Chapter V.
Russia — [War Charity Stamps] — [Portraits of the Tsars] — [War Stamps of 1914] — [Japan — War with China] — [The Empress Jingo] — [Triumphal Military and Naval Reviews] — [Kiao-chow]— [Belgium] — [King Albert] — [Bombardment of Malines] — [Private Postal Service] — [Germanised Posts] — [Red Cross Stamps] — [Bogus Stamps] — [Postmarks] — [Serbia] — ["Death Mask" Stamps] — [King Peter] — [Montenegro — King Nicholas.]
Russia. The Empire of the Tsars has provided collectors with a few stamps of philanthropic interest in connection with its wars. A set of four denominations was issued in 1905 and sold at 3 kopecs per stamp in excess of the face-value, this extra sum going to the fund organised by the Imperial Women's Patriotic Union for the benefit of orphans of soldiers and sailors who fell in the war with Japan. The following are the descriptions of the stamps which were printed by the Imperial Printing Office at St. Petersburg in the delicate colour work for which that establishment is justly celebrated; the figure in brackets denotes the price, in kopecs, charged for each, including the 3 kopecs charity contribution ([Figs. 167-170]):
| 3 | (6) | kopecs, | red-brown, cerise, and yellow-green. |
| 5 | (8) | " | violet, red-lilac, and buff. |
| 7 | (10) | " | dark blue, pale blue, and rose. |
| 10 | (13) | " | dark blue, pale blue, and orange. |
167 168 169
170
Normally the stamps are perforated 12 × 12½, but the 3 (6) kopecs exists perforated 13, 13½; 11½; and a compound of these two measures. The 7 (10) and 10 (13) kopecs also exist perforated 13, 13½. The stamps appear to have been designed