Philatelic historical research

As a collector of Russian Civil War material I am often confronted with the need to do research. Where and when were these stamps issued? Where were they used? Which postal rates were in force at the time? These are very basic questions that really require answers before you can really form an opinion about any item of postal history that comes your way.

In the absence of a handy archive of government publications (of which more later), there are roughly two methods of proceeding.

The first is what I call the empirical method: just gather as much information on used stamps and covers as you can, and hope that after a long time some patterns start to emerge. These days this approach is actually easier than it used to be. When I first started out investigating postal rates in Siberia, fellow collectors like Dr. Howard Weinert were kind enough to send me photocopies of all relevant items in their collections. Some dealers and auctions also added to the stack and I still have a giant pile of photocopies and clippings sitting in a drawer somewhere.

The coming of the internet has made all this a lot easier. Online auctions are a paradise for the data-hunter, but wariness is needed, as there is a lot of forged material out there that can screw up your dataset. Although when the patterns do start to emerge, forged material usually stands out like a sore thumb and  that can cause you to take a second look at that one cover that doesn't seem to fit any pattern.

The second approach is what I would call the historical approach. Study the history of the period and hope for some revelation to come to you while you're reading. I've never had much success with this approach myself.

It is worth stressing that both approaches give you at best "working hypotheses" as to what's going on. The only definitive answers come from primary sources: government archives or government publications. About 20 years ago, during the post-1991 thaw, it suddenly became possible to see the contents of some Russian archives online. It was a delightful discovery to find that the archive of Kolchak's government - including that of the postal administration! - had been quietly slumbering in  the State Archive of the Russian Federation. A kindly soul then provided me, years later, with photocopies of the circulars on postal rates. Hurrah! Problem solved.