Azerbaijan Stamps: Baku Province Overprints, 1922-1924

According to Scott Catalogue there are two different types of overprints for Baku Province of Azerbaijan, issued in 1922 to 1924. Oddly, they are numbered 300-333, while the regular classic Azerbaijan stamps end with number 80.

First type of overprint (1922):

"Bakinskoi P(ochtovoy) K(ontory)," meaning Baku Post Office

Second type of overprint (1924)

"Baku Post, Telegraph Office No. 1 (so Scott says)

My question: Why were these stamps overprinted? What were there purpose?

I purchased this stamp, no. 302 in a lot of used Azerbaijan stamps, but was miss-described as no. 22 (without the overprint). It is much more valuable with the overprint, if genuine.


I am guessing the Baku (city) cancel date is 4th Feb, 1922.


1922 (first type) overprint

From what I've read, they were to prevent theft, fraud and forgery.

Here are some nice examples...
http://www.raritanstamps.com/Cat/Ca...y=Azerbaijan

Thanks for that information Timm. I could not find anything on the internet.

There are some really nice Azerbaijan stamps in that Raritan auction.

Scott says that Azerbaijan stamps were replaced by Transcaucasia stamps in 1923. Yet Scott says the second Baku overprints on Azerbaijan stamps were issued in 1924. In 1924, Transcaucasia stamps were replaced by Soviet Union stamps. A bit confusing here!

SG lists stamps with two main types of overprint: SG 28-33 from Baku (same as BeeSee's first type) - six values - and SG 34-35 from Yelisavetpol ("YELISAVETPOLSKOI P.T.K." in Cyrillic) - two values (and mentions two other values as being unofficial).

SG also describes seven other handstamps (including BeeSee's second type which it says comes in two different lengths) but doesn't give them a full listing and notes that some places such as Tauz applied manuscript markings.

I should add that SG says these were all issued in the period 15th January to April 1922 and that the control handstamps were to indicate that the overprinted stamps were to do duty at several times the face value, e.g 7500r for BeeSee's 150r stamp above.

I see SG lists separately as SG 36-37 the famine relief pair with BeeSee's type 1 handstamp (and notes that they also exist with BeeSee's type 2 "BAKINSKAGO G.P.T.O No. 1" handstamp).

Fascinating BeeSee.
The first opt is a local control inscription.
To do duty at rates varying from 7 to 10,0000 times face value.
a: In violet , at Baku
B : In black at Elisavetpol

acknowledgement Stanley Gibbons 1962

SG List a vast array of opts
72 numbers with a lot A or B
Your second opt is not listed.

Hope that helps.

Thanks Nigel. The auction link provided by Timm has some lots with the SG overprints and others. It seems these control stamps are real gray area.

The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was established in 1918, but was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920. Simply put, the Russian wanted and much needed their oil. It is claimed the Vladimir Lenin said that the invasion of Baku was justified as Soviet Russia could not survive without Baku's oil. There was much unrest in the area until October 1921 when the "Treaty of Kars" was signed by the Republics of Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

Russia needed to take immediate control of the Baku region because of their critical need for the oil.

The stamps were overprinted for a variety of needs including Official Business. Overprints and surcharges were a way of controlling theft, forgery and fraud and legitimizing or validating transactions.

Excellent information Rod and Tim, thank you .

Elisavetpol that Rod mentions, is now called Ganja. From Wikipedia:

Ganja is Azerbaijan's second-largest city with a population of around 313,300.It was named Elisabethpol in the Russian Empire period. The city regained its original name — Ganja — in 1920 during the first part of its incorporation into the Soviet Union. However, its name was changed again in 1935 to Kirovabad and retained it throughout the later Soviet period from 1935. Finally in 1989, during the Perestroika, the city regained the original name.

A map, 1920. Ganja circled in red:

Where is it on the Planet.

"Occupation Azerbaijan" = Bogus.

Thanks Rod