Need Recommendation For Very Detailed Russian Catalog

I recently purchased a MASSSSSSIVE and extremely specialized Russian collection from a long-time member of Rossica. I need a catalog (or a few different ones) that can price out the following:

1. pre-1925 postcards and values of stamps on envelopes/postcards
2. revenues, tax stamps, and other strange and unusual stamps such as these
3. panes, plate blocks, imperf blocks, imperfs, imperf pairs
4. as many colour, paper, error, and other varieties as possible
5. And be in English!

The one I have been eye-balling is the Gibbons 6th edition Russia book but I can't find much by way of details of what it can offer me. I have also read this thread https://goscf.com/t/10732&SearchTer...ssia,catalog

but I don't know what these books can offer either. If anyone can make any recommendations, please let me know! If anyone is selling any as well, I may be interested. Also, if anyone is looking for very specific Russian stamps, there is a good chance I have them!

Thanks for any help!

Nothing wrong with the Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps & Covers. Has coverage of Russia up to 1940-covers etc. Then launch into a more specialized catalogue.

Just my 2c.

stamps101,

First of all, congratulations on your purchase. I think you are going to have an interesting adventure with this collection, especially considering its source.

As you can understand, it is difficult for one catalogue to cover all the various needs that you mention and "be in English" at the same time. My principal collecting area is Russia / Soviet Union (stamps and postal history), so through the years I have learned to navigate through Russian-language catalogues, although I do not speak the language. It helps that some of the more recent catalogues (such as the Soloviev one, mentioned in the other thread) have helping guides for English speakers.

I think you would find most useful Lyapin's "The Catalogue of the Postage Stamps of Russia 1856-1991" (2009). It is largely bilingual in its entirety (text included) with tons of information on varieties (paper, perforation, etc) + pricing on cover, pricing of blocks, panes, sheets. Pricing is in Euros. In my opinion, it is unsurpassed at this moment as a catalogue.

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I think it would be interesting for everyone here if you showed us some of your Russian material. Some of us can add to it and build a useful thread.

Can you read Russian? Then find "Postage Stamps of Russia & the USSR (1857-1991) Specialized Catalogue Vol. 1&2" 2004/05, by V. Yu. Soloviev. Great detail!

I think once I get ahold of a catalog I may post a few pictures. Just to give an example, I randomly flipped to a page of airmails and noticed a VF MNH C68b. There are, from what I can tell, 7 used copies of SC #1, varying in postmark, postmark & pen, and pen cancels.

I honestly don't even know where to begin but a good catalog would definitely help.

I have used Michel's many moons ago and found the different language hard at first but perhaps with google translator a foreign book may be navigable. I'll look into the ebook as a start..

Thanks for the replies!

I should mention that Vol 1 Covers, Imperial Russia, Zemstvos, Amur, Armenia, Azerbajdzan, Batum, Belorussia ie White Russia, Bukhara, Czech Legion, China AO, Crimea, Dorpot, East Kareia, Far Eastern Republic, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Jugoslav Legion, Karelia, Khiva, Memel, Kuban, Kurland, Lativia, Lithuania, Central Lithuania, North Army, Olonets, Poland, WWI General Government, Polish Korp, Russian Levant, South Army, South Lithuania, South Russia, Carpathian Ukraine, Tanna-Touva, Tiflis, Trancaucasian Republics, Ukraine, Wenden, Western Belorussia, ZSFSR, & more!
Vol 2 USSR with BOB!

How extensive is the USSR portion itself? Are there any catalogs that contain revenue and odd BOB type stuff?

I never aquired Vol. 2 USSR so I can't say, however, if it is as detailed as Vol. 1 it should be good.
No postal stationary nor revenues though!

Barefoot has a catalog for Russian Revenues. Very useful to have IMHO.
Here's more information: http://www.jbarefoot.co.uk/philatel...revenues.htm

You seem to have some valuable and scarce stamps there, stamps101!

Another bilingual (Russian-English) catalogue is the Standard Collection (Zagorskiy) "Specialized Catalogue of Postage Stamps" in several volumes:

Vol.2 The Russian Empire 1845-1917
Vol.4 RSFSR 1918-1923
Vol.5 USSR 1923-1940

It contains information (and pricing) for varieties, BOB, on cover, postal stationery, postal rates, postmarks,etc.

To give you an indication of the Zagorskiy catalogue, here is a page (from volume 4) on the official (fiscal) stamps used in the post-revolution period as postage stamps:



I still think the Lyapin catalogue is better. Below is a sample page from it, dealing with the control stamps used in the post-revolution period for postal purposes (the images on this page are B&W, 95% of the images in the catalogue are color):

Ok this gives me some good starting points. Now to do some shopping and ordering...

Thank you all for your help!

If you are interested in zemstvo issues, I'd recommend Alex Artuchok's "The Zemstvo Postage Stamps of Imperial Russia" (in 6 volumes). This is in English and was published in Canada.

What are zemstov?

Zemstvo refers to stamps issued by the local government. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zemstvo.

First time I ever heard about them was from... you guessed it, Nigel!

The Soloviev Volume 2 mentioned by Warrehouse is actually the volume that covers Zemstvo stamps in great detail -- however, it is basically entirely in Russian except for a couple of paragraphs in the intro.

Ahhh this is good to know ahead of time! I googled them and there appears to be a lot and I can see it being frustrating looking in the catalog for a stamp that looks Russian but not finding it anywhere. This collection has a lot of strange albums so it is quite possible there are a bunch of these. Thank you!

Just in case...
Lyapin's "The Catalogue of the Postage Stamps of Russia 1856-1991" (2009)
is illutsrated only until 1961, further are lists of stamps and prices.
The Standard Collection (Zagorskiy) "Specialized Catalogue of Postage Stamps"
is rated much higher here in Russia than The Soloviev's
All of them are in full colour.