USSR 1924 Express Cover w/ "Small Head" & Charity Label - St. 20 / Mi 235I Scarce Early Spechnoye Mail

SOVIET UNION FIRST DEFINITIVE ISSUE "SMALL HEAD" 20 KOPEK: SCARCE USAGE ON EARLY "SPECHNOYE" MAIL

Moscow 1924 (18 February) - "Small Head" 20 kopek (3), paying the correct SPECHNOYE (express) DOMESTIC rate (60 kopek: tariff of 1st January 1924 until 31 July 1924) on an envelope to Tambov, endorsed "SECRET". The adhesives are tied by the departure Moscow 1st Expedition Office canceller. Arrival Tambov 19 February 1924. Nice intact wax seal and scarce Charity label (Moscow Help Committee for the War Invalid & Injured Red Army Soldiers) on back. Very Fine. On reverse, postman´s annotation that the mail could not be delivered.

Very scarce and attractive use of the First Soviet Definitives on an early Express cover.

"Spechnoye", or the first Soviet version of the Express mail, was introduced on 7 September 1922.

Michel 235 Ib (3) (green shade) (litho, imperf, unwatermarked paper)

Standard 20 (3)

Please do not refresh or navigate away from the page!