Summary
The 70r Red Army Soldier error or RSFSR 70r error of 1922 is one of the rarest postage stamps issued by Soviet Russia. Due to the double printing error, one cliché of the imperforate 25-stamp sheet has a 70-ruble value instead of the correct 100-ruble. Only four intact complete sheets are known.[1]
| 70r Red Army Soldier error | |
|---|---|
 Sheet of the RSFSR 100-ruble Red Army Soldier imperforate stamps, with the 70-ruble error, 1922 | |
| Country of production | Soviet Russia |
| Location of production | Moscow |
| Date of production | December 1922 – January 1923 |
| Designer | Ivan Shadr (sculpture) A. G. Yakimchenko (ornamental frame) |
| Engraver | A. I. Troitsky |
| Perforation | none |
| Depicts | Red Army soldier |
| Nature of rarity | double printing error (imperforate, with a 70-ruble stamp) |
| No. in existence | only 4 sheets exist |
| Face value | 70 rubles |
| Estimated value | $126,500 (February 2014) |
Description edit
The sheets contain 25 imperforate 100-ruble orange stamps depicting the Red Army soldier that appeared in the RSFSR 1922 Workers and Soldiers definitive issue. The twelfth stamp in the sheet has a denomination of 70 rubles, unlike all the others, which have a face value of 100 rubles.[2]
Rarity edit
Only four complete sheets of 25 exist, including one in the state collection of the A.S. Popov Central Museum of Communications in Saint Petersburg, Russia.[1][2] As promoted by the Museum, "the celebrated Red Army Soldier of the 1922–23 standard issue is a well known world class rarity."[2]
These standout items are dubbed as "one of the greatest rarities in Russian philately".[1][2] They represent "one of the treasures of Russian philately in general and certainly an important highlight of Russian Soviet Federative Republic collection."[2]
On 20 February 2014, Cherrystone Auctions in New York City offered one complete Red Army Soldier sheet, among the items of the Igor Gorski specialised collection of Russia that contained many errors and unique varieties of the RSFSR period. It was sold for $126,500.[1]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d Healey, M. (3 April 2014). "Russian cliche pane error in Cherrystone February auction". US: Linn’s Stamp News & Scott Catalogue: Stamp-collecting news, insights and values: Marketplace: Stamp-market-insights: 2014: 04. Linn’s Stamp News. Sidney, OH: Amos Media Co. ISSN 0161-6234. Archived from the original on 31 May 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Lot No. 232". Past auctions and realizations: Russia Soviet Union 1923–39. New York: Cherrystone Auctions. February 2009. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
Further reading edit
- Grant, J. (July 1995). "The socialist construction of philately in the early Soviet era". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 37 (3): 476–493. doi:10.1017/S0010417500019770. ISSN 0010-4175. JSTOR 179216. S2CID 143458562.
- Palmer, D.; Cronin, A. (December 1993). "The RSFSR 70r. error of 1922" (PDF). Ямщик [Yamshcik = Post-Rider]. 33. Toronto, Canada: Canadian Society of Russian Philately: 4–8. Bibliographic ID: UF00076781 (University of Florida). Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
Stamp collections — Russia.
External links edit
Media related to 70r Red Army Soldier error at Wikimedia Commons
