Russia 1858 10k Brown & Blue Imperforate Arms

Russian Empire · 1858 · 10 kopecks

This is the first postage stamp issued by the Russian Empire. The design features the imperial coat of arms, a double-headed eagle, within a central oval, surrounded by the Cyrillic inscription 'Postage Stamp' and the denomination '10 kop. per lot'. The stamp was printed in two colors, brown and blue, and was issued imperforate.

Issued under Tsar Alexander II, this stamp marked Russia's entry into the global postal system, revolutionizing communication across the vast empire. It was initially intended to be perforated, but the machine from Vienna arrived late, forcing the first issue to be imperforate.