Azerbaijan postage stamps and covers tell the history of this Transcaucasian country, from Russian rule to independence.
Azerbaijan stamps of 1918-1922
Main page: Azerbaijan postage stamps from 1918 to 1922
Azerbaijan used stamps of the Russian Empire for several years before gaining independence in 1918. The first Azerbaijan stamps were issued in 1919 under the new name Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. The stamps used French (République d’Azerbaïdjan) and Azerbaijani, written in Perso-Arabic script. Soon, other stamps used the Cyrillic alphabet, as Russia invaded the country once again.
In 1920 Azerbaijan became the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, and stamps were issued to reflect this new state. Local overprints exist from 1922. In 1922, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia were gathered together to form the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, and new stamps were issued for that entity. However, Soviet stamps were soon used, and would be until 1991.
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Post-1991 independence Azeri stamps
When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, Azerbaijan won independence and began issuing its own stamps again (in 1992). Two notable changes had been made: the Cyrillic and Perso-Arabic writing systems were dropped in favor of the Latin alphabet, and the Russian currency units of roubles and kopecks were dropped in favor of the manat, which is equal to 100 giapiks.
At first, stamps showed the country’s name as Azärbaycan; later issues use Azərbaycan. (The latter is often rendered as Azarbaycan or Azerbaycan in sales and other online lists.) Modern Azerbaijani postage stamps tend to be colorful and feature diverse subjects, from animals to western pop culture (for example, there is a John Lennon Azerbaijan stamp). Stamps are generally inscribed Azərbaycan Poçtu (Azerbaijan Post).
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Check the current sales listings for a wide range of Azerbaijan stamps. Drill down into the subcategories to isolate certain kinds of Azeri stamps for your collection.