In 1871 the government paid for a stamp that looked more like currency than a tax stamp. The $200 Small Persian Rug was made to prove payment of tax on large property transfers, and its tricolor engraving, special inks, and embedded threads were meant to stop counterfeiters and stamp reuse. Only about 121 survive, and Mystic has just one.
The Soviet Union formed in 1922 and dissolved in December 1991, and today its 15 republics are all independent nations. This collection brings together mint and used stamps from every one of them, from Armenia to Uzbekistan. Spaceflight, historic landmarks, and national symbols tell the story, along with a Ukrainian stamp issued during its war with Russia."