Emergency money from the Tsar

Just before the First World War, in 1913, a series of stamps was issued in Russia in 17 different denominations to commemorate the anniversary of the immensely wealthy Romanov imperial family, which was then in power. The House of Romanov had ruled the vast empire for 300 years. The first Tsar (Emperor) of the Russian Empire was Peter I, also known as Peter the Great. Tsar Nicholas II reigned from 1894 to 1917. He is also depicted on a stamp from the series, with a value of 10 kopecks. His father, Alexander III (1881-1894), is depicted on the 3 kopeck stamp. Other tsars include, for example, Alexander I (1801-1825) on the 20 kopeck stamp and Nicholas I on the 15 kopeck stamp. The stamps were printed on ordinary stamp paper and were used for franking letters, cards, parcels, and so on. However, in 1914, the First World War broke out with the Central Powers (Germany and Austria-Hungary) on one side and the Allies (Great Britain, France, and Russia) on the other. The war had broken out following the assassination of Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. On July 28, 1914, Austria declared war on Serbia. Russia was an ally of Serbia and supported the small state. Germany came to Austria's aid, and thus the First World War began.   Due to all the war efforts and the shortage of raw materials, the production of money also came under pressure. In 1915, the need in Russia was so great that it was decided to issue emergency money. Other countries, such as Germany, manufactured emergency money from aluminum, zinc, and even iron. But Russia desperately needed metals for the war industry and turned to paper. Or rather, to thin cardboard. Several stamps from the Romanov series were reprinted on that thicker paper and perforated so that they resembled 'real' stamps. An overprint was applied to the reverse side. Some overprints bore the value indication of the stamp, such as 3 KOP, while others featured only the coat of arms of the Tsars. Both overprints included the text: The value is equivalent to and a substitute for the silver coins.   The paper coin stamps were NOT valid for franking mail, but were to be used exclusively as change. Nevertheless, letters bearing such a stamp do exist. These letters are very rare. Stamps in a coin collection? It is possible!    Are coin collectors also stamp collectors? Or are stamp collectors also coin collectors? Let me know!