The Far Eastern Republic (FER) (6 April 1920 – 15 November 1922) was an independent and democratic state entity with a capitalist economic system, proclaimed in the territory of Transbaikalia and the Russian Far East. It served as a “buffer” state between Soviet Russia and Japan.
The postal history of the FER is limited to a short period beginning on 6 April 1920, when the republic was proclaimed by the Constituent Congress of Workers of the Baikal Region. From October 1920, Chita became the main city of the republic. In practice, however, there were two centers—Chita and Vladivostok. In these same centers, postage stamps were issued for the republic’s postal needs. On 15 November 1922, the FER became part of the RSFSR; however, issues of its own stamps in the territory continued even after reunification, up to 1923.
In 1923, due to differences between the currencies of the FER and the RSFSR, definitive stamps were issued. On the stamps of the RSFSR fourth (third) definitive issue, a lithographic overprint in black and red ink was applied in three lines: the abbreviation “D. V.” (Far East), the denomination figures (1, 2, 5, and 10) between the word “kop.” and the word “in gold.” These stamps remained in circulation in the Far Eastern Region until 1924, after which USSR stamps entered circulation.
Abklatsch (from German Abklatsch—copy, forgery), or a mirror impression, in philately is a mirror image of the design on the reverse side of a stamp, which can occur during the printing of typographic (stamp) sheets.
An abklatsch usually arises due to a malfunction of the printing press: an impression from the printing plate transfers to an intermediate cylinder and then, during the working stroke, onto the reverse side of the sheet. Another cause is the use of thick, greasy ink and porous, loose paper. The ink soaks through the paper and shows on the reverse side. The same can happen during offsetting if a sheet with ink that has not yet dried is “blotted” with another sheet. In all these cases, this is also referred to as set-off.