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Post by PostmasterGS on Mar 21, 2014 1:22:30 GMT
However, there were also large order forms that presumably were used by the post office to order in bulk. This sheet is A3 size (11.7" x 16.5"), with blanks front and back. 1927 Hindenburg's Birthday Deutsche Nothilfe Issues
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Post by PostmasterGS on Mar 21, 2014 1:22:12 GMT
Here are a few neat pieces of German postal ephemera I thought I'd share. But as usual, first a little background... In 1924, Germany began issuing stamps to benefit the Deutsche Nothilfe (German Emergency Aid) social welfare program. The surcharge on each stamp went (theoretically) to benefit the needy of German society, including the elderly, children, and the infirm. Each year, the German government would issue one or two sets for this purpose. This program continued through 1935, and in 1936 was replaced with the similar Wintehilfswerk (Winter Relief) program. Normally, these stamps were purchased from the window at the post office. However, in order to accommodate large, special, or collector orders, they could also be purchased using order forms. These order forms had blanks for each stamp value, plus blanks for booklets (Markenheftchen) if they were issued in that manner, and postcards (Postkarten) if one was issued for the same occasion. The order forms normally took the form of postcards. 1926 Coat of Arms Deutsche Nothilfe Issues 1927 Hindenburg's Birthday Deutsche Nothilfe Issues 1928 Coat of Arms Deutsche Nothilfe Issues 1930 Buildings Deutsche Nothilfe Issues 1931 Buildings Deutsche Nothilfe Issues
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Post by PostmasterGS on Mar 21, 2014 0:10:26 GMT
vasia and Ryan, Sorry I'm late to the party. I wasn't following this thread. The German postmark in question is indeed a Bestellstempel. The literal translation is "postal carrier's stamp". They were used as arrival and delivery postmarks, depending on the location and frequency of deliveries. As Ryan said, there were many delivery shifts per day, and the time noted on the Bestellstempel notes the shift on which it was delivered.
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Post by PostmasterGS on Mar 14, 2014 10:27:39 GMT
In November 1943, the postmaster for German troops in the Crimea decided to relax a previous prohibition on shipping parcels back to Germany through the feldpost system. In order to control the amount of parcels being shipped, he required parcels to have postage in the amount of 20 Pf and a parcel permission stamp. The parcel permission stamps were printed by the local newspaper "Der Kampf", on newspaper in sheets of 10x10. The text reads "1 Päckchen Richtung Heimat", or 1 parcel to the homeland. They are found in two sizes -- Type I -- 41x23mm Type II -- 36x28mm The Type II also features a unique typesetting issue -- the "n" are actually inverted "u". These stamps are pretty rare, and currently catalog for €1,600 each.
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Post by PostmasterGS on Mar 1, 2014 3:43:21 GMT
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Post by PostmasterGS on Mar 1, 2014 3:43:08 GMT
Germany and Austria are, by far, the most common origins for Tauchbootbriefe letters. Bavaria are less common, and Hungary are the most rare. Bavarian inner envelope Hungarian inner envelope
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Post by PostmasterGS on Mar 1, 2014 3:42:54 GMT
Here's another Tauchbootbriefe from the cancelled third voyage. This one is unusual in that it's addressed to the German mission station in Nyenhangli, China via Swatow, China. German inner envelope The German authorities would mark many of the letters with a cachet stating "Zurück / Wegen Einstellung des Tauchbootbriefverkehrs zurück an Absender" (Return / Because of termination of the submarine mail service return to sender). German "Zurück" cachet This letter also bears a "Via San Francisco" directional cachet applied at Bremen to any trans-Pacific mail. German "Via San Francisco" directional cachet Because the service was cancelled, there is a notation to return the 2 Mark fee for the service. German refund cachet There's also a German censor mark "Q". German "Q" censor mark
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Post by PostmasterGS on Mar 1, 2014 3:42:41 GMT
In Bremen, the inner envelope was removed from the outer envelope and marked with a dated submarine cachet. Bremen Tauchbootbriefe cancel The T.B. stands for Tauchboot, and the DOR for Deutsch Ozean-Reederei. Austrian inner envelope The mail was also censored in the process. For mail originating in Austria, a common censor mark was the red rectangle bearing the phrase "Zensuriert K.u.k. Zensurstelle" (Censored K.u.k. censorship office) and the city. Austrian censor mark Germany also censored the mail, but in an effort to keep the U.S. from realizing this, the censor marks are small and unobtrusive. Thirteen varieties are known. German "&" censor mark
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Post by PostmasterGS on Mar 1, 2014 3:41:55 GMT
As stated above, on the first two voyages of the Deutschland, no mail was officially transported on the German-to-America leg other than by the above described procedure. For the cancelled third voyage, however, the German postal authorities offered to carry regular mail (as opposed to high-value mail requiring insurance) originating from within any of the Central Powers. To send mail by this manner was a complicated process. The sender had to attach the proper postage for normal foreign post and have it cancelled at the post office of origin, then place the entire letter, unsealed, in an outer envelope bearing only the words "Tauchbootbrief nach Bremen" (submarine letter to Bremen). The outer envelope was then franked to cover the cost of the service. Austrian outer envelope
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Post by PostmasterGS on Mar 1, 2014 3:41:42 GMT
For example, this certificate from the cancelled third voyage was for a shipment to Ecuador weighing 55 grams, requiring the addition of a 5 Mark Ozean-reederei stamp to cover the extra 5 grams. Michel 3 on insurance certificate (front) Michel 3 on insurance certificate (back) And this certificate, also from the cancelled third voyage, shows the addition of 75 Marks to cover the 150-200 gram rate (the package was 167 grams). Michel 15 on insurance certificate (front) Michel 15 on insurance certificate (back) Berlin insurance certificate cancel
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Post by PostmasterGS on Mar 1, 2014 3:41:25 GMT
On the Deutschland's first two voyages, the only items accepted for transportation were insured packages (another option was added for the aborted third voyage, but we'll get to that...). The process for shipping an item was that first, the mail had to be brought to the Insurance Bank offices in either Berlin, Hamburg, or Bremen. The Insurance Bank would issue an insurance certificate which bore an imprint of the 50 Mark design, and which was valid for mailings up to the 50 Mark rate (up to 50 grams). 50 Mark indicia on insurance certificate The certificates had three detachable coupons at the bottom -- one for the insurance bank, one for the agency bank, and one for the sender -- but these are rare on surviving certificates as they were detached upon issue. If the mail or package required more than 50 Marks postage and insurance, an insurance stamp was attached to the certificate to cover the difference. The first series of insurance stamps features the inscription "Deutsche Versicherungsbank Berlin / Wertbrief-Beförderung / Deutschland-Amerika 1916" (German Insurance Bank Berlin / Insured Letter Carrier / Germany-America 1916). Michel 3-8 The second series of insurance stamps differs slightly from the first in that the stamps don't have the inscription "Wertbrief-Beförderung / Deutschland-Amerika 1916" (Insured Letter Carrier / Germany-America 1916). They also feature a watermark of oblique wavy lines. Michel 9-16
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Post by PostmasterGS on Mar 1, 2014 3:41:06 GMT
One of my favorites -- the stamps of the Deutsch Ozean-reederei and the Tauchbootbriefe. By 1916, the German war effort was suffering under the weight of the Entente naval blockade, which had been in force since shortly after the outbreak of the war. Having been unsuccessful in its attempts to break the blockade, Germany decide to construct a class of unarmed cargo U-boats to serve as blockade runners. This class, the U-151 class, was originally to consist of seven boats, but only two, Deutschland and Bremen, were completed in accordance with the original specs. The remaining five were completed as heavily armed long-range U-boats. Deutschland as sea The Deutschland and Bremen were built by the Deutsche Ozean-Reederei (German Ocean Shipping Company), a subsidiary of the Norddeutscher Lloyd (North German Lloyd) shipping company and the Deutsche Bank, which was created explicitly for this enterprise. The Deutschland made two voyages to the U.S. In the summer of 1916, she delivered a cargo of chemical dyes, medical drugs, gems, and mail to Baltimore, Maryland, then returned to Bremerhaven with a cargo of nickel, tin, and crude rubber. Deutschland in port Deutschland crew in Baltimore In the fall of 1916, she delivered a cargo of gems, securities, and medicinal products to New London, Connecticut, and returned with a cargo of silver bullion. Deutschland in port, New London, Connecticut Before the Deutschland could embark on a third voyage, relations between Germany and the U.S. deteriorated significantly, so she was converted to an armed U-boat, the U-155. The Bremen departed Bremerhaven in September 1916 for Norfolk, Virginia. She reportedly carried funds which were to be used to pay an American firm to build more cargo submarines for Germany. She never arrived in Virginia, and her fate remains unknown.
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Post by PostmasterGS on Feb 27, 2014 2:13:14 GMT
Two from my collection came to mind: I bought this set of four for about $2. They are the German-occupied Serbia set issued on 22 Sep 1941 to benefit the victims of catastrophic damage to the city of Semendria. Michel catalog price for MNH, €13. As it turns out, the 2+4 Din stamp has a rare plate flaw -- the "front door" plate flaw -- not listed in Scott (which the seller was using), but listed in Michel's specialized catalog. I didn't see the plate flaw until months later when I scanned the stamp for posting to my website. Michel catalog value with the plate flaw, €450. And perhaps my favorite catch... These are the 1941 Banja Luka local issues from the Independent State of Croatia (German puppet state in Croatia during WWII). Michel catalog value for the pair is €1,500 (€750 for each). I paid about €400 for the pair. Once I got them home, I realized the 2 Din stamp had a rare plate flaw -- "Basanska" instead of "Bosanska". Michel catalog value for the 2 Din with that plate flaw -- €3,000.
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Post by PostmasterGS on Feb 21, 2014 22:48:41 GMT
On 1 August 1944, the Polish Home Army (the Armia Krajowa, or AK) launched a major operation in an attempt to liberate Warsaw from Nazi German control. This operation would come to be known as the Warsaw Uprising. Initially, the AK was able to gain control over large portions of the city. However, the Russians chose to withhold any assistance, and over the next two months, the Germans eventually gained the upper hand. On 2 October 1944, the final AK elements surrendered, returning full control of the city back over to the Germans. During the 2 months in which the Poles controlled portions of the city, there were several provisional postage stamps designed and/or issued for use. Here are a few. The first overprint issue consisted of overprints of the Generalgouvernement Hitler Head issues. The overprint reads "Poczta Polowa 1-VIII-1944 Warszawa", or "Fieldpost 1 August 1944 Warsaw". These were never issued for use. Fischer I-X Fischer I-X on album page The second set consisted of overprints of common Generalgouvernement stamps with a design featuring an eagle and the text "Poczta powstańcza w VI sierpień 1944", or "Post of the Uprising of 6 August 1944". Fischer 1-112 overprint In addition, the AK had Fieldpost issues. This set was issued on 3 September 1944. There were five colors, one for each of the districts of Warsaw held by the AK. The text reads "Poczta polowa", or "Fieldpost", with "AK" for the Armia Krajowa, and "1. VII 1944", the date of the uprising. Fischer 113, 114, 115, & 117 on piece Fischer 114-116 Finally, a second AK Fieldpost issue was designed, but it is not believed to have been used due to the end of the uprising. Fischer 118 Fischer 114-116 & 118 on album page For more info on the Warsaw Uprising, see Wikipedia. For more on the stamps of the Warsaw Uprising, see the Stamp Encyclopaedia Poland.
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Post by PostmasterGS on Feb 21, 2014 13:43:36 GMT
Rod, Here's some info on that commemorative cancel (or in German, Sonderstempel). It's listed in Bochmann as S 218. Translating that -- the first three lines are a description of the design (W/N/O/S, Compass Rose, MM Fair Symbol, Bridge). The a, b, c, etc., shows that it can be found with the letters a through i. The "Hd" indicates that it was a handstamp, and the dates indicate it was in use from 29 Aug to 5 Sep 1948. Finally, the last comment indicates it was used during the Herbstmesse, or Autumn Fair.
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Post by PostmasterGS on Jan 31, 2014 9:43:35 GMT
During WWII, the Germans, British, Americans, and Russians all created forged stamps or postcards of the opposing forces. Some were strictly for local propaganda purposes, while others were designed for introduction into the enemy postal systems. The Allies went so far as to devise and implement elaborate plans to introduced forged postal items into Germany. Here's one of the more common war forgeries, the British forgery of Germany's Feldpost Airmail stamp. The Feldpost Airmail stamp was used by German forces to get mail home more quickly than the normal Feldpost system. The original stamp: In 1943, the British printed these forgeries. They delivered over 200,000 to the British Special Operations Executive and 12,500 to the Free French. However, no evidence has come to light that they were ever actually used within the German Feldpost system. The stamps are of good quality printing, but are easily distinguishable from the original German issues. They differ in paper, perforation, and have several noticeable printing differences: - Open loop antenna - Dashes behind the rudder - Incomplete door lines And here they are in an entire sheet. For even more information, go to Propaganda and Espionage Philately.
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Post by PostmasterGS on Jan 31, 2014 9:39:40 GMT
Another highlight from the collection -- the British WWII forgery depicting Hans Frank. Hans Frank was a German lawyer and Nazi Party official who, upon the capture of Poland, became Governor-General of the Polish Generalgouvernement (the German administrative region covering occupied Poland). In this position, he was directly responsible for the atrocities committed on Polish citizens during the war, and as a result, he was tried at Nuremberg and executed after the war. In 1943, the British created this propaganda forgery depicting Frank. The stamp design is an imitation of the 1941 Generalgouvernement 20 Groschen Hitler Head Issue #77. The stamps were airdropped to the Polish Resistance in January-April 1943. The Resistance mailed a small quantity of covers, each containing a propaganda leaflet, bearing the stamp and two genuine 2-Groschen stamps to various addresses in Occupied Poland. The covers are rare (and even more rare with the original leaflet). The mint copies are less rare, but due to demand, the catalog value has risen quite a bit in the last few years -- from €500 (2001) to €3,200 (2013) for MNH. For even more information, go to Propaganda and Espionage Philately.
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Post by PostmasterGS on Jan 31, 2014 9:35:46 GMT
In 1942-43, the British created this propaganda forgery depicting Heinrich Himmler, Reichsführer of the SS. The stamp design is an imitation of the German Hitler Head definitives from 1941-44. The British Political Warfare Executive (PWE) produced these stamps as part of a complicated propaganda campaign. The stamps were used on mail sent throughout Germany in the hope of spreading the rumor that Himmler had ordered the stamps as part of secret preparations to become the new Führer. The plan was a failure however, in that the rumor was too far-fetched, and the design of the stamp was so close to the original Hitler Head definitive design that few noticed the stamp. Two major varieties exist. The first printing (28 II) from December 1942 has narrow lines, poor shading, white splotches on the face, and overall poor quality in the design. The April/May 1943 printing (28 I) has wider lines, and overall a much better, more attractive design. The Type numbers are the opposite of the printing order because the second printing (Mi 28 I) was the first reported variety. The second printing (28 I) is much rarer than the first (28 II), and catalogs much higher (€2,000 vs. €1,000). For even more information, go to Propaganda and Espionage Philately.
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Post by PostmasterGS on Jan 27, 2014 19:21:47 GMT
I use an HP, but only because it was the best deal I could find on a large format color laser (HP CP5225DN). Given my druthers, I prefer Epson.
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Post by PostmasterGS on Jan 26, 2014 2:23:04 GMT
Several years ago, the USPS changed its system for handling foreign registered mail to save money. Most registered is handled securely from the foreign country to the initial US processing center, and from the local PO to your door. But from the processing center to the local PO, it's lumped in with the regular mail.
For this reason, the German collecting community sent out notice in 2011ish to avoid registered, as it was actually less secure than first class. Having "registered" on the package was the equivalent of "steal me." Thieves working at the processing centers steal the registered mail looking for cash.
Many German sellers will no longer ship to the US for this reason, and I have to use third party shipping services to buy from them. Overall, I've lost about half a dozen items which "disappeared" in the processing center at JFK airport.
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Post by PostmasterGS on Jan 19, 2014 13:07:39 GMT
I'm pretty sure I have duplicates of all these, but I won't be reunited with my stamps until late February. If you don't find a set before then, remind me.
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Post by PostmasterGS on Jan 18, 2014 18:10:25 GMT
ILS,
From roughly what period? Pre- or post-1945 (meaning Germany, West Germany, or East Germany)?
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Post by PostmasterGS on Jan 10, 2014 2:36:34 GMT
I've never seen a forgery of these offered for sale. I think it's such an obscure set that it doesn't attract much attention.
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Post by PostmasterGS on Jan 9, 2014 17:23:44 GMT
Time for another slice of little-known philatelic history! The Brač Island occupation issues. Brač is a small island off the coast of what is now Croatia. At the outbreak of WWII, Brač was part of Yugoslavia. In 1941, Italian troops occupied the island as part of their drive into the Adriatic territories. Over the next two years, partisans fought an effective guerrilla war against the Italians in an effort to end the occupation. With the Italian capitulation in 1943, Germany launched Operation Morgenwind to take over the occupation of the island. From January - July 1944, the Germans fought an ongoing battle for control of the island with the local partisans. By July 1944, German forces were in retreat across the Eastern Front, so the occupying forces were withdrawn. Post-war, Brač became part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and is today a popular tourist destination in Croatia. So what's this have to do with philately, you ask?!? In January 1944, a small group of German officers decided to commission the printing of local postage for Brač, ostensibly as charity issues to benefit the local populace, but in actuality to make a profit for themselves. They officers had no authority to order the printing, as the issues were never authorized by the German Army's Feldpostmeister. A local print shop was ordered to produce the stamps, but was only equipped to overprint existing stamps. It was therefore decided to overprint stamps of the former Yugoslavia. Quantities printed were: 2+2 Kune -- 400 4+4 Kune -- 400 8+8 Kune -- 500 16+16 Kune -- 400 32+32 Kune -- 500 50+50 Kune -- 500 After printing, 50 sets were left in Dubrovnik, and the remainder transported to Brač, where a few were actually used. Of those transported to Brač but not used, it's believed that all were destroyed during the battle for the island in June 1944. The 50 sets left in Dubrovnik eventually came into the possession of local philatelist Erwin Zwerger. All known unused copies are believed to have come from these 50 sets.
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Post by PostmasterGS on Jan 4, 2014 2:22:13 GMT
I see these at German auctions all the time. The sheer variety is enough to convince me I never want to start collecting them, since I'd of course want one of each!
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Post by PostmasterGS on Jan 3, 2014 16:36:57 GMT
For those who design their own album pages (or would like to), here's info on some software I wrote to assist in the process. Works on PC, Mac, and Linux. Latest version is here. Video demos are here (basic album building functions) and here (photo straightening function). (enlarge and switch to HD for best viewing). The PMGS Stamp Album Page Generator for Scribus v1.04Requirements -- Scribus (free here) OpenOffice (free here) or LibreOffice (free here) Fiji (free here) -- required only if using photo straightening function Java SE (free)p here) -- required only if using photo straightening function What it does and how it worksThe package includes an OpenOffice/LibreOffice spreadsheet, a couple scripts, and a couple text files necessary for it to work. The basic album-building portion allows you to populate a spreadsheet with stamp info, the use the spreadsheet to select which stamps you want to build boxes for: Then set the settings for the stamp boxes: At the click of a button, the stamp data and settings are exported to a text file. Then, in Scribus, when you execute the script, you get this: Or this: Or this: In addition, v1.04 adds some optional photo manipuation features using Fiji which automatically crop, straighten, and measure the dimensions of a stamp. The plugin will take this... and with the click of a button and a short wait, produce this... Again with the click of a button, the stamp's dimensions can be imported into the Stamp Album Page Generator Spreadsheet. And when you insert the photo into the spreadsheet, the dimensions auto-populate. So overall, it's now easier to process the scans (no more manual realigning in Photoshop) and get their dimensions (no more trying to find where I laid my ruler). There are a few limitations for which I haven't yet found a workaround (hard-coded scan resolution being the big one), but overall, a neat little addition to the package. I also need to work on the processing algorithms to make them faster and more accurate, but that's a longer term project. This is a long-term labor of love, so if you encounter any bugs or have any suggestions, don't hesitate to let me know.
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Post by PostmasterGS on Dec 30, 2013 17:41:10 GMT
Another highlight from the collection -- the 1914 Luftschiffexpedition to New Guinea. Prior to WWI, the island of New Guinea was controlled by three European powers -- Germany, Britain, and the Netherlands. Despite their claims to the entirety of the island, very little of the territory had actually been explored. The interior is one of the most inhospitable places on Earth, and the colonial powers confined their settlements primarily to the coastal plains. Link to Google Map of German Post Offices in Deutsch-Neuguinea In 1913, the three colonial powers began planning for a joint expedition to New Guinea with the purpose of exploring and mapping the interior of the island via airship. The Dutch backed out of the project early on, but the Germans and English continued on schedule for a voyage in 1914. The airship was to be crewed by a joint crew, with scientists aboard from both countries. The man selected to lead the expedition was Lt Paul Graetz, a German officer who had famously been the first man to drive across Africa in an automobile. Graetz crossing a wooden bridge on his drive across Africa, 1907-1909 In order to promote and help finance the Luftschiff Expedition, a pair of stamps was printed beginning in Jully 1913. These stamps were not valid postage, but could be purchased as collectors' items or for use with valid postage. Proofs of 2 RM and 1,000 RM values exist, but only the 2 Pfennig and 1 RM values were produced for sale. Sieger ISieger IIThe Luftschiff Expedition was scheduled for 1914, but was cancelled due to the outbreak of World War I. The stamps therefore never made it into widespread circulation, and are considered extremely rare. Used copies are even more rare. Only three used copies of the 2 Pfennig value are known to exist. One of the other two known used copies of Si I is on cover with the only known used copy of Si II. It's the Holy Grail of these issues, and it was last seen at auction in September 2013, when it sold for €13,500. Si I and II on cover (not from my collection)Additionally, the Verlag der Hilfsstelle für vaterländische Arbeit (Publisher of the Aid Agency for Patriotic Work) in Berlin produced postcards advertising the Expedition. And as an added curiosity, here's a piece of German postal stationery (Frech 106B-16/02) produced in 1934 as an advertisement for Heinrich Keimel, a stamp dealer in Munich. On the front, a photo of the 2 Pfennig issue and the statement "Diese Marke such ich zu kaufen" (I'm looking to buy this stamp).
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Post by PostmasterGS on Dec 29, 2013 18:40:59 GMT
Here's another interesting little bit of philatelic history -- the Theresienstadt Parcel Admission Stamp. In the late 18th century, the Austrian emperor Joseph II ordered the construction of a fortress in Terezín, a small town in Bohemia (modern Czech Republic). The fortress was, in reality, two fortresses -- the walled town of Terezín and a smaller fortress across the Ohře River to the east. Over the year, the small fortress was used as a prison. Its most famous prisoner being Gavrilo Princip, the assassin of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. On June 10, 1940, the Gestapo took control of Terezín. They quickly established a prison in the small fortress and a Jewish ghetto within the town walls. This ghetto would be known as Theresienstadt, after the German name for the town. Aerial views of TheresienstadtBeginning on 10 July 1943, a new process was implemented for residents of Bohemia and Moravia wishing to send packages to residents of the ghetto. If a resident of the ghetto wished to receive a parcel, he could fill out a request every two months. The request would be forwarded to the Jewish Council in Prague, who would then send a notice to the proposed sender of the parcel. The sender, if in the Prague area, could stop in and pick up the stamp. Theresienstadt Parcel Admission StampIf the proposed sender was not in the Prague area, the stamp would be attached to the notice and mailed to the proposed sender. Notice with Parcel Admission Stamp attachedThe stamp had to be attached to the parcel itself. Because the wrapping paper was commonly destroyed as part of the parcel inspection, genuine used copies are scarce. Upon receipt of the parcel, the recipient could then send a pre-printed card to the sender acknowledging that the parcel had arrived safely. Theresienstadt Acknowledgment CardIn mid-1942, the German authorities began transforming the Theresienstadt ghetto into a "show camp" in an effort to quell criticism within the international community. A massive beautification project was undertaken in preparation for a visit in June 1944 by delegates of the International Red Cross and representatives of the government of Denmark. The delegates were given a guided tour in which they followed a red line on the ground and were not permitted to speak to most of the inhabitants. Somehow, the delegates were fooled by the German efforts, and published positive reports of the visit. The Germans were ecstatic, going so far as to produce a propaganda film about the visit. As part of the propaganda effort, souvenir sheets of the Theresienstadt Parcel Admission Stamp were produced for distribution to IRC delegates on official visits. These sheets were found in remainder stocks post-war. They can be found in black, brown, and dark green (still need a dark green in my collection!), and were numbered sequentially. A few proofs of the Red Cross sheets are known to exist. FrontBackImperf copies can be found, and are believed to be from remainder stock. Odd perf varieties exist as well. Proofs also exist in black and light green. The Theresienstadt stamps were initially printed in sheets of four. This was quickly abandoned, however, for efficiency reasons, and the printing shifted to sheets of 25. The sheets of four are extremely rare.
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Post by PostmasterGS on Dec 29, 2013 2:59:17 GMT
There was a tourism campaign by that name in the 1920s, as well as a book published around 1920 entitled "Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Das Kleinod deutscher Vergangenheit".
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Post by PostmasterGS on Dec 28, 2013 18:31:32 GMT
Another one from deep in the collection -- the Volkswagen Savings Stamp. In 1938, Germany began a program under which German citizens could register to buy a new Volkswagen. The cost of a sedan was 990 RM, plus any fees for special add-ons, insurance, or transportation. To buy a car, the German citizen would make payments in advance, for which he would receive savings stamps in either red or green color. Each stamp denoted 5 RM paid. The stamps were printed in sheets of 50. The stamps were mounted in a savings book and cancelled, with each savings book accounting for 250 RM paid. In theory, once the buyer had paid the requisite price and their registration number was reached, they would receive the car. Unfortunately for the buyers, the war intervened. The factory was converted to war production in 1939, and those few buyers who had taken delivery of a car had their cars confiscated in exchange for a voucher promising replacement after the war. This particular booklet shows that the buyer had paid 1000 RM (booklets 1-4 @ 250 RM each) of a total purchase price of 1190 RM. Included with this booklet was the receipt from the turn-in of booklet #4. With the end of the program, however, the buyer never made use of this booklet, #5. The two stamps pasted onto this booklet are forgeries attached after the fact. After the war, thousands of citizens who had paid money toward a car sued for reimbursement, but they were unsuccessful. Today, there are many copies of this savings stamp for sale on the Internet, and because of their unique design, they are relatively expensive. Unfortunately, many are forgeries, and it can be difficult to tell them apart. Genuine copies have a very tiny, faint "DAF" watermark. The easiest way to see the watermark is under UV light at just the right angle, or in a very high res scan that's been manipulated using photo editing software (that's the method I used below).
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