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Author
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Topic: First stamp/first Soviet stamp to honor Gagarin
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42985
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-10-2011 09:56 AM
   
Somewhat inspired by this week's Space Cover of the Week discussion, I was wondering what nation issued the first stamp honoring Yuri Gagarin and/or the flight of Vostok 1? And if that stamp was not a Soviet issue, when did the USSR issue its first stamp for the same? |
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1205
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
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posted 04-16-2011 02:26 PM
The first Soviet stamp to be issued for Yuri Gagarin's flight on Vostok-1 was issued in April 1961.------------------
John Macco
Space Unit #1457 |
micropooz
Member Posts: 1512
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 04-17-2011 07:22 PM
Good question Robert! I was hoping that someone who was more focused on stamps would give you a definitive answer, but I guess you will have to suffice with an answer from this cover collector instead. I combed through my aged (1986) Scott's Catalogs and got some answers, along with a Cold War refresher. Amazing how geo-politics have changed in 25 years! And if any of this is wrong, I apologize, and everyone please correct me. I assumed that the communist countries (of 1961) would be the first to print Gagarin stamps after his flight on April 12, 1961. If other countries came in earlier, apologies. And I looked for issues within one year of his flight to help limit the search. Here are the results: - Albania: February 15, 1962 (Scott #601 – 604)
- Bulgaria: April 26, 1961 (Scott #C81)
- Red China: None
- Cuba: Unknown – Scotts didn't list Cuba after early 1961.
- Czechoslovakia: April 13, 1961 (Scott 1042 – 43)
- East Germany: April, 1961 (between April 12 and May 9)
- Hungary: April 25, 1961 (Scott 1381 – 1382)
- Jugoslavia: None
- Mongolia: May 31, 1961 (Scott C232 – 235)
- North Korea: Not listed in Scott
- Poland: April 27, 1961 (Scott 974 – 975)
- Romania: April 19, 1961 (Scott C103 – 104)
- USSR: April, 1961 (no date specified, but between Apr 15 & 22, Scott 2463 – 2465).
So, it looks like Czechoslovakia beat everyone to the punch, by issuing a Gagarin stamp the day after his flight! The USSR followed a few days later (hence me calling my April 12, 1961 Minsk cover with the Gagarin stamp as being backdated in the other thread).Thoughts or corrections anyone? | |
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