In this article I thought we might glimpse at some of the interesting stamp issues of this period. Some of the were issued by “dead” countries, in other words, places, which now neither exist or have changed their names or have just stared to issues their own stamps again after a long absence.

They are chosen at random, in no order of preference, merely to inspire you to unearth your childhood collection or perhaps to consider a new collecting area. In an age of “supermarket” label stamps and computerised cancellations, it’s nice to relax and look at these enthralling issues of the past. Do let us now if you have some favourites from this period. Enjoy!

Tannu Tuva
Let’s start with a few issues from the intriguingly-named Tannu Tuva, located between Mongolia and north-western Siberia. The stamps are a treasure trove of thematic issues, often in unusual shapes, triangular and diamond, for example.

The inside of a Yurt and a Tuvan milking a yak! (1934).

For the airmail collectors there’s the 1936 issues depicting a seaplane over a dragon and a zeppelin flying over a rather startled horse, which given the remoteness of the place is not at all surprising!

Guatemala
Another favourite country from this period is Guatemala in Central America, bordering on both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. There are surcharges galore in different colours the issues, providing the surcharge collector with much of interest, as these issues from the 1920s show:

The exotic quetzal is seen to advantage on this 1935 issue and the 1937 stamp depicting General Jorge Ubico and his fine horse and on an equally fine looking stamp.

Latvia
Latvia, (Lettonia, Lettland), bordering on the Baltic Sea in northern Europe issued some well-designed and interesting stamps in the 1920s and 1930s. Here are a few to whet your appetite:

The 1919-20 issue showing a warrior slaying a dragon…

A range of superb surcharges…

A range of stamps celebrating their freedom from Russian occupation and those lost in the Great War with these 1937 war memorial and indepedence monuments issues.

We continue our trip down memory lane with more countries and more nostalgic issues in Part Two

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