Description: This rare, early Soviet postage stamp from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (РСФСР) is a quintessential example of revolutionary allegory designed to celebrate the consolidation of communist power. Finely line-engraved in a dark slate-green monochrome ink, the central vignette portrays a muscular, barefoot proletarian hero stepping triumphantly upon a massive, writhing mythical dragon that represents the defeated forces of the Tsarist regime and global capitalism. The worker extends his right arm boldly toward a radiant, circular sunrise breaking through a dark stone archway, symbolizing the dawn of a new socialist era. The upper left and right fields carry the high denomination "40" flanked below by the currency text "РУБЛЕЙ" (Rubles), with the word "ПОЧТА" (Post) positioned cleanly across the top-center arch. This specific specimen represents a scarce, imperforate production variety boasting exceptionally wide, intact paper margins and a face completely free of commercial ink cancellations.
Circa: 1921–1922
Condition: Unused.
Notes:
This historic "Proletarian Freed" set holds immense significance as part of the very first stamp series issued directly by the newly established Bolshevik postal administration following the Russian Revolution. Designed by the acclaimed graphic artist Rihards Zariņš (Richard Sarrinsch), the set intentionally replaced the traditional imperial eagle portraiture with powerful, universal worker motifs to broadcast revolutionary ideals.
While the standard issue was produced with comb perforations, a significant portion of the run was released completely imperforate due to severe equipment shortages and economic disruption across Moscow printing houses during the Russian Civil War. Advanced philatelists specialize in acquiring these wide-margined imperforate variants, making sure they are entirely untrimmed.