Early Musogradian Stamp Issues until 1985
LFD Cinderella Issues
In the years of the Musogradian Empire, there was no postal service available to the public. But a reform-minded organisation within the Army, the League for Democracy (LFD), issued a number of cinderellas which can be seen as precursors of the Musogradian stamps. It is not well documented if any of them were used in any inofficial postal service operated by LFD. They were not printed, but manually drawn on light cardboard with an aluminium colour as base and green and black felt pens for the design. All stamps were unperforated, as far as it is known. There is no detailed list of these issues available, but at least 5 different designs were created according to members of LFD.
Unluckily, in the civil war years, almost all of these cinderellas were destroyed during an attack on the HQ of the LFD. Only one miniature sheet was saved by chance as it fell behind a bookcase. This miniature sheet depicts a Musogradian Air Force fighter plane design ("IAS IV"?), the value of 20 (M$?), the Musogradian Imperial flag and a bar code.
- Date of Issue: about 1982
- Valid until n/a
- Hand-painted
- Printed on white ungummed cardboard with aluminium coating
- Value: 20 (M$ ?)
- Order No.: FM198501 - Miniature Sheet (RARE)
"Musograd Azad" Issues
In 1984, the Musogradian Empire was abolished and a Republic introduced. Although officially designated "Republik Musberg", the term "Musograd Azad" (Free Musograd) was often used, both to describe a political goal (since the state was not yet independent) and the state itself. The provisional postal service operated by the reform organisation "Jednaja Respubliknaja Sajus" ("United Republican League") issued a number of semi-manually created stamps of which only 4 exemplaries are still existing.
It is assumed that of both the first and the second series, further stamp values did exist, but they were probably destroyed in the civil war.
First Series:
- Date of Issue: 1984 - 1985
- Valid until end of 1985
- Hand-painted with hexagonal stamp around "MA", fluorescent strip on the right and black border
- Printed on white paper
- Value: 2 / 5 / 20 cent
- Order No.: FM198502 - 3 imperforated stamps (RARE)
Second Series:
- Date of Issue: 1984 - 1985
- Valid until end of 1985
- Hand-painted with hexagonal stamp around "MA" and horizontal alternating wheel print tracks
- Printed on white paper
- Value: 7 cent
- Order No.: FM198503 - 1 imperforated stamp (RARE)
"Musberg 8 and 9" Series
Posta tal Musograd, the public postal service of the Musogradian state, was founded in 1985. In the same year, Posta tal Musograd acquired an IBM Proprinter XL, a 9 needle printer, together with other IT equipment. This enabled PtM to issue their first printed stamps.
The first two issues, an 8c and a 9c stamp, were both designed to be sold in stamp booklets or stacks of 6 stamps per row each.
Like other early issues, most of the stamps were lost in the civil war, but of the 8c stamp, a full uncancelled strip of 6 stamps was retained, and of the 9c stamp, a single exemplary in uncancelled condition. Some years later, a cancelled strip of 6 9c stamps was discovered, although in a less good condition.
Due to collector requests, a facsimile edition of these stamps was prepared in 2005, marked "Facsimile 2005" and printed with a laser printer.
- Date of Issue: summer 1985
- Valid until summer 1986
- Printed with IBM dot matrix printer
- Printed on white paper
- Value: 8 and 9 cent
- Order No.: FM198504 - 2 imperforated stamps (RARE)
- Order No.: FM198504fac - 2 imperforated stamps, facsimile edition (CW 5.00)
Definitive Issue "Musberg Post" 5
This issue is not well documented - it was issued as a high value stamp, with a value of 5 Musogradian Dinar (old currency, also called Musogradian Dollar). It used to be dated into early 1986, but this has been corrected to 1985.10.05 due to a sheet border date imprint which has been found in the archives. It was the first wheel perforated stamp of Posta tal Musograd. Due to the ongoing Civil War, it was used only for a relatively short time.
- Date of Issue: 1985.10.05
- Valid until Summer 1986
- Printed with IBM dot matrix printer.
- Printed on white ungummed paper
- Value: 5 M$
- Order No.: FM198505 - single stamp with fine perforation (CW 6.00)
|