2nd auxiliary issue. Odessa issue.
The so-called “Odessa issues” of ROPiT appeared on the philatelic market in 1918–1919, 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 schemes indicates the purely speculative nature of these emissions. A well-known Odessa dealer, Trastenberg, 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 of the Russian Post in the Ottoman Empire were issued; according to the Scott catalog, 231 stamps. The postage stamps of the Russian Post in the Ottoman Empire bore the inscriptions “Parcel Post to the East,” “ROPiT,” and “Eastern Correspondence.”
In the mid-19th century, Russia conducted active trade with Turkey, which needed light-industry goods. Various textiles, sugar, matches, and the like were supplied to Turkey. In return, it sent to Russia the so-called “colonial goods”—coffee, tobacco, spices, etc. Because there was no direct railway route, cargo was transported across the Black Sea. But Turkey had almost no merchant fleet. Therefore, the Russian Society of Steam Navigation and Trade (abbreviated ROPiT) was organized. In 1856, this society was also entrusted with the functions of the Russian post in Turkey.
ROPiT delivered mail between its 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.
Postal agencies were opened in 20 cities of that country, through which the mail was handled. 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 in a wrapper: newspapers, magazines, books. It was issued in 1863. The rectangular stamp depicted a double-headed eagle in the center, and around it, in a circle, the inscription “Parcel Post to the East.” The same stamp, printed in a different ink color, was issued a second time in 1866.
Several stamps were issued for sending letters from Turkey. Thus, in 1865 two miniature stamps of original design 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 imperial government took control of all the mail in Turkey and issued the first state stamps with the inscription “Eastern Correspondence,” but without the imperial emblem. These postage-payment stamps were sold in ROPiT Russian postal agencies and came in different colors. They were overprinted with a new price. They remained in use until 1900. In that year, all-Russian postage stamps were issued with an overprint showing a new price in paras and piastres. In 1909, such 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-price overprint, additional overprints were applied to these postage-payment stamps with the names of 13 Turkish cities where these stamps were sold.
Later, overprints in Turkish currency were applied to the then-current general-issue stamps of Russia.
Russian post offices were closed with the outbreak of the World War in 1914, in which Turkey took the side against Russia.