Description: This imperial Russian postage stamp features the historical emblem of the House of Romanov, depicting the crowned double-headed eagle holding a scepter and orb within a central oval cartouche. The heraldic shield is framed by intricate Baroque scrollwork and classical laurel branches that fill the rectangular vignette with a rich green hue. A draped decorative ribbon at the very top bears the Cyrillic text "ПОЧТОВАЯ МАРКА", identifying it strictly as a postage stamp. The base of the design contains three distinct panels to denote the face value, with the numeral "2" positioned in a central circle flanked by the pre-revolutionary text "ДВЪ" on the left and "КОП." on the right, signifying 2 Kopecks. Notably, this specific specimen is an imperforate variety, displaying wide, clean paper margins completely devoid of traditional serrated perforation teeth.
Circa: 1916-1918
Condition: Unused - Hinged
Notes:
This stamp represents a fascinating chapter of postal history during World War I, where a severe shortage of metal machinery and perforation needles forced the Imperial State Printing Works in Petrograd to issue stamps in imperforate sheets. Collectors must evaluate these items with immense caution, as standard perforated stamps from earlier printings are frequently trimmed along the edges by unscrupulous sellers to mimic the more valuable imperforate war issues. True imperforate specimens possess exceptionally wide margins, and specialist philatelists measure the distance between the printed frames to authenticate them. The reverse of these stamps features a distinctive, vertically oriented wavy line underprint in the gum to deter counterfeiters, making mint copies with fully intact backing gum a highly desired find for specialists of Russian Imperial postal history.