Registered cover: Moscow to Dresden, 1888

Outstanding cover from the collection of Edward Kossoy

On 16th August 1888, the cover illustrated above, franked with a complete set of 1 kopek to 7 roubles of the 1884 Arms issue* was sent as a registered envelope from Moscow to Dresden.

Single circle datestamp of Fourth Ekspeditsiya Moscow, with the three line date format. Dotted R circular registration cachet.

According to the arrival mark on the back, it was delivered to Dresden after only 7 days. It would hardly be earlier even today!

Manifestly over-franked, by almost 12 roubles in relation to the rate set in November 1887.

At that time more than the monthly salary of a middle-range government official.

Therefore it is clearly a philatelically inspired item, but is still rare. According to Mr Mikulski there were only a few such covers in existence.

*Editor’s note. The kopek values were in fact issued on the 14th December.