Russia – USSR postage stamp year 1957 Space Sputnik Tsiolkovsky MNH
This stamp is one of the most famous issues in space philately. It was created by applying a black overprint to an existing stamp to celebrate the sudden and historic launch of Sputnik 1, the world’s first artificial satellite.
The Base Stamp: Tsiolkovsky Centenary
Before the overprint, the original stamp was issued on October 7, 1957, to honor the 100th birth anniversary of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, the “Father of Rocketry.”
| Feature | Details |
| Original Michel # | Mi. 1993 (Scott #1991) |
| Design | Portrait of Tsiolkovsky with a rocket and a planet in the background. |
| Color | Brown and Blue-grey |
| Face Value | 40 Kopeks |
The Sputnik Overprint (November 28, 1957)
When Sputnik 1 successfully launched on October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union was caught without a dedicated commemorative stamp ready. To mark the occasion quickly, they took the Tsiolkovsky stamp and applied a black overprint.
| Feature | Details |
| Overprint Text | “4 X 57 В ПЕРВЫЙ В МИРЕ ИСЗ” (4 Oct 57 — First in the world Artificial Earth Satellite) |
| New Michel # | Mi. 2026 |
| New Scott # | Scott 2021 |
| Print Quantity | Only 115,000 (a very low run compared to the 2 million of the original). |
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