2nd Auxiliary Issue. Odessa Issue.
The so-called "Odessa issues" of ROPiT appeared on the philatelic market in 1918–19, during the Russian Civil War. By all indications, these stamps had no connection with the postal service and, possibly, with ROPiT either. The production of a large number of varied, often nonsensical overprints and very primitive stamps of original design in different color ranges points to the purely speculative nature of these issues. A well-known Odessa dealer, Trasztenberg, took direct part in the production of the stamps.
Russian post in the Ottoman Empire was a postal service of the Russian Empire that operated in various cities of the Ottoman Empire from the 18th century until September 1914. According to L. L. Lepeshinsky (1967), a total of 73 postage stamps were issued for the Russian post in the Ottoman Empire; according to the Scott catalogue, 231 stamps. The stamps of the Russian post in the Ottoman Empire bore the inscriptions "Band-roll dispatch to the East," "ROPiT," and "Eastern Correspondence."
In the mid-19th century, Russia conducted brisk trade with Turkey, which needed light-industry goods. Turkey was supplied with various textiles, sugar, matches, etc. In return, it sent to Russia so-called "colonial goods"—coffee, tobacco, spices, and so on. Because there was no direct railway route, cargoes were transported across the Black Sea. But Turkey had almost no merchant fleet. Therefore, the Russian Society of Steam Navigation and Trade was established (abbreviated ROPiT). In 1856, this society was also entrusted with the functions of the Russian post in Turkey.
ROPiT carried mail between various offices and also forwarded correspondence destined for Russia via Odessa. In 1863, ROPiT offices received a status similar to that of ordinary Russian post offices.
In 20 cities of that country, postal agencies were opened through which the mail passed. All postal items (wrappers, letters, parcels, money orders, etc.) were paid for with special stamps, the revenue from which went to Russia. Special stamps were also issued for sending mail to Turkey. They are known as Levant stamps (for Eastern correspondence).
The first stamp, with a face value of 6 kopecks per 1 lot (1/32 of a funt, or 12.797 g), was intended for sending printed matter to Turkey by wrapper: newspapers, magazines, books. It was issued in 1863. On the rectangular stamp, a double-headed eagle was depicted in the center, and around it in a circle was the inscription "band-roll dispatch to the East." The same stamp, printed in a different color, was issued a second time in 1866.
Several stamps were issued for sending letters from Turkey. Thus, in 1865 two miniatures of original designs were issued depicting a steamship and the imperial eagle. Instead of the words "postage stamp," which appeared on all all-Russian stamps, the inscription ROPiT was printed. Stamps with this inscription were issued two more times in 1866 and 1867. They were sold for Turkish currency, but their value was not indicated.
From 1868, the tsarist government took full control of all mail in Turkey and issued the first state stamps with the inscription "Eastern Correspondence," but without the imperial emblem. These postage-payment signs were sold in ROPiT Russian postal agencies and were of various colors. They received an overprint with the new price. They remained in use until 1900. In that year, all-Russian postage stamps were issued with an overprinted new value in paras and piastres. In 1909, similar overprints were applied to ROPiT jubilee stamps issued in Russian currency, but they did not enter postal circulation.
In 1909–1910, in addition to the new-value overprint, additional overprints were applied to these postage-payment signs with the names of 13 Turkish cities where these stamps were sold.
Subsequently, Turkish-currency overprints were applied to the general-issue stamps of Russia that were in circulation at the time.
Russian postal offices were closed with the outbreak of the World War in 1914, in which Turkey took the side against Russia.