Germany and Russia battled for control of Latvia during WWI. The country finally claimed its independence on November 18, 1918. As a new nation, Latvia knew it was important to print its own stamps, but the war left them with a severe paper shortage. However, one source of top-quality paper was found: WWI military maps left behind by the German army. So just one month after claiming independence, Latvia released its very first postage stamps – with the military maps on the back!
Interesting! Thx for pointing this out. Quickly searched for images of this #1 issue, to see the map on back. Just stumbled upon your blog and ebay listings today. Good to have a fresh perspective on cool stamps. Peace... Alex
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