Study Featuring 'Carpatho-Ukraine' Stamps and Mail
This 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
On 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
The 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
"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.