Rudnik nad Sanem 1944



Poland Postal History
RUDNIK nad SANEM 1944

On the 26th July 1944 Rudnik nad Sanem was liberated  from German occupation and on the 31st July 1944 the local Post Office was re-opened in the town by, the postmaster, Wojciech Kosierb. 

Instructions had been issued to all Post Offices (under Soviet control) on the 1st August 1944 that all post was to be prepaid in cash and no German occupation stamps were to be used. This instruction, however, for some unknown reason, did not reach the Post Office in Rudnik.

On or about the 7th August 1944 the entire remaining stock of German occupation stamps in Rudnik Post Office was overprinted, in black, using 4 different handstamps. A local philatelist was instrumental in persuading the postmaster to do this. Stamps to the total value of 4,029.29zl were overprinted – this figure comes from the very detailed record kept by the postmaster. Additional stamps, supplied by the philatelist, were also overprinted (but no record of the quantities or values was ever made of these).


           type I                                  type II                                   type III 
 

The four types of overprint were

Type I 
Poczta / Polska / w Rudniku / (line)
(rubber stamp)
Type II
Poczta Polska / Rudnik / n/Sanem / (line)
(rubber stamp)
Type III
POCZTA POLSKA / (crowned eagle) / RUDNIK / n/Sanem
(metal handstamp)
Type IV
Polska / RUDNIK n/Sanem / (line)
(metal handstamp)

The quantities recorded as being overprinted are as follows

(these were the Post Office stock and do not include the private stock which was also overprinted at that time)

SG
Value
I
II
III
IV
395
10.00 
 
10 
 
403
0.48 
 
37 
 
421
2.00 
 
 
 
422
4.00
 
 
 
423
0.02 
18 
13 
135 
 
424
0.06 
13 
135 
 
425
0.08 
110 
186 
463 
 
426
0.10 
91 
176 
434 
 
427
0.12 
303 
326 
1135 
 
428
0.16 
35 
 
429
0.20 
213 
35 
163 
 
430
0.24 
213 
681 
1141 
 
431
0.30 
53 
75 
185 
 
432
0.32 
185 
 
433
0.40 
230 
83 
222 
 
434
0.48 
10 
15 
 
438
0.50 
129 
231 
365 
 
439
0.60 
193 
431 
814 
 
440
0.80 
148 
231 
460 
 
441
1.00 
132 
281 
405 
 
442
1.20 
15 
14 
102 
 
443
1.60 
14 
13 
51 
 
465
2.00 
 
 
 
466
4.00 
 
 
 
11 
467
8.00 
 
 
 
468
10.00 
 
 
 
O402
0.60 
 
 
 
O408
0.08 
 
 
 
O410
0.12 
 
 
 
O459
0.12
 
 
 
O462
0.24 
 
 
 
O465
0.60 
 
 
 
PS Cards 
0.12 
 
 
170 
 

Rudnik nad Sanem 1944
Type I overprints

Rudnik nad Sanem 1944

Rudnik nad Sanem 1944
Type II overprints

Rudnik nad Sanem 1944

Rudnik nad Sanem 1944
Type III overprints

These overprints were made without any agreement from the postal authorities and the authorities were not informed. On the 14 September 1944 a sub regional postal inspector from Rzeszow made a visit to the post office in Rudnik and discovered that this had been done. He took away the remaining overprinted stamps, to the value of 214zl, and sent them to the regional office in Lublin. This inspector discovered that the Post Office in Rudnik had not received any instructions, had no contact with any other Post Office and was not even aware that a new Polish Post Office authority had been established. All the monies from the sale of the stamps had been properly accounted for and had been used for proper Post Office purposes. No action was taken against the postmaster.


Instructions were issued that none of these stamps could be used for postal purposes and that the public was to be informed of this by means of  displaying a notice in the Post Office. This notice also stated that anyone in possession of these stamps could, if they wished to do so, return them to the Post Office for a full refund. The Post Office records do not record if anyone did return any of these stamps.

© 2001 Jan Kosniowski    jan @ stampdomain.com

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