Help With Russian November 1817 Censor Cover

A recent addition has me puzzled. The pair of design # A15 10k stamps are perf 14 x 14.5, appear to be wove paper, but my Scott Classic Specialized says the 1909-12 issue have a lozenge of varnish of the face? Is this a pair of Sc79? Also could anyone tell me where it was postmarked, please.

Was the red handstamp applied by the censor?
What does the censor tape say?

I'm sure the Fundberys were relieved to see this letter.
















Fan mail from some flounder?

.
I think that your letter was postmarked in ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand...y_of_Finland ... The Grand Duchy of Finland "existed between 1809 and 1917 as an autonomous part of the Russian Empire".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaasa_Province ... Ylistaro is in the Province of Vaasa

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey (who is waiting for someone to explain Bulwinkle CA)

Thank you Ikey




A small mill town in Humboldt County Cal, about 200 miles north of San Francisco. Named after the owner of the Little River Lumber Company, Conrad Bulwinkle, the post office opened 7 Nov 1909 and changed the name to Crannel on 8 Sep 1922 which operated until 30 Nov 1969.

The censor tape says "opened by war censor in Helsinki" in the last line, which is Swedish (minority language in Finland). Russian equivalent at top and Finnish in the middle.

Thank you. And the red handstamp? Is there a calendar change as well? Postmarked 17 X._7 ( I think I can see cancellation ink on the pert tip where the 1 of 17 would be, unless it took 10 days to get through the censors office), it wouldn't have taken 6 weeks to arrive would it?

Nice cover!

Franked correctly at 20k (the rate after September 1st) with Scott #79 (the lozenges of varnish can be seen looking at the stamps - at least mint ones - at an angle).

Due to wartime conditions, all international mail was censored. Hence the red 2-line handstamp of the military censor in Helsingfors/Helsinki. Notice that the censormark bears a manuscript date: 18/10 (October 18th).

Although Russia was still using the Julian calendar at the time, Finland, part of the Russian Empire, was using the Gregorian one (13 days ahead of the Julian). Hence it took more than 2 months for the letter to arrive at its destination - presumably due to wartime conditions and the onset of the Bolshevik Revolution in Petrograd a week after the letter's posting.

Thank you. Cant see any thing other than cancel on the stamps, even at an angle.

I think I see some white lines of lozenge on the stamps, especially top of left one.

Thank you. Now that you mention it, There does seem to be a whiteish "haze" over NOY and down the right side of the central oval, circled in this image. Is that the varnish?