Latvia Locals?

I am marooned without a catalogue, and have recently acquired these two Latvia imperf. Are they locals, revenues, or revenues appropriated for postage? Help gratefully appreciated.

Many thanks, Tim H

Hi Tim,

The basic stamps are Latvian documentary revenues issued in 1919 but with their bottom labels removed.

According to the Barefoot catalogue, these two stamps (and one other, the 15k perf in the same design), were issued with the bottom labels removed and handstamped PASTMARKA as provisional postage stamps in Eleja in 1919.

I don't have a current Michel catalog, but they used to be listed at the end of Lettland. I always understood that forgeries existed and really don't know how to tell the real from the fake stamps.

Yes, they are listed in my 1998/99 Michel Europa-Katalog Ost.

There is the following note:

Entwertung mit besonderem Zweikreisstegstempel, Datum handschriftlich, Tatsaechlicher Postverkauf nicht nachgewiesen.

or something like

Cancelled with special two-ring cancel, date handwritten. Actual sale (or maybe sales) not established.

Michel's numbers printed are very low indeed: 15k perf 1500, 15k imperf 500, 30k 200.

Here's a useful web page on this issue with lots of examples and history (and some conflicting information on numbers):

http://www.aurorexchp.net/?side=Eleja

Thx to all. These are very "back of the book" indeed...