Imperf Latvia Stamps on German WWI Maps

Latvia was invaded repeatedly by Germany during World War I.  After Germany’s defeat and the Russian Revolution – Latvia declared independence on November 18, 1918, just one week after WWI ended.

To prove its newfound sovereig...  more

Latvia was invaded repeatedly by Germany during World War I.  After Germany’s defeat and the Russian Revolution – Latvia declared independence on November 18, 1918, just one week after WWI ended.

To prove its newfound sovereignty to the world, producing postage stamps was a top priority for Latvia.  Consequently, the ravages of the war left the country with a severe paper shortage.  High-quality paper was nowhere to be found!  That’s when the printers remembered something: the German army ordered topographical maps to plot their battle strategies.  But since the war ended, the Germans never picked them up.  So Latvia printed its first stamps on the back of these war maps left behind by Germany’s Imperial Army!

To save precious paper, stamps were printed in 12 rows of 19 stamps each for a total of 228 stamps per sheet.  On the reverse, each German military map pictures a section of Latvia, complete with name, scale, and map grid position.

After Latvia Post began operations, the Bolsheviks invaded the capital of Riga.  Latvia map stamps were destroyed in the process, with an unknown number surviving – precious souvenirs of this turbulent period in European history.

Mystic was lucky enough to purchase a small number of these sheets.  As you might expect, they may have one or two small imperfections – not unusual given their age and dramatic history.  Each complete 228-stamp sheet comes in a museum-quality Mylar envelope so you can safely view it from both sides.  And it will be protected for years of collecting fun.