When the German army retreated from Russia at the end of 1918, units of the Red Army appeared in Gruzdžiai in January 1919. During the German Grenzschutz drive on Riga they were pushed out on March 10, 1919 by cavalry units of Detachement Schlenther. A number of local Lithuanian self-government bodies were formed in the area, though in the second half of 1919 tensions developed with the “bermontininkai” who foraged the countryside for daily necessities.

 A mandate to establish a Lithuanian post office in Gruzdžiai was given, as from May 1, 1919, to Adomas Lisauskas from the Šiauliai P.O. By that time the Lithuanian stamps in common use were values from Fourth Berlin Issue.

 With no standard Lithuanian postmarker, earliest cancelling in Gruzdžiai most likely was done by handwriting, but so far no such examples have been recorded. Towards the end of 1919 Gruzdžiai was using a box-type cachet which was not quite the standard cachet for registration or for money orders, so it may have been home-made. It also stands out by the spelling of the post office’s name as “GruŽdžiai”.

A standard calendar-type postmarker seems to have been supplied in 1920.

Known provisional cancellations:

Box-type cachet inscribed “Gruždžiai”:
21 X 19 letter to Kuršėnai, Berlin IV 15 x2 [formerly Ruzgas]
10. 11. 19 reg. letter No. 245 to Bauske, Latvia, Berlin IV incomplete set [colln. Lapas]

Rare Stamps and Covers – Feb 2010
Rare Stamps and Covers – Jan 2010

Lithuania 1920 National Assemly Special Issue of 1920

This special issue of 5 stamps was limited to less than 2000 sets only. A scarce stamp set (Mi 78I-83I) Michel catalog value 900€.

eBay Listing – Ending: Mar 17, 2010. Current price: $450

Lithuania 1922 Airmail Cover to Berlin

A nice and rare 1922 airmail cover to Berlin.

eBay Listing – Ending: Mar 16, 2010. Current price: $9.95

Lithuania 1933 Airmail Registered Cover to Belgium

A nice and rare 1933 airmail cover to Belgium. Very similar cover recently sold for $45.

eBay Listing – Ended: Mar 06, 2010. Sold: $36

Lithuania 1933 Zeppelin flown postcard to South America

Zeppelins carried a great deal of mail, mostly because zeppelin flights were the fastest way to send mail across the ocean in their day. The zeppelin flown covers and other philatelic covers are prized by stamp collectors. This nice 1933 zeppelin flown cover sent from Lithuania to South America is current listed on eBay.

eBay Listing – Ended: Mar 09, 2010. Did Not Sell: $290

 On German army’s retreat from Russia at the end of 1918, Linkuva was entered by units of the Red Army in January 1919. After they were pushed out in mid- March 1919 by German Grenzschutz volunteers and took up positions further east, the area was being guarded by Lithuanian para-military formations of the Joniškėlio partizanai, though clashes with Bolshevik forces continued. The situation settled down after Lithuanian army units finally took Panevėžys from the Red Army on May 23.

 The first Lithuanian postmaster at Linkuva, Danielius Vasilevičius, was appointed by Pašto Valdyba as from May 26, 1919 and he was there in 1920 as well.

 The first stamps available at Linkuva were values from  Fourth Berlin Issue. As the P.O.had no formal postmarker, stamps were cancelled by thin, spidery handwriting showing place and date, usually without the year.

At least some cancellations spelled the P.O. as “ Lynkuva”. No other markings, e.g. registration, have been noted so far. A standard circular calendar-type postmarker was supplied in 1920 or early 1921.

Known provisional cancelling: 

12 / XII [1919] single, Berlin IV 30  [colln. Doniela] 
15 / XII [1919] letter to USA, Berlin IV 10, 40  [colln. Lapas]

 When the German army’s retreat from Russia at the end of 1918 was followed by the advancing Red Army, Taujėnai was entered in January 1919. According to a Soviet document dated February 15, 1919, a post office was set up at that time with I. A Koleda in charge. However, there is no surviving tangible evidence of its activity. During the Wars of Independence, Taujėnai was in Lithuanian hands in ca. April 1919.

 The first postmaster (įgaliotinis) to open a Lithuanian post office in Taujėnai was Kazys Skystimas, with a mandate as from  May 27, 1919. He stayed on until his death on February 23, 1921. According to an unclear old statement, he had been postmaster at Taujėnai in czarist times.

 The stamps available at Taujėnai were values from  Fourth Berlin Issue. As the P.O had not yet been supplied with a Lithuanian language canceller, it used an old czarist calendar-type postmarker with a cyrillic inscription “Tovjany” which, if the above statement is correct, may have been retained by the postmaster himself.

A standard Lithuanian calendar-type postmarker was supplied in 1920 or early 1921..

Known provisional cancellations:

 By using the circular cyrillic “Tovjany”: 
21 10 19 Money Order to Kaunas, Berlin IV 75  [colln. Doniela]
25 10 19 single, Berlin IV 10  [colln. Doniela]
6 11 19 single, Berlin IV 40 [colln. Wilson]
3 12 19 single, Berlin IV 1a [colln.Lapas]
17 12 19 single, Berlin IV 10 [colln. Doniela]
Date unclear, single, Berlin IV 1a [colln. Doniela]

By using boxed “Taujėnai”: 
Date unclear, single, Berlin IV 30  [colln. Liesis]

Watermark Detectors

Signoscope T1

Signoscope T1 is a professional model. This is an optical watermark detector which refracts light from a 7.5 volt bulb through a perspex block to show the differences in paper thickness. Unit will also highlight paper thins and repairs. This model is best for high volumes of stamps and for more difficult watermarks as it has a higher power and adjustable light source. Suitable for loose stamps only with a viewing area of 50 x 50mm. Comes with a free power adapter for the 220V or 115V and can also run on 5 x AA batteries. Unit size 200 x 90 x 140mm.

Typically priced at $200. These can be found for $100 or less on eBay. Search eBay auctions for Signoscope T1.

Signoscope T2

Signoscope T2 is a portable model. This is an optical watermark detector which refracts light from a 3 volt bulb through a perspex block to show the differences in paper thickness. Unit will also highlight paper thins and repairs. Suitable for loose stamps only with a viewing area of 50 x 50mm. Comes with a free power adapter for the 220V or 115V and can also run on 2 x AA batteries. Unit size 130 x 70 x 185mm.

Typically priced at $100. These can be found for $70 or less on eBay. Search eBay auctions for Signoscope T2.

Stanley Gibbons Detectamark

This is an optical watermark detector which refracts light through a perspex block to show the differences in paper thickness. This unit is based on the Safe Signoscope T2 design but with a metal body. Unit will also highlight paper thins and repairs. Suitable for loose stamps only with a viewing area of 50 x 50mm. Requires 2 x AA batteries or optional power adapter.

Typically priced at $150. These can be found for $100 or less on eBay. Search eBay auctions for Detectamark.

Morley Bright

Morley-Bright Watermark Detectors work on a process which involves the watermark appearing against a background on an ink sachet. The system uses the fractional difference in paper thickness between the watermarked areas of the stamp and the remaining area. This shows in relief when the ink in the sealed sachet is dispersed by pressure leaving the “tell tale” watermark traces. The INSTA-TECTOR is the most straightforward to use. The stamp is placed between an ink sachet and a piece of glass in the hand held unit. The watermark is revealed when thumb pressure is applied to the edges of the unit. The watermark image is dispersed when thumb pressure is released. For beter definition or a longer lasting image the ROLL-A-TECTOR is required. In this case a roller(instead of thumbs) is used to apply pressure. The resulting watermark image will remain until another stamp is inserted.

Typically priced at $40. These can be found for $20or less on eBay. Search eBay auctions for Morley-Bright.

Stamp Albums

Album review work is in progress. Check back soon!

 As there was a post office on the German side of the border at nearby Eydtkuhnen, no post office was set up at Virbalis or its twin township, Kybartai (Kibarty) during German occupation. But the Virbalis – Kybartai area was serviced by a stationary facility Deutsche Feldpost 70 between February and November 1918.

 According to Puida, a Lithuanian post office in Virbalis was opened in March 1919. This claim is supported by surviving mail. But, formally, the first Lithuanian postmaster, Edvardas Lesevičius, was appointed by Pašto Valdyba only as from June 1, 1919.  It is possible that for some time a postal facility had been operating under the auspices of local self-government. This supposition seems to be supported by the fact that an early makeshift canceller had in fact been a local government seal with a line erased that may have signified something like “Komitetas” or “Valdyba”. Hopefully, an answer might be found in extant archives.

 Another appointed valdininkas was Antanas Radzevičius. In August 1919 Edvardas Lesevičius was transferred to open a post office at Šančiai, a suburb of Kaunas, and was replaced by Juozas Sodaitis. In turn, Juozas Sodaitis by his own request on March 16, 1920 was transferred to Šakiai as valdininkas and was replaced by Jurgelevičius.

 The earliest Lithuanian stamps noted from Virbalis are from Third Kaunas Issue, then followed by Fourth Berlin Issue etc. At the beginning, cancelling was done by handwriting, indicating place and date.

By late April 1919, Virbalis made use of a circular seal-like cachet mentioned above.

A standard circular calendar-type postmarker was supplied in 1920.

Known provisional cancellations:

 Manuscript place and date: 
28 / III / 19 single, Kaunas III 20 [colln. Doniela]
27 / IV/ 19 letter to Kaunas, Berlin IV 30  [Norton ?]

Circular cachet “Virbalio miesto”: 
25 – 4 – 19 letter to Kaunas Berlin IV 30, [colln. ?]
26 – 4 – 19 letter to Kaunas, Berlin IV 10, 20 [colln. ?]
No date, letter, Kaunas III 10, 20  [formerly Norton]
No date, letter to Kaunas, Berlin IV 10, 20 [colln. Bubnys]

 During the German retreat from Russia at the end of 1918, the Red Army advancing into southern Lithuania halted at a Russo-German agreed demarcation line some distance east of the river Nemunas. However, the Soviet strategy embodied a concerted move towards the German border as well, and this included a crossing of the Nemunas in the vicinity of Prienai by the 7th “Lithuanian” Regiment of the Pskov Division. It was in and around Jeznas that the first serious encounter took place which at first resulted in a Bolshevik victory on February 9, but on February 13 they were pushed out by the joint efforts of Lithuanian troops and units of the 18th Saxonian Volunteers Regiment.

 The first postmaster appointed for Jeznas, as from May 20, 1919, was Vincas Aksomaitis who had been foreseen as valdininkas for the intended but eventually not opened post office in Suvalkai. At Jeznas, he stayed on untill transfer as postmaster to Žiežmariai as from January 1, 1921 and was replaced by Justinas Gusas, till then postmaster at Kruonis.

 Though there had been a post office at Jeznas in czarist times (Ezno), a relatively late opening of a Lithuanian post office seems to have been due to Jeznas being close to conflict-filled areas, impacted first by Bolshevik, then by Polish intentions. The first stamps available at Jeznas were values from Fourth Berlin Issue, followed by the Sėjėjas Issue etc.

 Not having a standard postmarker, Jeznas made use of a makeshift one-liner cachet “JEZNAS”. A standard calendar-type postmarker appears to have been supplied only in 1921.

Known provisional cancelling:

One-liner cachet:
no date, single, Berlin IV 10  [colln. Doniela]
no date, single, Berlin IV 1a  [fomerly Matuzas]

 Though Šakiai had had a post office in czarist times as Shaki, it was not taken into the Postgebiet Ob.-Ost system. During the German army’s retreat from Russia at the end of 1918, Šakiai and its neighbourhood were patrolled by German volunteer border guards (Grenzschutz), and their regional command centre, Bezirkskommandantur, continued its military and administrative duties at nearby Vilkaviškis.

 A mandate to open a Lithuanian post office at Šakiai was given to Vladas Rypinskas. (Below see a letter addressed to him.) Though the mandate was issued as from December 29, 1918, it is doubtful if this date was also the actual opening date, as there had been no post office in Šakiai during the German occupation. During the year 1919 two additional employees, Kazė Sniečkaitė and Rožė Maželytė, were appointed as valdininkai, and the following year, on March 17 the Šakiai P.O. was joined, by his own request as a valdininkas, by the former postmaster (įgaliotinis) of Virbalis, Juozas Sodaitis.

 Šakiai was supplied with at least some values of all the Vilnius and Kaunas Issues (with  possible exception of First Kaunas Issue). W.E. Norton had in his collection of rarities a 30 skatikai single of First Berlin Issue pen-cancelled “Šakiai”, and some otherwise seldom used values of Second Berlin Issue can be found on genuine though philatelically motivated mail from this P.O. Later, stamps readily available at Šakiai were values from Fourth Berlin Issue, the Sėjėjas Issue etc.

 In the absence of a formal postmarker, Šakiai first of all resorted to cancelling stamps by handwriting.

Before long, a makeshift one-line rubber cachet ŠAKIAI was employed where the date was added by hand.

By mid-May, this method was improved by using a one-liner with the date included as part of the cachet.

In ca. September 1919, Šakiai obtained from Pašto Valdyba a standard calendar-type postmarker.

 Registered mail services were introduced by Pašto Valdyba on March 1, 1919, but there was no uniformity in distributing standard registration cachets to all the relevant post offices. Šakiai was not among the early ones to receive it, so for some time it had to make do with makeshift hand-made labels where the name of the P.O. was spelled in German as Schaki. 

Provisional cancelling and registering known so far :

 Cancelling by handwriting only:
22 / II / 19 single, Berlin I 30  [formerly Norton]
23 / IV / 19 letter  [reported by Norton]
5 / V / 19 letter to Gerrmany, Berlin II 50   [colln. Bubnys]
5 / V / 19 letter  [reported by Norton]
5 / V / 19 letter  [reported by Norton]

 One-liner “ŠAKIAI” and date by hand:
19 / II / 19 letter to Germany, Vilnius II 30   [colln. Ušpuras]
19 / II / 19 letter to Germany, Vilnius II 20, 30  [formerly Matuzas]
10 / III / 19 single, Kaunas II 15  [colln. Wilson]
11 / III / 19 single, Kaunas II 10  [colln. ?]
15 / III / 19 letter, Kaunas II 15 x2  [colln. ?]
24 / III / 19 card, Vilnius I 10 x2  [colln. Bubnys]
3 / IV / 19 letter, Vilnius II 30  [colln. ?]
18 / IV / 19 card to Germany,  Kaunas II 30  [colln. Lizdenis]
18 / IV/ 19 card to Switzerland, Kaunas II 30  [colln. ?]
22 / IV / 19 single, Kaunas III 20  [colln. ?]
24 / IV / 19 letter  [reported by Norton]
10 / V / 19 letter, Berlin IV 30  [colln. Lapas]
11 / V / 19 letter  [reported by Norton]
12 / V / 19 letter to Germany,  Berlin II 5  [colln. Doniela]
date ?, card to Germany , Vilnius II 30 [colln. ?]
various dates, singles, Berlin IV  [several collns]

One-liner “ŠAKIAI and DATE”:
18. 5. 19 as receipt on letter from Kaunas addressed to Postmaster V. Rypinskas [colln. Lapas]
21. 5. 19 letter to Switzerland, Berlin IV 50 x2   [colln. Doniela]
21. 7. 19 letter to Germany, Berlin IV 10 x3, 20  [colln. ?]
23. 7. 19 letter to Switzerland, Berlin IV 50 x4  [colln. ?] 

Provisional MS registration label “Schaki”:
70  12 / V / 19 Letter to Switzerland & “ŠAKIAI and MS date” Berlin II 50 x2  [colln ?]
166  10. 7. 19 letter to Switzerland & “ŠAKIAI and DATE” , Berlin IV   [colln. ?]
168  16. 7. 19 letter to Switzerland & “ŠAKIAI and DATE”, Berlin IV [colln. Doniela]
389  2. IX. 19  letter to Switzerland  [colln. Ušpuras]
445  13. IX. 19  letter to Switzerland, Berlin IV  [colln. ?]

During the German retreat from Russia at the end of 1918, the Red Army advancing into southern Lithuania stopped at a Russo-German agreed demarcation line some distance east of the river Nemunas. The Soviet strategy to move further west included a directive for the 7th Regiment of the Pskov Division to cross the Nemunas at Prienai, but was thwarted in February by rapid deployment, around Jeznas, of fresh Lithuanian troops and units of the 18th Saxonian Volunteers Regiment. In the first half of 1919 Prienai remained a kind of military transit point, and the home-going 19th Saxonian Volunteer Regiment, in early July, also left from Prienai. While on Lithuanian territory Saxonian volunteers made use of their own Frw.Feldpost 728 stationed in Kaunas.

The first postmaster (įgaliotinis) to open a Lithuanian post office at Prienai was Tamošius Simonaitis appointed as from January 13, 1919 who stayed on at least in 1920 as well. One of the first additional appointees, from July 20, 1919 was valdininkas Pijus Vasylius, a graduate of the recently organised Postal School.

Thus far there has been no evidence of either Vilnius Issues or Kaunas Issues being available at Prienai. The earliest issue noted at Prienai is Second Berlin Issue, followed by the ubiquitous Fourth Berlin Issue, the Sėjėjas Issue etc.  

In the absence of a standard postmarker, early cancelling and indeed throughout 1919 was done by manuscript, indicating place and date.

When late in 1919 Prienai was supplied with a registration cachet, it was also used for cancelling.

A standard calendar-type postmarker seems to have been obtained in 1920.

Known provisional markings:

MS cancelling showing place and date:
4 / IV / 19 postcard to Germany, Berlin II 40  [colln.Doniela]
5 / VII / 19 letter to Germany Berlin, IV 20, 30  [colln.Lapas]
various dates 1919, singles, Berlin IV  [several collns]
12 / XII / 19 Money Order to Lith. soldier, entered with a registration cachet, Berlin IV 75 [colln. Doniela]

Cancelling by registration cachet:
no date, singles, Berlin IV [several collns]

 Though Vilkija had had a post office in czarist times, no such facility was established during the German occupation, also no stationary Feldpost. When the German army retreated from Russia at the end of 1918, Vilkija for a while was militarily deserted, though later German voluntary border guards (Grenzschutz) set up a post supervising the river transport on the Nemunas between Kaunas and the Memelland. For their postal needs the guards used Frw. Feldpost 728 stationed in Kaunas.

A postmaster (įgaliotinis) to open a Lithuanian post office at Vilkija, Valerijonas Miliauskas, was appointed by Pašto Valdyba as early as January 1, 1919, though the actual opening date is not known. Despite some health problems he was still in charge at the end of 1920. Vilkija was also included, as a stop, when carrying mail by steamer between Kaunas and Jurbarkas began, formally, as from May 14, 1919.

Early stamps noted from Vilkija come from Fourth Berlin Issue, though W.E. Norton reported a 10 sk. value from Second Berlin Issue.

In the absence of a formal postmarker, early cancelling was done by using a two-line rubber cachet whose top line contained the date and the bottom line “VILKIJA”, but the specific day was written in by hand. W.E. Norton had a stamp from Vilkija which was additionally pen-cancelled cross-wise.

In the second half of 1919 Vilkija acquired a relatively large double-boxed cachet with “Vilkija” as the top line and the date without the year as the bottom line. It was still in use at least in early 1920.

Early mode of indicating registration is not known, but by early 1920 Vilkija was supplied with a standard registration cachet.

Known provisional cancelling:

Two-line small cachet with the day in ink:
1 III 1919 (?) [reported by Fugalevičius]
29 IV 1919, single, Berlin IV 50 [colln. Doniela]
1 VII 1919, single, Berlin IV 30 [formerly Norton]
no date, single, Berlin II 10, also cancelled cross-wise [formerly Norton]
no date, single, Berlin IV 30 [colln. Doniela]
no date, single, Berlin IV 60 [formerly Norton]

Two-line large double-boxed cachet, no year:
26 XII [1919] letter to USA undelivered, Berlin IV 60 [fomerly Matuzas]
6 II [1920] letter to France reg. No. 223, Berlin IV 60 x2 [colln. Lapas]