Bill Seymour's
Online Stamp Collections

Central Lithuania (1920-1922)

Stamp-issuing status: inactive. Historically a part of Lithuania, this puppet state was founded on October 9, 1920 after the rebellion of the 1st Lithuania-Byelorussian Infantry Division staged by secret decree of the Polish General L. Zeligoesdki. The political arrangements were around Vilnius, the historical capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, were short lived and did not achieve international recognition. Central Lithuania covered the middle part of the Vilnius region and the westerna part of Byelorussia. On April 16, 1922 it was annexed by Poland, but in 1939 it was occupied by Soviet forces and returned to Lithuania. Postage stamps were printed by local printers under primative conditions. Almost all the issues had a lot of waste, which was not destroyed, but sold to stamp dealers.