The Erivan Pictorials Issue

The Erivan Pictorials In Unissued Colors

Those stamps were never used postally. Forgeries of the stamps are described by Zakiyan and covers with complete set and fake cancel are known. The stamps are quite rare.

erivan unissued color 5r yellow single_1 erivan unissued color 300r orange_1 erivan unissued color 400r brown_1 erivan unissued color 500r red_1 erivan unissued color 1000r blue_1 erivan unissued color 2000r lilac_1 erivan unissued color 3000r green_1 erivan unissued color 4000r carmin_1 erivan unissued color 5000r cinnober_1 erivan unissued color 10000r brown_1

The Erivan Pictorials In Issued Colors

The stamps were never used without surcharge. Different forgeries are known. The stamps are quite common. Strong background shifts are found often.

50 Rubles

This values was printed only on thin translucent paper.

erivan issue 50r_1

300 Rubles

This values was printed on thin translucent and on thick brownish paper.erivan issue white paper 300r_1erivan issue white paper backside 300r_1erivan issue brown paper 300r_1  erivan issue brown paper backside 300r_1

400 Rubles

This values was printed only on thin translucent paper. Here are three typical color variations.

erivan issue 400r col3_1 erivan issue 400r col2_1 erivan issue 400r col1_1

500 Rubles

This values was printed only on thin translucent paper.

erivan issue 500r_1

1000 Rubles

This values was printed only on thin translucent paper. Here are two typical color variations.

erivan issue 1000r col2_1 erivan issue 1000r col1_1

2000 Rubles

This values was printed only on thin translucent paper. Here are two slightly different color variations.

erivan issue 2000r col2_1 erivan issue 2000r col1_1

3000 Rubles

This values was printed only on thin translucent paper.

erivan issue 3000r_1

4000 Rubles

This values was printed only on thick brownish paper. I have found a paper variation with white backside and RJC (Dr. Ray Ceresa) signature on the backside in my collection.

erivan issue 4000r col2_1 erivan issue 4000r backside brown paper_1erivan issue 4000r col1_1   erivan issue 4000r backside unusually not brown paper_1

5000 Rubles

This values was printed only on thick brownish paper. This stamp can be found in two major color variations: a kind of deep red and rose.

erivan issue 5000r col2_1 erivan issue 5000r col1_1 erivan issue 5000r backside brown paper_1

10000 Rubles

This values was printed only on thin translucent paper. Here are two color variations. The worn or weak look of the second stamp shown here is kind of typical for this value.

erivan issue 10000r col2_1 erivan issue 10000r col1_1

Examples of unusual variants

These errors or specialities a rare within the genuine stamps, but rather plentiful when dealing with the forgeries.

erivan issue unperf in between 300r_1

erivan issue double perf 300r_1

erivan issue freak 10000r_1

The Erivan Pictorials Surcharged With Rubber Handstamps

The surcharges come in three colors. Sometimes the colors are not pure. Apparently the clerk who did the overprinting did not always clean the stamping device when switching colors. Especially mixed black and red ink surcharges can be found. There are also at least two different types of the red ink.

Here an example of all three colors. In this case the lilac color is the “normal” one and can be found on all  stamp bases. The red one is much rarer and the black one the rarest. The first or the first two digit(s) beeing larger then the rest is typical for the rubber overprint.

50r 10000 lilac

50r 10000 red

50r 10000 black

50 Rubles Surcharged with 10.000

In case of the lilac and the red color the ink penetrates the paper – with the exception when the thick brownish paper was used. The black ink does not penetrate the paper as much and can barely be spotted from the backside.

50r lilac_1     50r lilac back_150r red_1     50r red back_150r black_1 50r black back_1

300 Rubles Surcharged with 15.000

I do not own a stamp with a black overprint. If you own such a stamp (if it exists), please send a scan!

300r lilac_1 300r red_1

400 Rubles Surcharged with 25.000

I am missing a genuine example of an red overprint. If you own such a stamp (if it exists), please send a scan!

Here is lilac and lilac-black.

400r lilac2_1 400r lilac_1

A rare black surcharge on a stamp ex Faberge.

400r black_1

500 Rubles Surcharged with 30.000

I do not own a stamp with a black overprint. If you own such a stamp (if it exists), please send a scan! Here is red and lilac.

500r red_1 500r lilac_1

1000 Rubles Surcharged with 50.000

Nice examples of lilac, red and black.

1000r lilac_11000r red_1

1000r black_1

2000 Rubles Surcharged with 100.000

I do not own a stamp with a black overprint. If you own such a stamp (if it exists), please send a scan! A second and third scan of the red surcharges is added to show different mixed color variations. Sometimes the main color is more clear when looking on the back side. The examples of the backsides here show that the surcharges are red mixed with black rather then lilac .

2000r lilac_12000r lilac back_1
2000r red3_1 2000r red3 back_1
2000r red1_1 2000r red1 back_1
2000r red2_1  2000r red2 back_1

3000 Rubles Surcharged with ?

It seems this particular stamp was not surcharged with a rubber handstamp. I wonder why.

4000 Rubles Surcharged with 200.000

Surcharges in black, lilac and lilac-black. I could not find a surcharge in red ink.

4000r black_1
4000r lilac_1 4000r lilac-black_1

5000 Rubles Surcharged with 300.000

Surcharges in black, lilac and lilac-black. I could not find a surcharge in red ink.

5000r black_1
5000r lilac-black_1      5000r lilac_1

10000 Rubles Surcharged with 500.000

Surcharges in black, lilac and lilac-black. I could not find a surcharge in red ink.

10000r black_1
10000r lilac-black_1  10000r lilac_1

The Erivan Pictorials Surcharged With Metal Handstamps

The surcharges come in several colors. Black surcharges are plenty, sometimes you can find lilac or lilac-black ones. I could not find a stamp with a genuine red surcharge. If you own one, please send a scan.

Here an example of the colors you can find typically.

50000 black black
50000 lilac-black lilac-black
50000 lilac lilac

50 Rubles Surcharged with 10.000

A nice example of the black surcharge.

50r black_1

300 Rubles Surcharged with 15.000

Again only in black. This particular surcharge can often be found applied upside down.

300r black_1 300r black upside down_1

400 Rubles Surcharged with 25.000

Also only in black. The extra ink spot above the last “0” is typical.

400r black1_1 400r black_1

500 Rubles Surcharged with 30.000

Two examples of a lilac-black surcharge and two examples of a black surcharge. The surcharge is sometimes applied horizontally and sometimes vertically (the black ones).

500r lilac-black2_1 500r lilac-black1_1 500r black vert_1 500r black horiz_1

1000 Rubles Surcharged with 50.000

The surcharge in black, lilac and black-lilac. It seems it was applied more or less horizintally all the time.

1000r black_11000r lilac_11000r lilac-black_1

2000 Rubles Surcharged with 100.000

The surcharge in lilac (two times), lilac-black and black.

 2000r lilac_1 2000r lilac (1)_1 2000r black-lilac_1 2000r black_1

3000 Rubles Surcharged with 75.000

The surcharge in black. This stamp is kind of unusual. It appearantly is the only stamp never overprinted with a rubber handstamp and the surcharge is “a step back” beeing lower then that of the 2000 Rubles stamp.

3000 black_1

4000 Rubles Surcharged with 200.000

Surcharged in black and lilac.

4000r black_1 4000r lilac_1

5000 Rubles Surcharged with 300.000

Surcharged in black and lilac-black (two examples). The last stamp is surcharged two times; in black and in lilac-black.

5000r black_1
5000r lilac-black_1     5000r lilac and black-lilac_1

10000 Rubles Surcharged with 500.000

Surcharged in black and lilac-black (two examples).

10000r black_1
10000r black-lilac (1)_1 10000r black-lilac (2)_1