Russia #1, First Postage Stamp of the Russian Empire

Russian Empire · 1857 · 10 kopeks

This is the first postage stamp issued by the Russian Empire, released in December 1857. The design features the imperial coat of arms, a double-headed eagle, within an oval frame, with the inscription 'Postage Stamp' and the denomination '10 kop. per lot' below. The stamp is imperforate and printed in brown and blue.

Issued under Tsar Alexander II, this stamp marked Russia's entry into the global postal system, standardizing mail rates and facilitating communication across the vast empire.