SVALBARD SPITSBERGEN 2020 WORLD WAR II ARCTIC CONVOYS MNH LOCAL STAMPS

Description

Catalogue number: 8
Date of issue: 1 September 2020
Printing: Sheets with 4 values, printed on gummed non-fluorescent paper.
Circulation: to be announced
The Arctic convoys of World War II were oceangoing convoys with merchant vessels escorted by ships from the Royal Navy. The convoys sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland, and North America to various ports in the Soviet Union, primarily Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. The convoys followed various routes depending on what time of the year it was and the weather conditions. The northern route, known as the "Murmansk run", passed close to Spitsbergen. It was the shortest and safest, at least during the summer time, but with harsh conditions in the winter crossing the cruellest sea of all, the Arctic Ocean.
There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945 carrying four million tons of supplies for use by Soviet forces fighting against the German Army on the Eastern Front. A total of 85 merchant vessels and 16 Royal Navy warships were lost, sunk by German aircrafts and submarines. Source: svalbard-stamps.com
***********
New stamps from Spitsbergen/Svalbard issued by the Russian arctic authorities. These stamps are valid postage for letters and parcels shipped between Murmansk/Russia and Barentsburg and probably also for local distribution on Spitsbergen/Svalbard between the settlements. First issue was released in March 2020.
The stamps are bi-lingual, ШПИЦБЕРГЕН (= Spitsbergen) in cyrillic letters and SVALBARD in latin letters and are non-currency valued but based on weight stated in grams like this: 1000г = 1000 gram.
**********
Our easy terms
:
Shipping is charged per paid order so make sure to use ADD TO CART if you order more items. FREE standard shipping for combined orders over . Orders carefully packed in waterproof plastic envelopes to avoid damages and shipped in neutral envelopes. Returns accepted without discussion. Your order is of course always protected by eBay money back guarantee.