Canada #454/677, B7 1974-1975 Commemoratives and 1967-1973 Centennial Issue, 4 Airmail Covers to Estonia in the Soviet Union (Russia), Franked With Various Stamps and Oddball Rates
Four airmail covers sent to Estonia, when it was still part of the Soviet Union (Russia) in 1975. The condition is genrally VF and any mail to the Soviet Union at this time is scarce, and the covers all have Russian backstamps. All however, are franked at weird rates that do not correspond to the regular 15c rates, but at the same time, they do not appear to be philatelic. The one which is franked with the B9, is only over by 1c because of the fact that the stamps are 8c. This is a nice commercial example of a Semi-Postal issue. The other three are 17c, 22c and 24c frankings, all of which make no sense. They were all sent by the same individual who was unaware of the "all-up" 15c rate that was in effect after June 30, 1971.
The surface rate between 1966 and 1968 was 10c for the first ounce and then 7c for each ounce thereafter. That would explain the 17c and 24c covers, but not the 22c one. It appears that the sender simply did not know the correct rates and they were all carried normally because they were all within the 15c weight step.
