Soviet Union. Latvian SSR "1st day" official incoming overseas mail: 22.7.40 [official] registered surface cover on stationary of the Latvian Foreign Ministry in Soviet-occupied RIGA to [Jewish-Palestinian] Latvian Consul M. Caspi in JERUSALEM, franked 96 Sant. (75s international registered letter rate + 2x10s additional weight) tied by 3 strikes of local postmark; marked "via USSR" as it occupied Latvia on 17 June & annexed it 5 August; backstamped 13 AU 40 REG HAIFA & JERUSALEM transits where passed censor (J13); arrived 17 AU 40. The Latvian puppet government was installed 21 July (day before this letter), establishing the short-lived Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic; addressee Mordechai Caspi was Latvian consul 1928-47. Rare period official mail, probably informing the consul of new foreign policy agenda.

(Image 1) (Image 2)

(Image)