REPUBLIC OF LATVIA 1991-

On January 1, 1991, Latvia has one-sidedly raised its domestic postal rates. The rates between 1 January 1991 - 1 March 1991:

• inland letter, also other Baltic states and Soviet Union: letter till 20 gr. the rate was 15 kopecks
• inland postcard: 10 kopecks
• registered inland letter 20 kopecks
• rate international letter is not changed (same as Soviet Union): still 30 kopecks (airmail 50 kopecks)
• registered international letter 1 rouble 30 kopecks
• registered international aimail letter 1 rouble 50 kopecks
• registered international postcard 1 rouble 20 kopecks
• international airmail postcard 35 kopecks

This cover is sent on 23 July 1991 from Salacgrīva, located in northern Latvia on the coast, near the border with Estonia. The name of this city means "Mouth of the Salaca", the city has a post on the mouth of the river Salaca on the Gulf of Riga. On the backside is placed an arrival postmark: Tallinn 31 July 1991 (at 12 o'clock). The rate of this time for letters to Estonia was the inland rate of 15 kopecks (between 1 January 1991 - 1 December 1991, so here is something over-franked).

In the Michel Ganszsachen-Katalog Europa Ost 2004/05 this issue is number U 1.


Post with this cover abroad must have an additional franking with (Soviet) postage stamps.



This international, registered, letter is sent on November 1, 1991, to the Netherlands.
The cover has mixed franking: 1 rouble 51 kopecks. The correct postage should be 1 rouble 50 kopecks.



The registering label is an older Soviet: République socialiste soviétique de Lettonie.

The cover is a postal stationary, issued by the Latvian post on May 4, 1991. In the Michel Ganszsachen-Katalog Europa Ost 2004/05 this issue is number U 3.

On the imprinted stamp -15 kopecks, the inland rate 1 January 1991 / 1 december 1991 - is shown the freedom monument in Riga and the Latvian flag. On tyhe backside the text (in Latvian): To use for correspondence to Latvia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgien, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan and Ukraine.

The rates between 1 March 1991 - 1 December 1991:

Same rates as January 1, 1991
• inland letter, also other Baltic states and Soviet Union: letter till 20 gr. the rate was 15 kopecks
• inland postcard: 10 kopecks
• registered inland letter: 20 kopecks
• international letter: 30 kopecks (airmail 50 kopecks)
• international airmail postcard 35 kopecks

Changed rates: international registering:

• registered international letter 1 rouble 50 kopecks
• registered international airmail letter 1 rouble 70 kopecks
• registered international postcard 1 rouble 40 kopecks

Postal stationary Mi. U 4.





The postmark, resized 50 %.




The message on the backside (in Latvian): To use for correspondence to Latvia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgien, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan and Ukraine.



The postal code field is here without text below. Above the six input field are two rows bar and before these a start-indication. Here the two bars of the start-indication are on the same level as the other bars.

With the new rates also new postal stationery were necessary. On May 4, 1991, are issued postal stationery by the Latvian post, all as imprinted stamp a monument in Riga:

• U 3 in the Michel Ganszsachen-Katalog: see above, with the message on the backside in blue, according the Michel in two types:
  I. blue message the backside II. 'spitse klep' and thicker paper
• U 4, the cover here, exists in three types:
  I. with the message on the backside in red.
  II with 'spitse klep' and thicker paper
  III without message on the backside - issued Oktober 1991: I suppose this is for the coming regulations, from 1 January 1992 every country outside Latvia is foreign rate.
• U 5, also 15 kopecks,with a different imprinted stamp, in 2 types:
  I. with the message as U 4, white paper III. without message, greywhite paper, issued oktober 1991: I suppose this is for the coming regulations, from 1 January 1992 every country outside Latvia is foreign rate.
  
  
• U 6, for airmail 50 kopecks.


This cover - U 6- without message on the backside:

On December 1, 1991, Latvia has raised the postal rates. These rates were valid until 1 march 1992, but from 1 January 1992 every country outside Latvia is foreign rate. The rates 1 December 1991 - 1 March 1992

• inland letter letter till 20 gr. the rate was 50 kopecks (until 1 january: also other Baltic states and CIS states)
• inland postcard: 25 kopecks
• registered inland letter: 1 rouble, 50 kopecks
• rate international letter 1 rouble (airmail 1 rouble, 50 kopecks)
• rate registered international letter 4 roubles (airmail 4 rouble, 50 kopecks)
• rate international postcard 60 kopecks (airmail 1 rouble)
• rate registerd international postcard 3 roubles 60 kopecks

The postal stationery of the Soviet Union were valid until 30 June 1992. So with the raised postal rates the postal authorities decided to re-use the Soviet postal stationery. Here a cover with imprinted stamp 7 kopecks: overprint 43 kopecks, so the inland rate of 50 kopecks.


Here is re-used a Soviet postal stationary with value-stamp transport 1991: so according the Michel Ganszsachen-Katalog Europa Ost 2004/05 this issue is number U 7, issued December 1, 1991. Among the known used Soviet covers this one: Christmas (Priecīgus Ziemsvētkus = Merry Chrismas), issued 20.05.91.

Other issues on December 1, 1991:

• U 8: 45 kopecks next 5 kopecks, cover value stamp transpost 1982
• U 9: 45 kpecks next 5 kopecks, cover value stamp coat of arms without border
• U 10: 45 kopecks next 5 kopecks, cover value stamp coat of arms with border
• U 11: 100 kopecks next 50 kopecks, cover airmail and value stamp white cranes,see below.

This cover u 11: 100 kopecks near 50 kopecks, cover airmail and value stamp white cranes. On December 1991 the rate is raised for international airmail letters: 1 Rouble 50 kopecks, so a new overprint was necessary. The rubber stamp '100' was only permitted next the 50 kopecks (cranes). Stamp of '100' next 5 or 7 kopecks imprinted postmark: that rate was not a valid rate.

This cover is sent on December 23, 1991, from Daugavpils in Latvia.



The postmark, here resized 50%, is clearly an adapted Soviet postmark: type with date between two parallel lines.
This type is first used middle of the sixties. The greatest difference with earlier postmarks: without datum-box, but the date between two parallel lines.
30 mm in diameter
The old soviet postmark iscomplete changed: at the top now the place, below the indication LATVIA.

The destination is Līvāni, a little town 170 kilometers east of Riga. The cover is inland registered, so the rate since December 1, 1991, is 1 rouble 50 kopecks.






A handstamp is used for the indication registered: in the Soviet Union for registered letters inland are used postmarks with ЗАКАЗНОЕ [ZAKAZNOE] = registered.


If we look carefully to the 'overprint', we see that the overprint 43 kopecks is cut from somewhere else and pasted.
Also the 'overprint' 100 kopecks is cut from somewhere else. Creative. Together the rate of 1 rouble 50 kopecks.



Cover, sent December 23 1991 to Riga (Latvia). The inland rate: 50 kopecks. Here mixed franking, together 50 kopecks.
The postage stamps of the Soviet Union were valid unto June 30, 1992




This cover is sent from Jurmala, December 23, 1991. The mixed postage: 50 kopecks, the inland rate since December 1, 1991.

The postmark is an old Soviet postmark, type with date between two parallel lines.
The arrival postmark of Riga-9 is the same type, but almost completely changed.

This picture and all pictures below on this page, if not mentioned otherwise: scanned about 300 dpi. Then set right and resized 25 % of this image and saved as jpg.

The soviet postmark, resized 50 %.
It is clearly an old Soviet postmark: type with date between two parallel lines. The postmark - not so clear- seems cut: without CCP.
Most soviet postmarks used futher, but were cut, completely changed or only without CCP

Extented Information about the rates in Lavia in this period you can find on the site of Sijtze Reurich

The imprinted stamp of Mi. U 3, resized 50 %.

The postmark is an old Soviet postmark, type with date between two parallel lines.

The imprinted stamp of Mi. U 4, resized 50 %.

The imprinted stamp of Mi. U 5, resized 50 %.
The cover is U5, type III: without message on the backside.

The imprinted stamp of Mi. U 6, resized 50 %.

Literature

• Sovjetenveloppen met Letse rubberstempels in de overgangstijd / Gerrit Bordewijk. - In: OEF 1997 ; 15-1. - p. 9-14. - in dutch. - About: Soviet postal stationery with Latvian rubber stamps in the transition period

In this article is mentioned that many covers are 'produced', not according the rules.
The Latvian post decided to re-use the large stock soviet postal stationery, but under strict conditions. It was necessary to uprate the covers with a rubber stamp, but:

• It was forbidden to use two rubber stamp on 1 cover. If additionak franking was necessary: only with postage stamps
• No rubber stamp in the right corner of a blank envelope

Resized 50 %.

Resized 50 %.

Resized 50 %.

Resized 50 %.

The arrival postmark of Riga-9. The old Soviet postmark is almost completely changed.