Russia Offices In China stamp year 1910 – 50k MNH

The Russian post offices in China operated from 1870 to 1920, with Russian stamps initially used without overprints. Beginning in 1899, these stamps were overprinted with the Cyrillic word “КИТАЙ” (KITAI, meaning China) for use specifically in China. The overprints came in colors such as black, blue, and red to contrast with the stamp colors and were applied through 1916. In 1917, a change was made to overprint values in Chinese currency using Latin letters, with a 1:1 conversion rate between Chinese cents and Russian kopecks. The postal offices finally closed in 1920.

For the period 1910-1918, the stamps are characterized by these “КИТАЙ” overprints on regular Russian stamps, including varieties in color, paper, and perforation. These stamps were issued across various denominations and had distinctive features related to overprint color and paper type.

Key points about the 1910-1918 Russian Offices in China stamps:

• Stamps were regular Russian issues overprinted “КИТАЙ” in Cyrillic.
• Overprints were in black, blue, or red.
• The overprints were used until 1916, after which a shift to Latin currency markings began in 1917.
• Valuation was aligned 1 Chinese cent = 1 Russian kopeck.
• The series includes many denominations and color varieties.
• Offices closed officially in 1920, ending the issuance.