This historic Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) issue features a dramatic overprint on a former Imperial Russia 15 kopeck stamp. The original design, showing the Imperial coat of arms, has been boldly overprinted with a large black star containing the hammer and sickle, the new emblem of Soviet power. Below, a surcharge of “R. 40” was applied, reflecting the severe inflation of the early 1920s. These provisional surcharges were created during the chaotic transition from Tsarist to Soviet rule, making them an essential piece of revolutionary postal history. A striking example of how political upheaval transformed philately.