The Stamps Of Latvia.

@vayolene, exactly, the overprint has shifted place.

Here they are with "normal" overprint.

On May 3, 1994 vending machine stamps were introduced by Latvijas Pasts (Latvian Post) to Latvia. They were of the Klüssendorf type manufactured in Germany.

Even though postage stamp vending machines are supposed to be accessible to the public, the machines introduced by Latvijas Pasts were not. They were special desk models and were only operated by postal clerks. Vending machines were placed at the Riga-47, Riga-50, Riga-51, Daugavpils and Liepaja post offices and one at the philatelic department in Riga.

Since it was possible to create postage stamps with very high face values using the vending machines (99.99 Latvian lati is approximately 142 euro), it was only allowed to use them for postage at the post office where they were purchased. This was usually done by the clerk. In case a customer purchased vending machine stamps and then left the post office with the vending machine stamps, they were regarded as collector's items, since they could not be used as postage for a shipment when sent from a mailbox or another post office.

The Michel postage stamp catalogue indicates that the Klüssendorf vending machine stamps were valid until 2004, but I have yet to see a cover or a used one postmarked this millennium.

5 santims Klüssendorf vending machine stamp on a first day cover postmarked at the Riga-50 post office


13 santims Klüssendorf vending machine stamp as solo franking on postal picture postcard to the United States, postmarked January 25, 1995 at the Riga-51 post office



Registered domestic letter of the 1st weight class (<=20g) with return receipt (remnants to the backside of the cover). Franked amongst others with a 32 santims Klüssendorf vending machine stamp. Postmarked February 1, 1998 at the Riga-51 post office.



Oddball cover franked with two 5 santims Klüssendorf vending machine stamps and most likely left in a mailbox for shipping. The cover was postmarked at a sorting centre on October 10, 1994 with a generic Latvijas Pasts cancel. Even though sender's address is present, the cover was not returned. The OCR-code of the Belgian postal service along the lower edge shows that the cover actually traveled to Belgium.

Hi, new to this forum and have a question on a strip of Latvia map stamps I recently purchased. I am more of a US collector but this was a fun option to add. The strip of 4 is non perf but non of the towns/descriptions when googles come up. Appear to be Polish but not sure...any thoughts as I am trying to locate where the map describes. Names are Drabukszty, Worniele, Jawszajcie...thoughts?

@Collector Kent,

Please post a picture. It makes it easier for people to understand what you are talking about.

Appears 1880s Poland.

Something like this ?

Nice find vayolene.

@Collector Kent, the first postage stamp of Latvia (5 kopeck rising sun) was printed on the backside on different unusual types of paper due to paper shortage after the end of WWI during the Latvian War of Independence. Amongst others they were printed on the backside of maps issued by the German High Command.

All the names on these maps were in German or germanized versions of Polish, the latter since most of the Latgale province used to belong to the Vitebsk Governorate during the times of the Russian Empire, and the German nobility was never strong in that governorate. The names that you mention will most likely be difficult to find nowadays since they are now in Latvian or Latgallian.

Vayolene - yes exactly that - and that strip with those names. Just curious as to the map origination - Latvia, Poland or Lithuania. Thanks for posting - perhaps I purchased from you on ebay?

hello!
one sides perforated sun desing stamp are little bit fuzzy.
i ve been reading that (http://www.laimins.com/latvia/sun.html) page. great site!
gigarettepaper and watermarked paper. I think that laimins means one side perforated are gigarette paper.

but I have quite many stamps with one side perforated and watermarks .

are there two different , one side perforated paper? that are not listed on catalogs?

Latvia is very interesting collecting area , huge amount of different perforations and watermarks.

nice forum! and many thanks if someone knows my problem.

Here are 3 pages taken from 'The Stamps of Latvia' put out by Stereo Stamps in 1979. Hopefully it may answer some of your questions. The values are 1979 and meaningless, other than comparison to each other, in 2024.

huge thanks!! I am very happy :),so there can be one side perforated in pelure paper and watermarked paper and
even blue ruled lines.one hidden door opened to me . thank you!