First USSR stamps

First All-Russia Agricultural Exhibition issue
First All-Russia Agricultural Exhibition issue
	Reaper: the first stamp of the USSR, 1 ruble, imperforate, 1923
Country of production	Soviet Union
Location of production	Moscow
Date of production	19 August 1923; 101 years ago
Designer	Georgy Pashkov
Perforation	none; line perforation 12½; line perforation 13½;
Commemorates	First All-Russia Agricultural Exhibition
Depicts	reaper, sower, tractor, exhibition
Notability	first postage stamps of the USSR
Face value	1, 2, 5 & 7 rubles

The first USSR stamps or First All-Russia Agricultural Exhibition issue appeared in August 1923 as a series of Soviet Union postage stamps. Its designer was the Russian artist Georgy Pashkov.^[1]^[2]

History

The First All-Russian Agricultural and Handicraft Exhibition was held in Moscow in 1923. It was opened on 19 August. This very day, a special commemorative series of postage stamps dedicated to the exhibition opening was released. These were the first stamps of the Soviet Union.^[1]

Stamps

The stamp design was created by the artist G. Pashkov.^[1]^[2]

The stamps have the inscription in Russian: "CCCP" ("USSR") or "Почта CCCP" (Post of the USSR), the value, and the words in Russian: "Всероссийская сельско-хоз. и кустарно-пром. выставка" (All-Russian Agricultural and Handicraft Exhibition). They were produced by lithographic printing in two versions, imperforate and perforated.^[2]