# Ukraine

* After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 the constituent countries, including Ukraine, returned to their former separate and independent status. Soviet inscribed stamps (“CCCP”) continued to be used without alteration for many years. (See UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS for these issues.) Catalogued in this section are stamps inscribed “УКРАЇНИ”, “УКРАЇНА” or are without country inscription but have a Ukrainian town mark.
* The stamps are grouped according to appearance:
       A - Provisional issues without country inscription.
       B - Frank is octagon
       C - Frank is rectangle
       PO - Special stamps generated only in Post Offices
NOTE: Town marks for Ukraine are of three types, single circle with bars above and below date, broken inner circle with frame around date, and double circle with inner circle flat on the bottom. These are respectively designated SC, BIC, and DC in this section.

## GROUP A: Provisional issues without country inscription in the frank

* Some of the stamps in Group A are inscribed "CCCP" and would appear to be stamps of the Soviet Union. These stamps were altered in some way, usually with the removal of the Soviet denomination indicator "K" (for kopek), and were first used after the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991.
A1. Kuibyshev (MV).
    As USSR Type DA3 but with the "K"s removed from the sides.
    Upright octagon with double-line outer border and “ПОЧТА / CCCP” below value box.
                                                                               A. Star at top of frank is solid containing a negative hammer & sickle
                                                                               B. Star at top of frank is outlined containing a positive hammer & sickle
    TM: BIC with Soviet markings "CCCP" above hammer & sickle at top
    V/F: 000
A2. Kuibyshev (MV). [$10]
    As Type A1 but blank at top and sides and “ПОЧТА” alone at bottom.
    Value and date figures horizontal.
    TM: BIC with Soviet markings "CCCP" above hammer & sickle at top
    V/F: 000
A3. Perm (MV). [$10]
    As USSR Type DB1 but frank is blank at bottom.
    Frank with single line outer border and inner box around value figures.
    Hammer and sickle in star at top.
    “ПОЧТА” and “CCCP” stacked at sides.
    Value figures stacked, and date figures vertical.
    TM: BIC with Soviet markings "CCCP" above hammer & sickle at top
    V/F: 000
A4. Kuibyshev (MV). [$10]
    As USSR Type DB2 but frank is blank at bottom.
    Date and value figures horizontal.
    TM: BIC with Soviet markings "CCCP" above hammer & sickle at top
    V/F: 000
A5. Perm (MV). [$10]
    Upright octagon with single-line outer border and “ПОЧТА” stacked at left.
    Blank at top, right and bottom.
    Value figures stacked, and date figures vertical.
    The country name "УКРАЇНА" appears in the town mark but not in the frank.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 000

## GROUP B: Frank is upright octagon

B1. Perm (MV).
    Ukrainian national symbol at top, “ПОШТА” stacked at left, and “УКРАЇНИ” stacked at right.
    Value figures stacked, and date figures vertical.
                                                                                  A. Symbol at top without border
                                                                                  B. Symbol at top is within a shield
    TM: SC, BIC
    V/F: 000
NOTE: Variations in size and shape of the frank are known.
B2. Kuibyshev (MV).
    As Type B1B but date and value figures are horizontal.
                                                                               A. Large frank with large inscriptions
                                                                               B. Small frank with small inscriptions
    TM: SC
    V/F: 000
B3. Perm (MV).
    As Type B2 but blank at top.
    Value figures stacked, and date figures vertical.
    TM: BIC
    V/F: 000
B4. Perm (MV).
    As Type B3 but with “ПОШТА” at left and “УКРАЇНА” at right.
    TM: SC
    V/F: 000
B5. Perm (MV).
    Frank with a large dot at top and another at bottom.
    “ПОШТА” at left and “УКРАЇНИ” at right.
    Value figures stacked, and date figures vertical.
    TM: SC
    V/F: 000
B6. Perm (MV).
    Post horn at top, “KOП" at bottom.
    “ПОШТА” at left, and “УКРАЇНИ” stacked at right.
    Value figures stacked, and date figures vertical.
    TM: BIC
    V/F: 000
B7. Perm (MV).
    As Type B6 but with town name “ЧЕРНIГIВ” at bottom.
    Value figures stacked, and date figures vertical.
    TM: SC
    V/F: 000
B8. Kuibyshev (MV). [$10]
    Frank with double line frame and without inner box around value figures.
    Date and value figures horizontal.
    “ПОШТА” at top, and “УРАЇНИ” at bottom.
    This appears to be an error, with “K” omitted from “УКРАЇНИ”.
    Blank at sides.
    TM: BIC
    V/F: 000

## GROUP C: Frank is rectangle

* C1. Perm (MV).
* Frank with simulated perforation outer border and inner box around value figures.
* “ПОШТА” at top, and “УКРАЇНИ” at bottom.
* Blank at sides.
* Value figures stacked, and date figures vertical.
* TM: BIC, DC
* V/F:      000
* C2. Perm (MV).
* Post horn at top, “УКРАЇНИ” stacked at left, and “УКРАЇНИ” stacked at right.
* A. Blank at bottom
* B. “KOП.” at bottom
* TM: SC, BIC
* V/F:      000
* NOTE: Stamps of this type are known applied to tape rather than directly to the cover. Such stamps can have narrow spacing and also with TM inverted, sometimes on the same cover with a normal stamp. The frank and town mark on tape may have been applied in separate passes. The image of C2A is an example of this.
* C3. Perm (MV).
* Similar to Type C2 but the frank is much larger.
* TM: SC
* V/F:      000
* C4. Kuibyshev "MM-48" (MV).
* As Type C1 but date and value figures horizontal.
* TM: BIC, DC
* V/F:      000
* C5. Unidentified, probably Perm.
* Frank has straight frame lines at the sides and simulated perforations at the top and bottom.
* “ПОШТА” reads up at left, and “УКРАЇНИ” reads up at right.
* Date and value figures are also vertical reading up.
* A. Seven "perforation holes" at top and bottom of frank
* B. Six "perforation holes" at top and bottom of frank, and with smaller inscriptions
* TM: SC
* V/F:      0000
* C6. Unidentified, probably Perm.
* As Type C5B but with different inscriptions.
* "УКРАЇНА" and meter number reading up at left, "UKRAINE" reading up at right.
* Meter number with "КП" prefix.
* The value figures are a little larger than with Type C5.
* TM: SC
* V/F:      0000
* C7. Unidentified, possibly Kuibyshev.
* Horizontal, straight-line rectangle with panels at top and bottom.
* "УКРАЇНА" in top panel, "UKRAINE" in lower panel above the meter number which breaks the bottom frame line.
* TM: SC
* V/F:      0000
* C8. Unidentified, probably Perm.
* Similar to Types C5 and C6 but with straight frame lines all around and with panels at left and right.
* "УКРАЇНА" reading up in left panel, "UKRAINA" reading up in right panel.
* Meter number without prefix breaks right frame line.
* The value figures are small, like with C5.
* TM: DC
* V/F:      0000
* C9. Unidentified, possibly Perm.
* “ПОШТА” at left, "УКРАЇНА" at right.
* Six-pointed star at top, “KOП” at bottom
* TM: Nil
* V/F:      000
* C10. Unidentified (digital).
* “УКРАЇНА” at top, "UKRAINA" above M# at bottom.
* M# with "AШM - M" prefix.
* TM: DC
* V/F:      0.00
* NOTE: This is possibly a Post Office meter, as it has the "Укрпошта"(Ukraine Post) slogan.

## GROUP PO: Postage stamps generated only by special Post Office meters

PO1. Onega (MV). [Appears to be rare]
    Frameless, text-only frank applied to tape, never directly to cover.
    Date at top above town line, meter identification, and value figures with transaction number at bottom.
    Town name “КИЕВ —100” and meter number “KACCA 01” seen.
    V/F: —0.00
PO2. Uiskra "341" (MV). [Appears to be scarce]
    Frameless design on tape as Type PO1 but without country name, town line and meter identification.
    Date is right justified at top right.
    At bottom is one line of data containing a transaction number at left, value figures at center, and an additional number at right.
    V/F: *****0.00
NOTE: Metal hand stamp impressions that strongly resemble meter stamps are used to frank mail in the Ukraine. They were probably made by the same factory in Perm that manufactured most of the country's meters. These hand stamps are always found without town mark and are nearly always applied on tape or label rather than directly to the cover. Such conditions occasionally apply to true meter stamps (see Type C2) and thus are not a foolproof means of differentiating the meter stamps from the hand stamps.