Russian Stamps Obviously Altered

Another kilo digging found these Russian stamps (Scott 6228) that had driven me crazy because I couldn't find a 750 denomination. Finally determined that someone had altered a 50. And still I'm dumbfounded that there were actually three of them in the lot. Not all on the same cover material but separate. I had mentioned them in a previous post but finally found them to show. No particular question because I know they are altered but they had me fooled for a while so I would enjoy any comments about how they got this way. The one with the light colored 7 was the one that finally got me on the altered track.

A few observations:

1. Is there anything suspicious about the "Pskov-16" cancellation? I notice that all three stamps were cancelled within a few days of each other.

2. The 50r stamp was issued on 10 Aug 1994, and Russia didn't issue a 750r stamp until 21 Feb 1995. Are the 1996 cancellations suspiciously late?

3. I think all three stamps originally had the same fraudulent "7" added, but it looks as if it's been mostly soaked off in the third stamp, along with the part of the cancellation that covered it. So is the ink used for the "7" water-soluble?

4. Clearly a fraud has been perpetrated, but is it intended to deceive the post office or collectors?

In 1994, the Soviet Union, and subsequently the post-Soviet states, experienced significant postal rate changes due to hyperinflation, leading to the issuance of stamps with higher denominations, including those with values in the thousands of rubles. If you look at many stamps from former Soviet States, you will find many overprinted value changes. I suspect that this has something to do with this.

It doesn't look like a legitimate surcharge overprint to me.

My SG Russia catalogue is the 1999 edition, which is admittedly obsolete. But if stamps of 1994 had been surcharged in 1995 or 1996, I think the fact would have been recorded in the catalogue before 1999.

To me each of the 7's are a little different so can't be overprinting & obviously put on with a magic marker. Thanks for pointing out the postmark dates. I get focused on the stamp and forget to look at that.

The reasons why are endless. Most likely someone with too much time on their hands. lol For me finding & tracking down details about there kinds of things is a big part of the fun of collecting.

Most of the thousands of State and local surcharges and overprints are not in any catalogs. The catalog just for these would be a thousand pages and figuring out who made what is virtually impossible.

Pjr
I soaked all three of them at the same time with cold well water and no added elements. I can't recall if the one seven was lighter before the soak.