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That's a very interesting page.

I wonder if the second reproduction was ever issued.

Also, once again, you can see that reference to the Leipzig C1 (10b) Post Office which must've worked absolutely flat out producing all those commemorative cancels

So, this is where I will either lose everyone's interest in this thread, or find out where the hardcore collectors are...

On 17 December, 1945 the Province of Saxony issued two stamps promoting Land Reform within the province. The stamps were issued imperf in sheets of 50 (5x10).

Surprisingly, these stamps did NOT carry a premium, and are not widely found used on "Donation Cards".

The issue seems to have seen widespread postal use, and is one of the more common of the early Soviet Zone issues. This was probably a more effective propaganda tool than the stamps with inflated semi-postal premiums.

This cover is almost certainly philatelic, but showcases well the enormous sheet margins the issue was printed with. With the shortages of paper at this time, it is surprising that sheets with such wide margins were printed.

In common with several other issues, the postal administration gave authority to certain Postmasters to arrange for local "separation" of the stamps to be made.

The Postmaster at Wittenberg-Lutherstadt had the stamps perforated 11½.

This is an example of the two stamps both used at Schkeuditz.

The fact that the two bear the same date suggests that these may have been CTO'd

As well as fully-perforated examples, Wittenberg-Lutherstadt produced horizontally-perforated sheets (here seen as marginals)...

...and vertically-perforated examples.

The Bodenreform issue was also rouletted in a number of towns, including Schlieben.

OK, so far, so good...

On 21 February 1946, the Province of Saxony "Bodenreform" stamps were reissued on so-called "Cigarette Paper".

The paper was watermarked with Greek lettering, and the stamps exist with the watermark in four orientations as shown in the diagram above:

W = sideways to right
X = sideways to left
Y = inverted
Z = upright.

Paradoxically, the upright (and inverted) are rarer than the sideways watermarks on these issues.

Watermark W - Sideways to Right

These Cigarette-Paper issues don't scan brilliantly, but you should be able to see clearly the orientation of the watermark on them.

They're marginally better scanned on white, but then you can't see the watermarks as clearly

Watermark X - Sideways to Left

The 6pfg also has a listed flaw - Type I - two white flecks in the fields (one at the left, and one under the r.h. horse's nose)

Watermark Y - Inverted

I could've done that thing where you show the stamps upside down to "prove" they have an inverted watermark, but you'll have to take my word for it

Watermark Z - Upright

Almost (but not quite) the last "horse ploughing a field" stamp I'm going to show tonight, this is the elusive "normal" orientation.

Positive the last of these (for now...).

And this one is really just here as a "link" to the next few things I want to show, which come under the general heading of "Misperforations".

This is an example of the Wittenberg-Lutherstadt Postmaster Perforations, showing a spectacular misperf which leaves us with a big chunk of someone else's stamp.

There'll be a collector out there somewhere with the "skinny" one completely missing the "Provinz Sachsen" inscription!!!

Misperfs of these "Postmasters" are, possibly surprisingly, few and far between.

Misperfs occurred right across the Soviet Zone - this one is on one of the Berlin-Brandenberg "Bears", resulting in the inscription appearing at the bottom of the stamp.

I should really call this a "Misroul" as it is misplaced rouletting, not perforations at all...

An East Saxony example of a Misperf, on the Reconstruction issue.

Here, as in many cases, the stamp was (at least approximately) cut to shape to give the customer at least a semblence of the full design!!!

Another East Saxony perforation error, this one being Imperf at the bottom.

Ironically, this was the first issue to be produced perforated - earlier issues in this design were imperf, but with local "Postmaster" Perfs added in some cases.

One from West Saxony, this one has an extra horizontal row of perforations near the top of the design.

Three examples of misperfs from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

If you look closely, the children's charity stamp on the left actually has two additional lines of perfs in the top margin.

The Land Reform and Rebuilding stamps to the right are both examples of the vertical perforations being badly misplaced and "cut to shape".

Not all the misperfs went straight into the hands of collectors.

This later Soviet Zone General issue is postally used, and shows a clear second strike of the perforator.

The postmark is dated 1950, which is into the DDR period, but well within the validity period of these stamps, which lasted until 1954.

Finally for tonight, I'm slotting these one in here because they probably won't fit anywhere else...

The Thuringia definitive issue of 1945 has many complexities - paper types, shades, gum variations - to name but a few. The higher values (20pfg and 30pfg) were issued imperf and perforated...

...but these five lower values were only authorised for issue perforated.

So these are effectively a spectacular "misperf" in that they completely missed being perfed at all

There are also miniature sheet stamps which are imperf, but the shades and paper (and the fact these appear to be postally used, not cto) lead me to believe these are from imperf sheets (they are listed as such in Michel).

If ever there was a thread to encourage people away from new issues and back to studying postal history or stamps..... even modern solo use on cover. I'll get there, soon - and Thursday's foretaste of next year's new issues may do it.

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Ian Billings - Norvic Philatelics GB stamps info: http://www.norphil.co.uk - also /catalog for our ecommerce site, blog.norphil.co.uk, shop.norphil.co.uk and Ian_norvic on twitter

[quote="gavin-h"]


I just love the propaganda on some of these, like the one saying
Junkerland into peasants' hands.

Exactly .. some stunning perf freaks in the last posts!

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.
Click HERE to see superb, RARE and unusual stamps, at FIXED low nett prices, high rez photos, and NO buyer fees etc!

If I may interject with a basic question:

Michel lists #195 and 195a for the 60pf, pictured below. What's the difference? Alignment of the overprint? A shade?

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Cheers,
Bob

195 is (hell)braunkarmin bis braunrot
A195 is (mittel)karminbraun bis lebhaftrotbraun

I would think that fairly straightforward - but if you can't translate German then you should also have Michel's 'Introduction fo English-speaking readers' which reprints their catalogue introduction in English with translations of colours and philatelic terms and symbols as used in the catalogue. Unless you are fluent in German or very intuitive it's a must.

So:
195 is (pale)brown-carmine to brown-red
A915 is (mid)carmine-brown to bright red-brown

Does this help (it wouldn't help me!)

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Ian Billings - Norvic Philatelics GB stamps info: http://www.norphil.co.uk - also /catalog for our ecommerce site, blog.norphil.co.uk, shop.norphil.co.uk and Ian_norvic on twitter

Thanks, Ian. The Michel English edition you mentioned has been on my list since Gavin mentioned it in this thread earlier.



The explanation itself does help, but those color descriptions, well they just kinda put a smile on my face.

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Cheers,
Bob

I don't have the English catalogue, just the 20-page supplement they produced way back. Had 2 but gave one to somebody else I think.

Look on their website, they may advertise it - or ask your friendly local catalogue dealer.

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Ian Billings - Norvic Philatelics GB stamps info: http://www.norphil.co.uk - also /catalog for our ecommerce site, blog.norphil.co.uk, shop.norphil.co.uk and Ian_norvic on twitter

We have a thread somewhere on the English Michel Specialised. I bought one and have never used it to be honest.

Post was the killer to me but in Europe it should be pretty cheap to ship?

Shipping isn't cheap from Germany but within each country most should have wholesalers who can supply and dealers (even at fairs) who can get from those wholesalers. (Maybe not Slovenia but no real reason why not.)

_________________
Ian Billings - Norvic Philatelics GB stamps info: http://www.norphil.co.uk - also /catalog for our ecommerce site, blog.norphil.co.uk, shop.norphil.co.uk and Ian_norvic on twitter

Both. I regularly shop at a local dealer, the last street shop here in Ljubljana, and have a growing shopping list for a show here next month.

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Cheers,
Bob

Thanks for posting this. The difference is crystal clear here, QUITE unlike my two examples, which were sold to me as 195 and 195a. There's a very slight difference in my pair, but I'm starting to think I got shafted on this one. Luckily I didn't pay very much for it.

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Cheers,
Bob

Finsterwalde - Rebuilding semi-postals.

Complete set including both shades of the 5pfg and 30pfg values.

The "normal" 5pfg was the lighter green shade and the "normal" 30pfg was the darker green. The alternate colours are effectively in error due to mix-ups in the printing process.

Finsterwalde - full set of 12 on cover.

Clearly a Philatelic or "Collector" cover - these are not uncommon for this issue, but this one is used at Altenburg in Thuringia, which is less common.

Cottbus - basic "Rebuilding" set of 20, many including selvedge.

Note the varying widths of the selvedge which is typical on this issue - as is the "variable" centering

3 values of the Cottbus Rebuilding set on cover, with 2 x "Trizone" numeral definitives to make the rate up to 84pfg, which was the correct registered rate.

Postally used examples of this issue with the correct rate are rare - most covers are over-franked "Collector" covers. This one has at least a fighting-chance of being a legitimate usage, although a rather neat one...

Also interesting here is the use of a Kempen registration label with a rubber hand-stamped Cottbus overprint.

Cottbus - imperf example of the top 5RM value of the Rebuilding issue.

As with many of these local issues, perforation errors resulting in one or more imperf sides occur on several values.

I really like this one, it's nice to see you posting more of your never ending hoard after a short hiatus.

Cottbus - Imperf Proof copy of 60pfg value of the Rebuilding issue.

I have some doubts about the legitimacy of this one. It's nowhere near as "crisp" as I'd expect a proof to be, which leads me to suspect this may be a later reproduction. Any thoughts/comments welcome...

Cottbus - Rebuilding - high values without coloured background.

These are listed as a separate issue from the previous ones, although they were released on the same day (17 January 1946).

Given that the coloured background would act as a security device, it's somewhat surprising that they decided to issue the high values without it as well. Possibly an early example of deliberately issuing a "variety" to catch collectors

Just curious as to what the writing below Lutherstr. 36 says?

Cottbus - Stamp Day issue.

Seven values of the Rebuilding issues were overprinted with a surcharge and a bar crossing out the premium of the original issue.

Paradoxically, even though the overprint date is 10.1.46, these were issued on 17 January (the same date as the unoverprinted stamps).

There are several different types of overprint - check out the "+" which on the 5pfg is more like a crucifix, and on the 12pfg is in the style of a "dagger"

Perleberg - set of five "obliterator" overprints on Hitler Head definitives.

These are either cto or have had a fake cancel added. They were postally only valid until 26 June 1945 and these cancels are all dated in August.

(The 42pfg is not damaged - the position of the overprint makes it appear that the rh perfs are missing, but on a white background it would be clear that they are intact).

Thanks for your positive support


I'm not certain, but it looks like "In Sarfford" or something like that - probably additional addressing information.

Hopefully one of our German members will be better at reading the script than we are

It`s written the old German type and reads "in Sachsen" that is "in Saxony".

The letter went from Cottbus in Brandenburg to Crimmitschau in Saxony.

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Wolfgang
Papua New Guinea stamps and postal history: http://www.i-ng.org

Thanks Wolfgang, I can read some German but the current script is Chinese to me.

Thanks, Wolfgang - I'll keep hold of that info

In some parts of Occupied Germany, the allied forces insisted that a "Latin" script was used, and having seen some of the more traditional styles like this, it's easy to see why that would be helpful to the censors

That`s true, the Allied insisted on writing messages in Latin, but older people - like my grandparents - only learned the old style and could not but write this kind called "Sueterlin".

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Wolfgang
Papua New Guinea stamps and postal history: http://www.i-ng.org

Kurrent and Sueterlin are the same!

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Wolfgang
Papua New Guinea stamps and postal history: http://www.i-ng.org

That would explain why so many Allied Occupation covers have very uneven Latin script - for people like your Grandparents, it must have been very difficult.


...which is a good reason not to always trust Wikipedia