Greece - 1917 Revalued Issue

 

Occupation of Belgium

 

World War One Era Cover with Contents

 German Empire

November 23, 1915

Camenz, Silesia [Schlesien] to Germantown, Pennsylvania. [Today Camenz is Kamieniec Zabkowicki, Poland]. Franked with Pre-War 40 Pfennig Germania Issue - Michel Number 90 I. Handwritten “Amerika” and “Einschriben” [Signed For] and the Notation “via Philadelphia]. Camenz Registered Mail Label Affixed. American “Registered” Stamp Applied. Large Violet Rubberstamp: “Auslandstelle Cöln-Deutz” [Foreign Office - Cologne-Deutz]. Back-stamped with Two New York City Registered Mail Ovals [December 23, 1915] and a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Registered Mail Double Ring Cancellation [December 24, 1915].

Early Inflation Era - Weimar Republic

My scanner is old. This is the best image of this page I can make. The paper is thin enough to see the watermark. The 100 and 120 Pfennig stamps are moderately valuable. Michel lists them at  €40 and  €140 respectively. These came from a large 'on paper' lot I purchased about five years ago for something under ten dollars. Tell me what you think.

Just arrived today. Nice, huh?

Germany - Weimar Republic

Airmail

September 8, 1922

Postcard from München [Munich] Railway Postoffice No. 2 Sent to Dürrenmungenau.

Today Dürrenmungenau  is a municipality, part of the city of Abenberg 

 in the district of Roth,  Middle Franconia , Bavaria.

Franked with Two Michel Number 111 Ten Pfennig Stamps,

Three Michel Number 112 Stamps and a Ten Pfennig Stamp

[Either Number 159 or 178]

Paying One Mark, Fifty Pfennigs Postage.

Booklet Pane 1921

 New to my collection, this is Michel number H-blat 35, watermarked lozenges. Mint, never hinged. 

New to My Collection

 This is an ebay lot that I recently won for a minimal amount. I have some of these already and will resell or give away the extras. Some are second choice stamps But I am pleased. 

USA Army of Occupation - Germany 1919

 The American army was the last to leave Germany, but finding mail from occupying forces is difficult. This is a post card home from Corporal Archie Wilcox, serving in a Third Army artillery battery. As with most Soldier's Mail, it has a censor's rubber stamp and initials, and it's ratty. I do not know why most Army of Occupation mail is in worn condition, maybe from being passed from  hand to hand.

 

1872 and 1875 German Telegraph Stamps.

 Those valued in Groschen are the issue of 1872 for South Germany only. Michel lists these as:

2 1/2 Groschen. T3 

5 Groschen. T5

10 Groschen. T7

The Pfennig value was valid through out Germany.

40 Pfennigs. T13

Filling Holes

 This was an inexpensive ebay lot. It allowed me to improve my 1902 Germania collection. The mint hinged five pfennig is Michel Number 70a, opal green. The two mark Latin Script and German Script examples gave me Michel Number 82A and 82B. Eighty-two B lists at 40 Euros. The mint hinged three mark Michel Number 80 leaves me with mint examples of 80Aa and 80Ba. Nice, huh?

Apologies for image quality.

Michel Number 47

 Michel lists eleven shades - three of them at between sixty and one hundred Euros. I purchased a huge lot of them for seven dollars. It hasn't arrived yet, but from the photos most or all of the shades are present.

Here is the first page of the lot.

Germany - Provisional Government March 15, 1919

 Update on this:

Germany - Provisional Government - March 15, 1919

Stampless Army Offcial. Postage Due in Switzerland Assessed at Twenty-five Rappen (As Noted in Blue Crayon) and Reassessed at Fifty Rappen.  Postage Due Stamp Applied.

A Reply from Abteilung IV to a Deserter Seeking Amnesty. Official Seal on Reverse. Censor’s Mark on Front.

Translation:

We recommend that you first contact the district command or registration office responsible for you, with your military papers affixed or, in the absence of such, with precise details of the facts of the matter, which will provide you with reliable information about whether and under what conditions the amnesty ordinances issued also apply to you.

Only when you have received a certificate from this military authority that your military conditions are to be regarded as regular and when the issuance of a certificate of residence has been approved by the military do you want to apply for a certificate of residence. 

Early Airmail Cover - 1920

Gelsenkirchen, Westphalia, to Berlin. A Hennig produced cover. Karl Hennig, a stamp dealer, produced many early flight covers. In 1919 the Deutsche Luft Reederei introduced air mail operations to Berlin. This route was discontinued in December 1920.

Provisional Government - Communist Revolutions - 1919

 Scott catalogs the stamps issued by revolutionaries in Bavaria and Wurttemberg. But there were other attempts to create revolutionary governments. Shortly after the Kaiser abdicated, the red flag was raised over Hannover. The provisional government used the army and Freikorps fighters to suppress it. This is a field post post card from the era. 

 

Stampless Official Mail - Early Weimar Republic

 November 13, 1919

Stampless Reichsdientssache Mail [Reich’s Official Matter]. Flöha, Saxony, to Oederan, Saxony.

Addressed to Oederaner Wochenblatt  the Official Journal for the royal. Amtshauptmannschaft (Administrative District) in Flöha, the District Court and the city council of Oederan, and  for the municipal councils of Börnichen, and Breitenau.

Germany Mystery

 On first glance this appears to be an envelope corner cut square. It is the design of Michel number 43, probably 43 I. However, this is gummed with the same type of gum used on the regular issues. An envelope corner would not be gummed. Michel notes imperforate issues, pricing them as pairs and strips, The margins seem too wide for that. So ... What is this?

This is the best image I can get from my antique scanner. Can you help?

Provisional Government - March 15, 1919

 Censored, no stamps available, pen notation showing payment, but Swiss post office affixed postage due. Amount charged is twice the rate due. Can you add to this?

Early Inflation Post Card

 A pair and two singles of Michel 141, ten pfennig Germania issue in Red-Orange. Sent by Jakob Lucas, a "horse handler" in Oberhausen, Rhineland, to Erna Lucas in Freudenstadt, September 1, 1921. I've lightened the address portion for image clarity. I cannot read the old-fashioned script. Can you translate it?

Deutsches Reich on Bavarian Stamps

 New to my collection. I will sell the stamps lacking overprint. The rest will find a home in my Weimar Republic albums.

Prussian Local Official paired with National Official - December 17, 1920

 

Constitutional Convention Issue on a Post Card

This is Michel Number 110. I'm not certain of the shade. Two of the listed shades have moderate value. But I did not buy it because I thought it might be 110 a or b. I purchased it for the cancellation, which, as you can see is a railway obliteration for the Cassel - Frankfurt Bahnpost. 

What is it?

 I haven't a clue. Do you know?

German Empire - Pre-paid Stationary - One Groschen

 Type of 1872; Michel Number U5 I

German Empire - Large Shield Variety - Values in Groschen

 

German Empire - 1874 Large Numerals Over Eagle.

 

German Empire - 1872 Large Shield Variety - Values in Kreuzer

 

1872 Empire Telegraph Stamps

 Hard to find in decent condition. Note the two types of "5." Values in Groschen. The black line indicates receipt and the reddish line indicates delivery. 

1872 One Groschen Large Shield Issue

 Railway post office usage. 

1872 Number of Value - Values in Groschen

 Used in the German Empire's Northern States. These are printed in hard to scan pale colors. 

Small Shield Issues of 1872 - Values in Kreuzer

 

1872 Small Shield Issues - Values in Groschen

 As I noted in a previous post, some of my specimens are in rough shape. I'm slowly upgrading these. In the early Empire period a large variety of postal marks and cancellation devices were used. The "box" shaped cancellations are railway post office cancels. 

Empire - Small Shield Issues

 The first stamps of the Unified German Empire depicted the national symbol, an eagle, with a shield on it's breast. These are found in small and large shield varieties. They are hard to find in 'perfect' condition. Alas, some of mine need to be upgraded.

This is a folded letter to New York City with three one Groschen small shield stamps paying the international rate.

During the "Lock Down."

 Hi everyone,

In this era of social distancing, I cannot share my stamp collection with friends. This blog is my substitute for socializing with friends who also collect.

I'm a living antique. I started collecting in a 1937 Scott Modern Album, progressed to the Blue Scott International, volumes 1 and 2, then to the old Brown International Albums. Along the way I developed separate collections for Austria, France and Germany. I have a very specialized collection of Frankfurt am Main postage during its independence. I have a neglected album of World War One material. Can you tell, I just like to collect stamps?

So I'll show you 'bits' of my collection. I hope you enjoy this blog. Your comments are welcome. 

Oh, the blog title? I outgrew the Blue Scott International Albums decades ago. Hence, the title.

German Empire

Revenue stamps were issued some weeks before the first postage stamps. I include Deutscher Wechsel Stempel revenues in my collection because they're were used to pay tax on currency exchange and are  often found on postal money orders to or from the German Empire.

These are the issue of 1871 valued in Groschen. At unification Northern German States used Groschen, Southern States used Kreuzer. These are valued in Groschen.

These were printed in shades of violet with number of value in brown 

with values from 1 to 300 Groschen. As you can see, there are many shades.

The 60 Groschen, bottom right, is so pale that it won't

successfully scan.

Stamps of this are also found with the number of value in black.

If you know more details, please leave a comment.