legendary1900-1945

Levanevsky Inverted Surcharge Consular Stamp

Name: Levanevsky Inverted Surcharge Consular Stamp
Brand: Russia

Russia · 1935 · 1200 German Marks (overprint on 50 Kopecks)

This stamp features a 50 Kopeck Russian consular stamp with a commemorative red overprint reading 'Moscow – San Francisco flight via the North Pole' and '1200 герм. марок' (1200 German Marks). The specific variant described is the extremely rare inverted surcharge, where the overprint was applied upside down.

Issued in 1935 to commemorate the planned Moscow-San Francisco flight via the North Pole, this stamp is famous for its inverted surcharge error. Only 50 such stamps were printed, leading to a legend that the error was intentionally created by NKVD head Henry Yagoda for his philatelic collection.

Printing Method

Typography

Themes

overprint aviation polar-exploration error-stamp consular-postage legendary-stamp

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Estimated Values by Condition

Superb(S)

Perfectly centered, fresh, no faults

$500,000

Extremely Fine(XF)

Well centered, fresh colors

$300,000

Very Fine(VF)

Nicely centered, minor flaws

$150,000

Fine(F)

Average centering, acceptable

$75,000

Good(G)

Off-center or visible wear

$30,000

Prices are approximate market estimates for educational purposes. Actual values depend on specific factors including cancel type, margins, and provenance.