The Rossica Society of Russian Philately
Rossica is pleased to announce the long awaited "A Study of the Postmarks of Moscow, 1765-1917, Part One" by Gary Combs and Noel Warr. Over a decade has passed since the effort began. During the ensuing years, the scope of the work has grown tremendously with input from some of the world's best-known philatelists. Now Part One is ready for publication and comes in at nearly 300 pages with many illustrations of the more elusive items. This is the definitive effort on Moscow. 1767 Cover, Ashford collection
Gary and Noel have researched sources in Russian, German, French, and English in their attempt to consolidate information in English about this overlooked subject. Part One is just the tip of the iceberg. It is richly illustrated where possible. The amount of information contained in this study is staggering. However, as Gary and Noel say, "...there is still so much we do not know. If we hold off publishing waiting for more information, we would be re-writing the study over and over. It is now time to turn it over to the philatelic community and openly solicit their further input into the effort."
The study opens with a brief historical synopsis of the Russian postal system from the 1660s to roughly 1900. After the historical section, they launch into an incredibly detailed presentation of the post within Moscow proper. They include: the design of the city, locations of all the gates, a bit on the environs, and introduce the telegraph. Once all this is said and done, they get down to the main subject of this study, Moscow Postmarks. They have borrowed heavily from publications in Russian and include illustrations of rarely seen items.
Links have been provided from the Table of Contents as well as the postmark reference tables to the appropriate page within the study. The reader can enlarge the pages for a closer look. The "search" function allows the reader to search for words within the entire document. To view the study, you must have Adobe's Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. This software is also provided on the CD ROM for Windows and Macintosh computers.
This study is available in both paper and CD ROM.
Pricing is as follows for Rossica members:
Paper copy = US $35 plus postage (weighs 1 pounds 14 ounces)
CD ROM copy - US $35, postage included worldwide
Special: Paper and CD ROM package = US $45
===============
For non-members:
Paper copy = US $50 plus postage
CD ROM copy = US $45, postage included worldwide
To calculate the postage, please visit the USPS website at or contact me and I will calculate it for you: http://www.usps.gov/
Anyone interested in purchasing this Rossica publication should contact Gary Combs at the address listed in the journal or via email. Cash, money order, or checks drawn on a US bank are accepted. Sorry, no credit cards or stamps or non-US currency are accepted.
