Inflation Reflected in Stamps

FINANSOVYE IZVESTIA (1995, No.74): The inflation rate in Ukraine in September reached 14.2% according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Statistics. This represents the highest during the last six months (4.6% in August, 5.2% n July, and 4.8% in June). Only in February and January was the inflation rate higher than it was in September. From January-September prices in Ukraine rose by 2.32 times, including food and other goods by 1.9 times and services by 5.2 times. (Inflation in Ukraine on Offensive Again, p.1).

It doesn't take an economist to appreciate the effect that inflation has had on the history of postage stamps in Ukraine. The effects are evident as:

• overprinted and revalued Soviet stamps
• provisional stamps, which became another way to add more postage to a cover
• definitive "class" stamps, which were keyed to current postal rates
• multi-stamped covers, with numerous postage stamps