On November 15, 1845, the Postal Department, headed by General of Infantry V. F. Adlerberg (1791–1884), issued circular order No. 11825 introducing stamped envelopes for the St. Petersburg city post; sales of the city post stamped envelopes were carried out in the two city post offices that existed at that time. The rate for sending correspondence in stamped envelopes was set at 6 kopecks (5 kopecks for the letter and 1 kopeck for the envelope). At the same time, correspondence sent in an ordinary envelope was paid in cash, based on the existing rate of 10 kopecks per lot. Letters for the city post were also accepted in small retail shops and in stores on the city’s major streets.
From 1846, the city post’s operations were extended to nearby summer cottage areas during the “dacha season” from May 1 to October 1, while the usual rate for ordinary private out-of-town correspondence was retained for the rest of the time. City post letters were not allowed to be dropped into mailboxes for out-of-town correspondence; city letters that ended up in such boxes (green in color) remained unsent. St. Petersburg city post stamped envelopes were later also accepted by the city posts of Moscow and Kazan, where in 1869 they were replaced by city post stamped envelopes of a nationwide standard, and also in Warsaw, where in December 1858 they were replaced by a temporary provisional issue of the Main Postal Treasury of the Kingdom of Poland.
The envelopes were made of grayish-white or yellowish, thick paper without a watermark; the flap had no gum. The envelopes were folded by hand, so actual dimensions may differ by 1–3 mm. The stamp was applied using a hand press. The stamp, consisting of the state coat of arms with postal horns at the bottom, 28.5 mm in diameter, in dark blue or blue, was applied to the folded envelope, which resulted in various positions relative to the flap. Envelopes are known on which, in addition to the colored stamp, there are also colorless impressions of the stamp, slightly shifted relative to the main one. In total, three issues of stamped envelopes for the St. Petersburg city post were produced.
St. Petersburg envelopes had a blue stamp; for Moscow, the stamps were printed in red ink. Today, “stamped envelopes” are quite rare. Especially rare are the Moscow city post envelopes issued in 1846 in a print run of 6,000 copies. They were stamped on a hand press with a stamp 29.5 mm in diameter. In the center is the emblem of the postal department. The inscription around the circumference: “Moscow City Post. For a letter 5 k. s. (silver): for the envelope 1 k. s. (silver).”
The first example of an envelope with a red stamp was found abroad only in 1877. Collectors long refused to believe the authenticity of the find. Even the greatest experts in Russian philately for a long time did not recognize the “red stamped envelope” and considered it a fake. It took considerable time and effort by Russian philatelists not only to prove the authenticity of the unusual discovery, but also to establish the reasons for its rarity. It turned out that the authorities rather quickly withdrew the envelope from circulation. At the end of 1846, the entire stock held at the Moscow Post Office was destroyed. In its place, St. Petersburg stamped envelopes were introduced; they remained in use until 1851, when Moscow envelopes of the second printing began to be used. The second issue of envelopes for the Moscow City Post was produced in 1851–1856.
Stamped envelopes greatly облегчали the work of the city post. Cash settlements with shopkeepers were eliminated. The keeping of postal registers was simplified, accounting was reduced to a minimum, and efficiency increased.
The public and the business community fully appreciated the new form of sending correspondence. The popularity of “stamped envelopes” was so great that in 1848 envelopes for out-of-town correspondence were issued. The Postal Department introduced them in accordance with the 1843 postal tariffs. One envelope with a black stamp for letters weighing 1 lot (10 kopecks in silver plus 1 kopeck for the envelope). A second with a blue stamp—for letters of 2 lots (20 kopecks in silver for delivery plus 1 kopeck for the envelope). And a third—with a red stamp—for letters weighing 3 lots (30 kopecks for delivery plus 1 kopeck for the envelope).
The rapid spread of envelopes led to improvements in methods of sending correspondence. Now there was no need to go to the post office with each letter or to contact a shopkeeper. In 1848, first in St. Petersburg and then in Moscow, mailboxes appeared. Unlike city post boxes, they were installed directly on the streets.
The issuance of stamped envelopes for the nationwide post began in December 1848. On envelopes of the first period of issue (1848–1863), a round stamp 28 mm in diameter was placed on the upper flap. The envelopes were produced at the printing house of the Postal Department. Paper of various grades was used to make the envelopes, both white and of various shades (grayish, yellowish, grayish, etc.). The paper pulp could contain fairly large particles of varying thickness, shape, and size.