USSR & LATVIA 1941 Mixed Franking Used in Soviet Union - Very Rare Usage

LATVIA SOVIET REPUBLIC USED IN SOVIET UNION: VERY RARE MIXED FRANKING

Leningrad 1941 (9 January) - Domestic Registered envelope to Moscow, franked with SOVIET UNION Tchekov 20 kopek & LATVIA SOVIET REPUBLIC 40 santimu, the two currencies used at exact 1:1 parity and paying the correct 60k rate (30k plus 30k registration, tariff of 6 February 1939). Arrival Moscow on back 10 January, with a postal notice "not at home 10/I 41". Very Fine.

Extremely rare genuine postal usage of a Latvian stamp in Soviet Union, the only such mixed franking we have seen (others are purely contrived, with the Latvian stamp not counted as postage).

Latvian PSR stamps (issued 21 October 1940) could be used in Latvia together with Soviet stamps until they were withdrawn on 21 March 1941, and such mixed frankings are quite scarce. On the other hand, examples used in Soviet Union, albeit theoritically legal during that timeframe, are exceptionally hard to find.

Michel 734 + Latvia SSR 40 santimu

Standard 629 + Latvia SSR 40 santimu

Note: Latvia was incorporated into Soviet Union from 5th August 1940 until the June/July 1941 German invasion. The currency parity Rub/Lat was installed on 25 November 1940, the Latvian currency being definitely withdrawn from circulation on 25 March 1941. 

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