Group: Disabled Aviators Fund I

3 (53) Sant.

5 (57) Sant.

35 (135) Sant.

This is the third  issue of 4 set dedicated to the pioneers of aviators.  In the mid 1920’s the Latvian aviators of the Air Force Regiment organizes the “Disabled Aviators Relief Fund” APCLPF.  The fund was to provide medical assistance to wounded aviators, to help support families of perished aviators, and to care for the graves of fallen aviators.  Money was raised by air shows, lotteries and donations gained by the sale of special postage stamps.   Four set were issued between December 1932 and September 1933, and all stamps of both varieties – perforated and imperforated   All stamps were sold with extremely high surcharges, and for this reason several catalogues did not list them at all for many years.  These stamps, like the Home Guard issues, were hardly ever used for franking ordinary mail, and practically all covers are of speculative philatelic nature.  There is no record how much money the Fund received by the sale of the special stamps, but the Lats 200,000 as planned could not be raised.  It is known that dealers purchased large quantities below face value and made unjustified profits for many years.

On the stamps historical events of aviation are depicted:

3(53) Sant.           Airplane with founding date of Latvian military aviation June 7th, 1919
7(57) Sant.           Airplane over Riga, under shrapnel fire from the Bermont Army, 1919
35 (135) Sant.      Three airplanes on European good will tour, September 1930

Denomination Pref. Date of Issue Quantities Issued
3 (53) Sant.
Perforated
December 5th, 1933
3 (53) Sant.
Imperforated
December 5th, 1933
7 (57) Sant.
Perforated
December 5th, 1933
7 (57) Sant.
Imperforated
December 5th, 1933
35 (135) Sant.
Perforated
December 5th, 1933
35 (135) Sant.
Imperforated
December 5th, 1933