Latvia First Issue, Sun Design

Latvia · 1918 · 5 kapeikas

This stamp is the first postage stamp issued by the newly independent Republic of Latvia. The design features a stylized rising sun with three ears of wheat, symbolizing a new dawn for the nation and its agricultural roots. It was printed on the blank reverse side of unfinished German military maps due to a severe paper shortage following World War I.

Issued on December 18, 1918, just one month after Latvia declared its independence from the Russian Empire, this stamp represents the birth of the Latvian postal service and national sovereignty.