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Transcript

Russia's Postage Stamp Currency

Scott #105-107 (1915)

These stamps were issued by Russia in 1915. They are numbers 105-107 in the Scott Catalogue. Only problem is, they are not postage stamps. But, they are not fake, forged, or counterfeit stamps either. What they are is in fact, paper money.

During World War I, there was a shortage of metal for minting coins, so the government issued these emergency notes. They are the same size, and feature the same design as existing postage stamps issued to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, but they are printed on thin cardboard stock.

As they were not intended for postal use, they were not gummed, and each bears an inscription on the back saying that these circulate on a par with silver coins. They were issued in denominations of 10, 15, and 20 kopeks, the same denominations of the postage stamps they mimic, and were intended to be used for small change in your everyday transactions.

While they were not supposed to be used for postage, many people did, in fact, use them as such. Today, unused examples are readily available for just a few bucks for the set of three. Genuine postally used examples have a retail value of about $15 each, and, if you find one on cover, the cost is about $30 (more, if there are multiple stamps on cover).

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