Russian Empire year 1914 war Charity Stamp 1k 

Russian Empire year 1914 war Charity Stamp 1k 

🇷🇺 Russian Empire – 1914 War Charity Stamp (1 k)

🪙 What It Is

• In 1914, at the outbreak of World War I, the Russian Empire issued a series of war charity (“semi‑postal”) stamps.
• These stamps were sold at a surcharge above their face value (e.g., a 1 k face value plus 1 k extra), with the additional charge used to support war relief efforts — especially widows and orphans of soldiers.

🎨 Design & Theme

• The 1914 charity issues portray patriotic scenes and symbols tied to Russia’s wartime morale.
• One known motif on this issue is of the heroic bogatyr Ilya Muromets, a legendary figure from Russian folklore often repurposed as a symbol of strength and defense.

📦 Technical Details

• Country: Russian Empire (pre‑1917)
• Year of Issue: 1914
• Type: War Charity / Semi‑postal stamp
• Face Value: 1 k (1 kopek)
• Purpose: Surcharge used to benefit war relief activities.

There were multiple perforation varieties recorded for the 1914 charity issue (e.g., perforation 11½, 12½, 13½ on different colored papers).

📌 Catalog & Philatelic Context

• This stamp is sometimes cataloged among early semi‑postal issues for Russia. Collectors may see listings like LRA1 or similar in specialist catalogs.
• The whole charity series for 1914 included several values besides 1 k (such as 3 k, 7 k, 10 k), each issued to raise funds.

📊 Collectibility & Value

• These charity stamps are collectible but generally modest in value. A fresh unused (MNH/MHR) 1 k example might be offered by dealers in the low‑to‑moderate price range (typically under ~$30–$50 USD depending on condition).
• Values can increase slightly for rare perforation varieties, early paper types, or cancellations on cover, especially wartime mail.

🧾 Summary

• ✔️ Issued: 1914 (Russian Empire)
• ✔️ Type: War Charity / Semi‑postal
• ✔️ Denomination: 1 k (face value), sold with surcharge to raise funds for war relief
• ✔️ Design: Patriotic scene (e.g., Ilya Muromets)
• ✔️ Collectibility: Common‑to‑moderate; varies with condition and variety