The rarest bicycle stamp
The rarest bicycle stamp
The greatest philatelic rarity for us bicycle stamp collectors is not actually a stamp, but a stamp booklet. Not all of us collect booklets and when this one was issued by the Estonian Post on July 1, 1930, there presumably were no or only very few booklet collectors.
Although this booklet was printed in a number of 10000 copies, there are probably only 5 to 10 complete booklets left in the world today. It must be mentioned correctly, that not all booklets were sold: a small remainder of 110 was burned in 1941 on Soviet Russian order.
Another reason why so few booklets have survived is probably the high postage value of 2.10 crowns (6x5 cents, 18 x 10 cents). In those days, a normal citizen could get by for 8 months with the quantity of stamps in this booklet - in today's world with e-mail and WhatsApp this quantity will certainly be sufficient for several years.
The booklet is not only rare, but also has a proud catalog price of approx. 5000 € (Catalogue of Estonian postage stamps and postal stationery). The reason: it is sought after by many different thematic collectors, as the booklet-cover and the three interleaves contain many advertisements from a wide variety of companies:
BUY bicycles, sewing machines, knitting machines, typewriters, calculating machines, office machines, ball bearings, car parts; Chevrolet parts - LIER & ROSSBAUM
In the 1930s, the Lier & Rossbaum department store was located at Viru Street 7, Tallinn:
They offered bicycles of the brands Raleigh, Coventry, Brennabor, Diamant, Wanderer ...
... as well as a wide range of spare parts, described in detail in these catalogs:
As the booklet is so rare, the non-bicycle-related advertisements are also shown below. My special thanks go to Peeter Pärn, who provided the pictures.
Georg Stude - Marzipan chocolates
SMOKE LAFERME (Cigarettes)
Try and decide for yourself that G.F. Beljagini TEA is best, available everywhere
A SMART MOTHER gives her child only Knorr - porridge, oatmeal, rice, flour - IT WILL MAKE HIM HEALTHY AND NOURISHED – Represantative: Goods Association TRUST. Tallinn, Vana Posti 11 (Old Post Road 11)
The best boot polish in Estonia is BEST BOOT POLISH - COCK, made in polish factory MARS
BONA is the best vitamin-rich herbal butter - available everywhere
Largest book, stationery, drawing and office supplies business in ESTONIA - books in every field, stationery in a wide range, drawing and office supplies - People’s University (Tallinn, Harju tänav 48) - in the bank building (Tallinn, Jaani tänav 6)
The insurance company, Pohja Kotkas insures property against fire and other accidents.
In this auction the dream of owning a booklet in practically perfect condition came true for someone - price: 4220 € +10 % commission:
Paul Lettens Philatelic Collection - Auction house: Coins.ee, lot №2371 in auction №62, November 2023
Fortunately, we motif collectors do not have the absolute goal of owning all bicycle stamps, but an opened stamp booklet with the right intermediate sheet and a few remaining stamps could make us a little happier.
Many thanks for the support to the members of ArGe-Baltikum, in particular Mr. Torsten Berndt and Friedhelm Doell.
Further references / literature sources / catalogs:
SOME OF THE RARITIES IN ESTONIAN PHILATELY - Vambola Hurt - Eesti Filatelist no. 24-25, 1979 (summary on the website THE ESTONIAN PHILATELISTS)
Elmar Ojaste - Eesti ainus markivihik - Estlands einziges Markenheft - Eesti Filatelist no. 20-21, pages 68-71, 1977
Sten-Anders Smeds - ESTONIA – Neighboring country, thematic country - Bicycle Stamps Club Magazine 13A, page 31(?), 1992 (translation of original article below)
Tore Josefsson - Frimärkshäftet 1930, SFT Svensk Filatelistisk Tidskrift, September 1992
Eesti postmargid ja tervikasjad kataloog 1918–2023 - Catalogue of Estonian postage stamps and postal stationery - Katalog der estnischen Postmarken und Ganzsachen - Vapimark OÜ (Hg.) 2024 - ISBN 978-9916-4-2262-5 - Aivar Kuuskvere & Peeter Pärn