ESTONIA
STAMP CATALOGUE 1918-1941
This
catalogue is based on the higly awarded "Eesti/Estonia Philately
& Postal History Handbook" written by Vambola Hurt
and Elmar Ojaste. The handbook was issued in 1986
by the Estonian Philatelic Society in Sweden (EFÜR) in co-operation
with the Estonian Philatelic Society in New York (NY-EFS). The original
handbook/catalogue consists of more than 760 pages and covers more
or less all aspects on Estonian philately. For practical reasons,
this on-line catalogue only covers stamps from 1918 to 1941.
The original handbook was
sold out long ago and can today be found only at philatelic auctions
and sites such as E-Bay, for instance. The handbook has become a great
rarity and if you find a copy, our recommendation is; buy it!
Please
note:
The errors that occurs in the original Handbook/Catalogue has been
corrected with the help of the 1988 Handbook Supplement (by the same
authors). With the information available at date, the on-line catalogue
is as accurate as it can be. However, if you find any errors or have
any new information, then please notify me by e-mail.
Kindest regards
Alar Pastarus, EFÜR webb-master
FOR
THE CATALOGUE USER:
Illustration
size
The stamps and overprints are not scanned in original size. The varieties
are mostly enlarged.
Image scales are not comparable. Illustration colors are not to be
relied on.
Numeration
Official postage stamps are numbered chronologically by their date
of issue. Stamps of the same issue have been grouped together. Local
issues have been numbered individually. Following groupings are used
for the varieties:
| |
A
Perforation |
| |
B
Color |
| |
C
Paper and WM |
| |
D
Gum |
| |
E
Printing |
| |
F
Printing Order Nos, Sheet Nos |
| |
G
Essays, proofs |
Sheet positions
Sheet position numbers are to be read in horizontal rows, from left
to right.
Printing
When not otherwise stated, the postage stamps and postal stationery
have been typographed by the Government Printing Works (GPW) in Tallinn.
Protective network
The finely patterned protective network (burelage) is on the face
of the stamp, usually underprinted beneath the design. Color information
"Blue-brown (light violet)" inoicates that the color of
the network is light violet.
Colors
Where shades are indicated, the color difference is clearly apparent
even to an untrained eye.
Gum
Until March 1924 (the 3 Mk value of the Weaver design) all Estonian
stamps were gummed after the printing. After that date they were printed
on pregummed paper.
Perforation
The first figure refers to top and bottom, the second to the left
and right sides.
The figures are normally given to the nearest half.
Essay
Not approved drawings or die proofs of designs.
Proofs
Any impression of an officially approved design die, plate or stone,
regardless of the color or paper used. Proofs were not to be sold
to the public.
Under this heading are included the imperforate stamps, which had
been sold perforated in the Post Offices and which had been stored
in the GPW. Some of these sheets were sold to dealers in 1943/44 by
the German Occupation authorities. A large part of the remainders
in the GPW came to the collectors inofficially due to irregular war
times.
Cancellations
Cancellations are considered as genuine either they have been used
on postal items or have been cancelled to order within the term of
validity.
The obliterations can have been applied with genuine cancellers by
Postal Authorities or with their permission after the expiration of
validity. They are considered as cancellations by favour. Forged cancellations
are either total forgeries or applications by unauthorized persons
using genuine cancellers.
Prices
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.
The prices in the left column (*) are for ligthly hinged unused items
and in the right column for used ones. The prices apply for items
in average condition. Low-grade items are to be priced much below
those indicated. Items in mint condition (**) - especially some definitives
- may be sold at a premium price.
The marking " - " indicates that the item does not exist
or has not been recorded. In a few cases it may also indicate that
the variety exists but there is no price difference.
The marking "- -" indicates that the item exists or may
exist, but a pricing is impossible, as no information about the item
being offered or traded has been available. It cannot be concluded
that such material is of great value. There are no prices for the
First Day Cancellations (either on covers or on postage stamps) as
the availablilty of such material is very limited.
Covers
The term "cover" includes all kinds of correctly franked,
postally used postal matters (letters, postcards, money orders etc.).
An overfranking of 10% could be accepted, especially on covers from
1919 and early twenties, as there often was a shortage of stamps of
all denominations at post offices.
For pricing covers, three groupings are used:
| SI |
Single franking |
| MU |
Multiple franking. The price usually is given for a cover franked
with two stamps. Additional stamps should be priced as used copies. |
| MI |
Mixed franking either with stamps of the same issue or of other
issues. Other stamps should be priced as used copies. |
Under
each postage stamp information is given about the time when single
franking was possible.
ABBREVIATIONS
USED IN THE CATALOGUE:
| |
Air-L
DL
DPC
DPM
EI
F.P.O.
GPO
GPW
Horiz.
Imp.
Imperf.
IL
IPC
IPM
Kop.
Kr.
L
LL
LPC
LPM
Mi
Mk.
MS
N.R.
|
Air Mail letter
Domestic letter
Domestic postcard
Domestic printed matter
V. Eichenthal, Illustrated Specialized Catalogue of Estonia
Field Post Office
General Postal Organization
Goverment Printing Works
Horizontal, horizontally
Imperforate
International letter
International postcard
International printed matter
Kopeck/Kopek
Kroon, Krooni
Letter
Local letter
Local postcard
Local printed matter
Michel
Mark, Marka
Miniature sheet, souvenir sheet
Not recorded
|
OPT
P.
PC
Perf.
Pfg.
PM
P.O.
R
RM
Rpf.
Rub.
Rbl.
S.
Sc
SG
T
UPU
V
Vert.
WM
YT
Zu |
Overprint
Penn, Penni
Postcard
Perforated, perforation
Pfennig
Printed matter
Post Office
Registred
Reichsmark
Reichspfennig
Rouble
Sent, Senti
Scott. Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue
Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue
Postage Due
Union Postale Universelle
Value Declared
Vertical, vertically
Watermark
Catalogue Yvert et Tellier
Zumstein |
