VILNIUS UNDER THE RUSSIAN CZARS

A new type single circle: crossed-date postmarks



In circular 13 of 5 April 1890 the instruction arrived to use Roman numerals for new stamps. This happened on suggestion of the U.P.U., the Universal Postal Union.
Also the postmarks in Russia change in the 'crossed date'-type. In the middle the day stays first, under it the month (in Roman numerals), left of the whole the century and right the rest of the year.
In the postmark here is used the indication ПОЧТ. ТЕЛЕГР. КОНТ. , the abbrevation for ПОЧТОВО-ТЕЛЕГРАФНАЯ КОНТОРА (POCHTOVO-TELEGRAFNAYA KONTORA = Post-Telegraph Office), since 1884 the type postoffice in a greater city.

This letter: from Vilnius to Magdeburg (1898)

Original print size of this image: 14,766 x 11,997 cm (is something more as the postal item).
The postmark is resized 50%.



In the classification of the EESTI-handbook:
Type 6: gubernia (when given) at top and the type post office below

• Type 6C: month in numerals with gubernia (the 'cross-date'-type).
• Type 6D: month in numerals without gubernia (the 'cross-date'-type).

In postmarks of Vilnius, the capital of the Gubernia, the Gubernia is not mentioned, it was not necassary. So for Vilnius we have only type 6D.
The subdivion of type 6D:

• 6D1: with indication ПОЧТ. ТЕЛЕГР. КОНТ.

Not in the handbook as type, but recorded for Vilnius:

• 6D2: with indication ПОЧТОВАЯ КОНТОРА [POCHTOVAYA KONTORA]

On the cover above is used postmark type 6D1, on the card here below is used postmark type 6D2.





The postmark,
resized 50 %.

Original print size of this image: 14,359 x 9,305 cm (is something more as the postal item).
In this postmark we see the older indication: ПОЧТОВАЯ КОНТОРА (POCHTOVAYA KONTORA = Post office).
As we have seen before: until 1884 this was a type of post office, which served a large town, as Vilnius was, and was under direct control of the Chief Office (Pochtamt) of the postal district.
In the handbook of Fugalewitch cross-date postmarks are mentioned from serial number 1 up to serial number 28. The little postmarks with the serials 1 and 2 have as indication an abbrevation for ПОЧТОВО-ТЕЛЕГРАФНАЯ КОНТОРА. The more greater postmarks also with serials 1 and 2 have as indication an abbrevation for ПОЧТОВАЯ КОНТОРА.

The EESTI-handbook of Hurt and Ojaste is the handbook about Estonia, but the classification of circular date-stamps is also useful for Lithuania in tsarist times.

• type post office below and gubernia (when given) at top. (handbook type 6)

Type 6: gubernia (when given) at top and the type post office below. Here we can distinguish date in three lines, month in letters, with gubernia (type 6A), same type but no indication of Gubernia (type 6B).
Type 6 with month in numerals is type 6C (with gubernia) and 6D (without gubernia), the 'cross-date'-types.
For Vilnius it was not necessary to mention the Gubernia: all are type 6D. The subdivion of type 6D:

• 6D1: with indication П.Т.К

Not in the handbook as type, but recorded for Vilnius:

• 6D2: with indication П.К.

EESTI = Estonia : philately & postal history handbook catalogue = Estland : Philatelie & Postgeschichte Handbuch Katalog / Vambola Hurt, Elmar Ojaste. - 1986 . - 767 p.. - With supplement 1988

Forerunner cancellations of ethnographic Lithuanian territories 1800 - 1918 / by Walter E. Norton In: LPS special issue 1968 ; XIII LITHPEX. - p. 1-26

About rates in this time: see the site www.sijtzereurich.com/ postal_rates_Lithuania1.html. In the tabel on this site: between 08-03-1889 - 18-08-1915 the rate for an international postcard is 4 kopecks.
But between 19 june 1875 and 31 August 1917 the rate for international printing matters was 2 kopecks. Some senders use this. Also from 1900 it was permitted to sent inland cards with a short text (5 words) as printing matter (1 kopeck).