Kop. |
1.600 |
violet |
1 |
18 |
21 |
35 |
| Horiz.
gutter pair |
|
violet |
|
|
|
100 |
| Vert.
gutter pair |
|
violet |
|
|
|
100 |
| (PO)ST
missing |
|
violet |
|
|
|
70 |
| 18 |
2
Kop. |
26 |
violet |
2 |
2B |
22 |
400 |
| 19 |
3
Kop. |
475 |
violet |
3 |
3B |
23 |
60 |
| E:9
Pair with and w/o OPT |
|
|
|
|
|
130 |
| 20 |
1
Rbl. |
|
violet |
4 |
11B |
24 |
300 |
| E:1
Double OPT |
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
| 21 |
3.50
Rbl |
56 |
violet |
5 |
12 |
25 |
400 |
| E:10
Inverted OPT |
|
|
|
|
|
-- |
| 22 |
5
Rbl. |
40 |
violet |
6 |
13 |
26 |
500 |
 |
Correct
postage SI, MI or MU
Set franking |
400%
125% |
Please
note that all prices are estimates in USD, based on the average retail
market of 1985, when the original catalogue/handbook
was written. The prices are considerably higher today.
