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Russia Perforation Error Information Request

 
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Author Replies: 14 / Views: 277Next Topic  
Valued Member
133 Posts
Posted 06/07/2026   10:22 am  Show Profile Bookmark this topic Add solomons_prayer to your friends list Get a Link to this Message
I was looking through Cherrystone auctions and was surprised to see how many perforation errors popped up.
I did a deep dive into my own Russia Space collection and found these two, Sc#s 3022 3023 aluminum lithographed, which are 12˝ all around, when Scott says they should be 12˝x12.

I used the 2653 Sputnik anniversary as reference because it, among others, were listed in Cherrystone with the same 12˝ perf error, but I couldn't find any of these in the 2017 catalogue.

Does anybody have any additional information about these two?




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Bedrock Of The Community
12555 Posts
Posted 06/07/2026   7:51 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add rogdcam to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Russia has more "errors" than any other Country. Why? Because Russia figured out one hundred years ago that "errors" mean cash. These have been legitimized due to numerous specialized catalogs assigning values and sellers going along with it. IMO very few aren't deliberate creations plus production standards are loose. As long as the stamps can be separated what difference does 12 vs 12.5 make. Keep producing Comrade!!!!!
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Greece
232 Posts
Posted Yesterday   07:09 am  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add vasia to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
The Russian specialised catalogues mention the 2 stamps (1965 Cosmonauts' day) as line perf 12 1/2. No 12 1/2 X 12 variety is mentioned. Regarding the multiple perforation varieties of Soviet stamps, the truth is quite more complicated than the explanation offered by rogdcam.
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United Kingdom
316 Posts
Posted Yesterday   07:26 am  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add Flightle_Bee to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Keep producing Comrade!!!!!


With the aid of tukhta of course. They're not Stakhanovites!
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Valued Member
133 Posts
Posted Yesterday   12:19 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add solomons_prayer to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
The Russian specialised catalogues mention the 2 stamps (1965 Cosmonauts' day) as line perf 12 1/2. No 12 1/2 X 12 variety is mentioned. Regarding the multiple perforation varieties of Soviet stamps, the truth is quite more complicated than the explanation offered by rogdcam.


Are you sure that's accurate? Both the 2017-18 Scott catalogues show the perfs to be 12˝x12.

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Edited by solomons_prayer - Yesterday 12:20 pm
Valued Member
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Posted Yesterday   12:38 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add solomons_prayer to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Because Russia figured out one hundred years ago that "errors" mean cash.


Lol. I think that's giving them waay too much credit. "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity (or incompetence)".

The CCCP produced an overwhelming amount of design types, and had just as much passion for their abundance in the methods/materials they used to make them. Pretty typical of the autocratic mindset to show off superior capabilities, even through stamps.

If we were to assume they also placed "Easter eggs" in the form of minor technical discrepancies that can only be found under careful examination on top of all that, it would be quite impressive. But I tend to think they simply messed up occasionally. Just makes more sense, all things considered.
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Greece
232 Posts
Posted Yesterday   1:15 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add vasia to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Yes, I am sure. This is my collecting field.
Below is the relevant page from the Zagorsky catalogue.
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Greece
232 Posts
Posted Yesterday   1:19 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add vasia to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
If one wishes to discuss seriously about philately and not with pre-conceived Cold War mentalities, explaining the different perforations on Soviet stamps as results of technical incompetence will not lead you anywhere.
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Greece
232 Posts
Posted Yesterday   1:28 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add vasia to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Soloviev catalogue:
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United States
204 Posts
Posted Yesterday   1:59 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add Bobcat126 to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
I love vintage Russian stamps and currency - although complicated to learn and research, I think they are all beautiful to look at.
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Valued Member
133 Posts
Posted Today  9 Hrs 36 Min ago  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add solomons_prayer to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
If one wishes to discuss seriously about philately and not with pre-conceived Cold War mentalities, explaining the different perforations on Soviet stamps as results of technical incompetence will not lead you anywhere.


I was just using that adage to show that it probably wasn't malice, and the term 'incompetent' wasn't meant to be derogatory. The more information, the more room for error.

Look, even Scott didn't get it right!
Case in point.
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Posted Today  9 Hrs 32 Min ago  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add solomons_prayer to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
I love vintage Russian stamps and currency - although complicated to learn and research, I think they are all beautiful to look at.


I really enjoy them too. Many of the space stamps have luminescent ink that light up your album like some kind of retrofuturistic space art.

Extremely fun to collect, even moreso now that I see how many varieties there are. The two above even have glossy/non-glossy printings? Holy moly.
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Bedrock Of The Community
12555 Posts
Posted Today  5 Hrs 6 Min ago  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add rogdcam to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Lol. I think that's giving them waay too much credit. "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity (or incompetence)".

The CCCP produced an overwhelming amount of design types, and had just as much passion for their abundance in the methods/materials they used to make them. Pretty typical of the autocratic mindset to show off superior capabilities, even through stamps.

If we were to assume they also placed "Easter eggs" in the form of minor technical discrepancies that can only be found under careful examination on top of all that, it would be quite impressive. But I tend to think they simply messed up occasionally. Just makes more sense, all things considered.


It's well established that stamps for collectors were recognized early on to be substantial sources of much needed revenue. Huge volumes of "errors" found there way out into the wild. I had a substantial collection of Russia that I sold in a Raritan auction a few years ago. I had large groups of "errors" that included things that were laughably contrived. Think quadruple impressions with some sideways etc. You find copious amounts of different perforation types (line,comb, imperforate) as well as different rasters throughout the years. These massive volumes of stamps were not necessary for the required postal needs of the citizens. They were made for collectors. Thus the impressive volume of different designs as mentioned. And yes, the technical capabilities or lack thereof did come into play. It wasn't always easy to have a standard when you didn't have production machinery replacement parts.

If you want to understand all of this better start with the Rossica archives and the history of the SPA.
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Greece
232 Posts
Posted Today  2 Hrs 41 Min ago  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add vasia to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
rogdcam.
You are right about some of the so-called printers' waste which were chanelled, officially or unofficially, to the market.
However, the different rasters (square, horizontal, vertical) were not some kind of market play /"made for collectors", nor were the different perforations on a number of issues.
By the way, one can go through the Rossica Journal archives on these matters, but also the "Philately USSR" and "Philately" issues



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Edited by vasia - Today 2 Hrs 13 Min ago
Valued Member
Greece
232 Posts
Posted Today  1 Hr 10 Min ago  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add vasia to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
An example of printers' waste that ended up in the market (unknown when).
1924 2k typographed definitive, not issued imperf. Here in an imperforate block of 6 with double impression and annulling perforations. I wouldn't pay 550$ for such a monstrosity, but apparently some collectors do.
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