REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA 1991-

In Tartu are used perforated strips for franking, sold and used in the postoffice.

According Arthur Gübeli there ware not enough stamps, because:

• clear raising of postal rates on January 1, 1991, and later: March 1, July 1 and December 15
• not enough postage stamps sent by the Soviet Union
• no longer postal censorship in Estonia: more post

Also the production of the first Estonian stamps, issued October 1, 1991, was not a solution for the problem. For letters the post get a emergency measure as we have seen above: additional franking on old Soviet postal statioery by a rectangular rubber stamp. But this was not a solution for the packages and larger letters.
In Tartu the problem was more urgent: the University must sent many packages (documents, books), also abroad. In Tartu the solution was perforated strips, adapted to the new rates of 15 December for abroad: 16 different strips with perforated the value in roubles.




The strip on the backside.
For the production of the perforated strips paper tapes of the Observatory in Tõravere were used in the colors white, darkblue and light blue. A roll of paper was enough for 200 perforated strips. The original strips have a row number: something technical, but not necessary for the postal use. I suppose this is the row number.


The strips have a control stamp with the date 19129100 with serialletter f: in red color placed between the Roubles and kopecks-number. The strips are sold in the postoffices of Tartu and environment from 19.12.1991 upto 15.1.1992. Between 18.1.1992 to 20-6.1992 the strips are used in the postoffices for delivered shipments.
The strips were valid from December 19 1991 to June 30, 1993.
This cover is sent to me in the Netherlands. The red label 'geen gehoor' of the Dutch post: 'no reaction', I was not at home.
There are made 16 different strips: 3.60 (R) -this one-, 4.50, 4.80, 6.00, 8.00, 9.00, 11.00, 16.00, 17.50, 18.60, 22.00, 26.70, 33.60, 37.50, 61.60 and 104.70.


The cover is sent January 18, 1992. The postal rate for an international registered letter between 15-01-1992 and 16-03-1992 was 4 roubles and 50 kopecks. On the cover stamps (3 x 0.30) and perforated slip (3.60) together is the correct rate of 4.50.

On January 8, 1991, Jaan Ojaste, the Postmaster of Tartu has forbidden the sale of the perforated strips at the customers and use by the authorities. But the sale at the counter was one week more: January 15, 1992.
March 14, 1992, the production ended. The new currency (1 Kroon = 100 Senti) is introduced on June 20, 1992.
July 1, 1993, all stamps in Roubles, also the perforated strips, were not longer valid.
April 10, 1996, the remaining stock is sold to a stamp dealer for the value at that time: about 3200,00 German Mark.

For the perforated strips used on covers with value 16.00 and more: only a cover as insured letter is possible. The letter must unsealed at the counter given to the official: he must control and seal the letter. Thre is then also used a stamp with a V, short for Väärtus (=Value) and a amount in Roubles.
This cover is not sealed.

It was difficult to get all the perforated strips at that time: together 385.10 Rouble, and that was too much for most collectors.

The high values were necessary mainly for the University of Tartu: documents were sent to other countries, registered by airmail, 500-1000 or 1000-2000 gram. This means postal rates of 3.60 + 61.60 or 3.60 + 104.70 Roubles.