Ukrainian Philatelic and Numismatic Society

Promoting Ukrainian stamps, coins and other collectibles

Study Featuring 'Carpatho-Ukraine' Stamps and Mail

CU 01This study was initiated during 2013, and was circulated to society peers for vetting and feedback in October 2015.  It elaborates on a genre of philately which is not as well-known as it should be. When Carpatho-Ukraine existed as a country, so very briefly in 1939 before being occupied by a neighbouring power, and then for most of 1945 before being absorbed into a neighbouring super-military, it produced stamps for 'its public'. These were a people who wanted their identity to be reflected in nationhood, though who had little choice but to bow to the dominance of others. Thus, and despite their locally produced stamps, some would argue that the nation of Carpatho-Ukraine was no more than a puppet of others, and so, not yet recognized by some philatelists who at the same time honour others with a similar history. It is a hope that this compilation will shed more light on the stamps that this small entity produced, and, as well, some of the history that these issues reflect. Know that there are many other Carpatho-Ukraine stamp texts, which this author learned from, that were completed by excellent members and friends of our UPNS!

Presentation: Ukrainian Provisionals 1992 to 1995

This is a ‘voiced-over powerpoint’ presentation that is about 2½-hours. Each given slide is different in length as the result of content explanation.

Why the Need for these Provisionals? Primary reasons: a) inadequate supply of national issues due to lack of facilities; strategic USSR assets were ‘centralized’; thus, no modern and secure mint and print facilities in Ukraine; b) inadequate distribution network to all post offices; system had been Russia-centred for several decades; it now had to be reconfigured to Ukraine; Secondary reasons: c) the need to repatriate what had been a russified system; d) inflation-hyperinflation; at the very first minute of 02 January 1992, Ukrainian denomination was 8-to-1; but on 05 December 1993 it was 12,600-to-1, and by 09 December 1994 110,000-to-1. Yikes, and given this ‘trend’, there was a dramatic effect on the postal system and all of its ‘adjuncts’! However such variables, otherwise deleterious, resulted in an interestingly complex postage system and stamp production routine during this period.

2015 Ukraine Coin Program

 Coin issue plan for 2015 by the National Bank of Ukraine.

 

No

Items    Specifications

 Date of Issue

Denomination UAH

Metal, weight in fineness (g)

Diameter (mm)

Quality

Mintage

Commemorative coins To the Heros of the Maidan
1  Euromaidan  5  CuNiZn 35.0

Special uncirculated

50,000 (including 20,000 in souvenir packs)

Feb  18

2

Revolution of Dignity

 5 CuNiZn 35.0 Special uncirculated

50,000 (including 20,000 in souvenir packs)

Feb  18
3 Heavenly Hundred 5 CuNiZn 35.0 Special uncirculated

50,000 (including 20,000 in souvenir packs)

Feb  18
Outstanding Personalities of Ukraine

4

Halshka Hulevychivna (1575-1642)

2 CuNiZn 31.0 Special uncirculated 30,000

Jan  27

5

Yakiv Hnizdovskyi (1915-1985)

2 CuNiZn 31.0 Special uncirculated 30,000 Mar  31
6

Mykhailo Verbytskyi (1815-1870)

2 CuNiZn 31.0 Special uncirculated 30,000

Mar    4

7 Andrei Sheptytskyi 2 CuNiZn 31.0 Special uncirculated 30,000 Jul
8

Petro Prokopovych (1775-1850)

2 CuNiZn 31.0 Special uncirculated 30,000 Jul
9 Oleksandr Murashko 2 CuNiZn 31.0 Special uncirculated 30,000 Sep
10

Ivan Karpenko-Karyi (1845-1907)

2 CuNiZn 31.0 Special uncirculated 30,000 Sep
Victory in the Great Patriotic War
11

70 Years of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945

20

Ag 925 62.2

50.0 Special uncirculated 2,000 May
12

70 Years of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945

5 CuNiZn 35.0 Special uncirculated

35,000 (including 10,000 in souvenir packs)

May
Heroes of Cossack Age
13 Bohdan Khmelnytskyi 10

Ag 925 31.1

38.6 Proof 3,000 Dec
Hetman Capital Cities
14 Hadiach 10

Ag 925 31.1

38.6 Proof 2,000 Nov
Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine
15

150 Years of the Odessa I.I.Mechnikov National University

5

Ag 925 15.55

33.0 Proof 2,000 Apr
16

150 Years of the Odessa I.I.Mechnikov National University

2 CuNiZn 31.0 Special uncirculated 35,000 Apr
17

400 Years of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy

5

Ag 925 15.55

33.0 Proof 2,000 Oct
18

400 Years of the National University of

Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
2 CuNiZn 31.0 Special uncirculated 35,000 Oct
Architectural Monuments of Ukraine
19

The Assumption Cathedral in the City of Volodymyr-Volynskyi

5 CuNiZn 35.0 Special uncirculated 35,000 Jul
20 Pidhirtsi Castle 10 Ag 925 31.1 38.6 Proof 2,000 Nov
21 Pidhirtsi Castle 5 CuNiZn 35.0 Special uncirculated 35,000 Nov
Ancient Cities of Ukraine
22 475th Anniversary of the First Record of the City of Ternopil 10 Ag 925 31.1 38.6 Proof 2,000 Aug
23 475th Anniversary of the First Record of the City of Ternopil 5 CuNiZn 35.0 Special uncirculated 35,000 Aug
Oblasts of Ukraine
24 75 Years of the Chernivtsi Oblast 5 bimetalic 28.0 Special uncirculated 30,000 Aug
Oriental Calendar
25 The Year of the Monkey 5 Ag 925 15.55 33.0 Proof 20,000 Dec
Children's Zodiac
26 Aquarius (Little Water-Bearer) 2 Ag 925 7.78 26.5 Special uncirculated

up to 10,000 (including 5,000 in souvenir packs)

Jan  19

27 Pisces (Little Fish) 2 Ag 925 7.78 26.5 Special uncirculated up to 10,000 (including 5,000 in souvenir packs) Feb 16
28 Libra (Little Scales) 2 Ag 925 7.78 26.5 Special uncirculated up to 10,000 (including 5,000 in souvenir packs) Sep
29 Scorpio (Little Scorpion) 2 Ag 925 7.78 26.5 Special uncirculated up to 10,000 (including 5,000 in souvenir packs) Oct
30 Sagittarius (Little Archer) 2 Ag 925 7.78 26.5 Special uncirculated up to 10,000 (including 5,000 in souvenir packs) Nov
31 Capricorn (Little Goat) 2 Ag 925 7.78 26.5 Special uncirculated up to 10,000 (including 5,000 in souvenir packs) Dec
Other Coins
32 120 Years of the Kharkiv Zoo 2 CuNiZn 31.0 Special uncirculated 35,000 (including 10,000 in souvenir packs)

Apr 15

33 Kyiv Funicular 5 CuNiZn 35.0 Special uncirculated 35,000 (including 10,000 in souvenir packs) May
34 Oleshky Sands 10 Ag 925 31.1 38.6 Special uncirculated 30,000 Oct
35 Oleshky Sands 2 CuNiZn 31.0 Special uncirculated 35,000 (including 10,000 in souvenir packs) Oct

Ukraine’s Provisional Kyiv-Lviv-Chernihiv

Provisionals were a way that Ukraine supplemented an inadequate supply of national issues during 1992-1994. All of the provisionals stamp sets were in fact created locally (oblast, city). However, three of the overprinted sets achieved ‘national status’ almost as soon as they were issued, these being overprints of Kyiv, Lviv, and Chernihiv, aka the KLCs.

When Canadian Member of Parliament Borys Wrzesnewskyj attended Ukrainpex 2007, he indicated that he was involved with Kyiv’s Borysfen print shop. The Borysfen print shop in 1992 was responsible for the completion of the original overprinted sets for Kyiv, Lviv, and Chernihiv. The presses originally came from Canada and Wrzesnewskyj had made videos of the journey to get them into Ukraine. There they were first used in their Kyiv ‘underground’ bunker to produce Ukrainian pro-independence and pro-democracy leaflets and posters. As it turns out, the naming of the print shop is attributed to the mother of the young man doing the overprints, being a "fan" or as they say in Ukraine "fen" of Borys.

New 100-hryvnia note for 2015

100 Hryven 2014(2015) GontarevaOn March 9, 2015 the National Bank of Ukraine introduced into circulation a newly designed 100-hryvnia banknote with a number of advanced international security features, including a transparent 'window' and an optically variable SPARK feature which changes color depending on the viewing angle.

The new note is the dominant yellow-olive color as with the previous version of the bill and is printed on paper substrate containing a watermark of Taras Shevchenko and electrotype 100. The obverse features a portrait of Ukrainian national poet Taras Shevchenko, a painter’s palette and brushes as a SPARK patch, and prose from his poem “Shall we ever meet again...”("Чи ми ще зійдемося знову") written in 1838.

Canadian Mint issues Ukrainian Pysanka egg-shaped silver coin

Cdn Pysanka 1The Royal Canadian Mint issued on February 2, 2016 a 1 oz. Fine Silver Coloured Coin "Traditional Ukrainian Pysanka" with a low mintage of 4,000. This is the first-ever egg-shaped coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint.  Preorders were brisk and the coin sold out before the release date.  

Designed by Canadian artist Ann Morash, this coin captures the intricate beauty of a pysanka. Every element on this Ukrainian Easter egg is rich with symbolic meaning, including the individual colours: yellow stands for youth and purity; red represents the joy and passion in life; green is the colour of spring, which brings hope and renewal; and black suggests the darkest time before dawn, and the idea of eternity.

Ukrposhta issues stamp for Nadiya Savchenko

Savchenko personal postage"Ukrposhta" issued a personal postage stamp of Nadiya Savchenko which was mailed to her together with a letter expressing their support.

"We are very worried about the fate of our Hope, because she is an example for all of us. As Shevchenko said "Boritesia - you will win!". She's not just a pilot and our compatriot, first of all, she is a woman who should not suffer like that... We would like to see her soon on our land healthy and smiling! .." - commented on the release of the stamp acting General Director of "Ukrposhta" Ihor Tkachuk.