WEST GERMANY and BERLIN

Deutschland - Allemagne

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Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
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evert@klaseboer.com.


West Germany (Federal Republic; 'Deutsche Bundespost')

1949 Inscription '1.BUNDES TAG 1949 BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND DEUTSCHE POST'

  10 p green
  20 p red


Imperforated minisheet with two 'Faksimile'. The word 'Faksmile' is written at the bottom of each stamp.

I have seen imperforate forgeries of both stamps with inscription 'FAUX' written at the bottom of the stamp.

 

1949 100 year German stamps '100 JAHRE DEUTSCHE BRIEFMARKEN DEUTSCHE POST', images of first stamps of Bavaria

  10 p + 2 p green and black (image of 1 k black Bavaria stamp)
  20 p red and blue (image of 3 k blue Bavaria stamp)
  30 p blue and brown (image of 6 k brown Bavaria stamp)

I have seen imperforate forgeries of these stamps with inscription 'FAUX' at the left hand bottom corner.

 

1949 75 years UPU '75 JAHRE WELTPOSTVEREIN 1874 1949 DEUTSCHE POST', portrait of Stephan, general post office in Berlin and 'Standehaus' in Bern

  30 p blue

I've seen a 'Reproduction' with inscription 'Reproduktion 1984' at the bottom, issued for the 'Salon der Philatelie' in Hamburg (1984).

 

Examples of the more common sets:

 

1951 Posthorn, inscription 'DEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST' so-called 'Ziffernserie' or 'posthornserie', first issued 20 June 1951

  2 p green
  4 p brown
  5 p lilac
  6 p orange
  8 p grey
  10 p green
  15 p violet
  20 p red
  25 p lilac

Slightly larger size
  30 p blue
  40 p lilac
  50 p blue
  60 p brown
  70 p yellow
  80 p red
  90 p green

The values 2 p to 25 p have solid background, the values 30 p to 90 p have a lined background. Some values exist printed on top or besides each other (from a stamp booklet consisting of two rows of 5 stamps: two 20 p stamps in the upper left, three 4 p stamps in the upper right, two 20 p stamps in the lower left and three 6 p stamps in the lower right). Another stamp booklet consists of 9 stamps (two rows of 5), with five 20 p stamps on top, a label with a green cross in the bottom left corner and four 10 p stamps in the rest of the bottom part.

The whole set exists as 'facsimile' (=forgery). These facsimiles seem to be quite common and were made in 1982 to commemorate the 30 years existance of these stamps. They are issued in two minisheets with an additional 'stamp' with inscription '30 JAHRE ZIFFERSERIE'. The first minisheet contains all the lower values and the second minisheet contains the larger sized stamps. If I'm well informed, the word 'FAKSIMILE' is written at the bottom of each stamp.

Another set of reprints was issued in 1986 to commemorate the 35 years existance of these stamps. These stamps have written 'Faksimile 1986' at the bottom. All values were issued on 2 mini-sheets (one for the lower values and one for the higher values). In the upper left hand side of each sheet an additional label is printed with inscription '35 JAHRE ZIFFERSERIE'.


'Reprint' of 2002

In 2002 another set of 500 'reprints' or 'replikate' was made by the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Aktie Philatelie (Frankenberg, Eder) of all values, however with very peculiar perforation. They were pasted on 'first day covers' with the dates corresponding to the dates of the original stamps. The above image shows an example.

 

1954 Fancy numeral '1'


Here together with a 20 p Heuss stamp, reduced size

  1 p grey

 

1954 President Heuss, inscription 'DEUTSCHE' at bottom and 'BUNDESPOST' at right hand side


President Heuss, 1954 design

  2 p green
  4 p brown
  5 p lilac
  6 p brown
  7 p blue
  8 p grey
  10 p green
  15 p blue
  20 p red
  25 p brown
  30 p blue
  30 p green
  40 p blue
  50 p olive
  60 p brown
  70 p violet
  80 p orange
  90 p green

Slightly larger design
  40 p lilac
  50 p grey
  60 p brown
  70 p green
  80 p red
  90 p green

Larger design
  1 M green
  2 M blue
  3 M lilac

I've seen the 5 p and 10 p printed together, either besides or on top of each other (other values also exist printed side by side, all originating from stamp booklets). I've also seen the 20 p with a 1 p numeral printed together with some space in between.


Reduced size


Saarland issue in a similar design

Similar stamps were issued for Saarland, one set with no currency indicated (1 green, 2 violet, 3 brown, 4 lilac, 6 red, 10 grey, 12 orange, 15 light blue, 18 red, 25 violet, 30 violet, 45 olive, 50 brown, 60 red, 70 orange, 80 green, 90 dark green, 100 red, 200 violet) and another with currency in 'F' (1 F green, 3 F blue, 5 F olive, 6 F brown, 10 F violet, 12 F orange, 15 F green, 18 F black, 20 F yellow, 25 F red, 30 F lilac, 35 F brown, 45 F blue, 50 F brown, 70 F green, 80 F blue, 90 F red, 100 F orange, 200 F green, 300 F blue). The 100 red, 200 violet, 100 F orange, 200 F green and 300 F blue are larger in size.

 

1959 President Heuss, new design, 'DEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST' in circle


President Heuss, 1959 design

  7 p blue
  10 p green
  20 p red
  40 p blue
  70 p violet 

These stamps also exist with inscription 'DEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST BERLIN' (all values) to be used in Berlin.

 

1970 President Heinemann


President Heinemann, stamp for Berlin and West Germany in similar designs 'DEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST BERLIN' and 'DEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST'.

With inscription 'DEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST'
  5 p black
  10 p brown
  20 p dark green
  25 p green
  30 p red
  40 p orange
  50 p blue
  60 p violet
  70 p brown
  80 p green
  90 p red
  1 DM green
  110 p grey
  120 p yellow
  130 p light brown
  140 p blue
  150 p red
  160 p orange
  170 p orange
  190 p brown
  2 DM violet


With inscription 'DEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST BERLIN'
  5 p black
  8 p olive
  10 p brown
  15 p olive
  20 p green
  25 p green
  30 p brown
  40 p light brown
  50 p blue
  60 p grey
  70 p brown
  80 p green
  90 p red
  1 DM green
  110 p grey
  120 p light brown
  130 p light brown
  140 p blue
  150 p red
  160 p orange
  190 p brown
  2 DM violet

 

1971 Safety issue, inscription 'JEDERZEIT SICHERHEIT'

  5 p orange (fire)
  10 p brown (falling from ladder)
  20 p violet 
  25 p green (poison)
  30 p red (falling stone)
  40 p red (electricity)
  50 p green
  60 p blue (play and traffic)
  70 p blue and green
  100 p olive (heavy loads)
  150 p brown (manhole)
  

American, British and French Occupation of Berlin

1948 stamps of Germany ('DEUTSCHE POST'), overprinted 'BERLIN':

  2 p black (overprint black or red)
  6 p lilac (overprint black or red)
  8 p red (overprint black or red)
  10 p (overprint black or red)
  12 p grey
  15 p brown (overprint black or red)
  16 p green
  20 p blue (overprint black or red)
  24 p light brown
  25 p yellow (overprint black or red)
  30 p brown (overprint black or red)
  40 p lilac (overprint black or red)
  50 p blue (overprint black or red)
  60 p brown (overprint black or red)
  80 p (overprint black or red)
  84 p green

Larger size (with dove of peace)
  1 M green
  2 M violet
  3 M red
  5 M blue

Different overprint type and surcharged

  '10' on 24 p light brown
  '20' on 80 p blue
  '1' on 3 M red

Forged 'BERLIN' overprints are plentifull.

 

1948 Stamp of the Bi-zone of 1946 (value in ellipse), surcharged and overprinted 'BERLIN'

  '5' on 45 p red

 

1949 Various views, inscription 'DEUTSCHE POST'

  1 p black (Berlin Brandenburger Tor)
  4 p light brown (Berlin Schoneberg Rudolf Wilde Pflatz)
  5 p green (Berlin Tegel Schloss)
  6 p lilac (Berlin Reichtagsgebaude)
  8 p red (design as 4 p)
  10 p green (Berlin Kollonaden am Kleistpark)
  15 p brown (Berlin Tempelhof airport)
  20 p red (Technische Hochschule Berlin Charlottenburg)
  25 p orange (design as 5 p)
  30 p blue (design as 10 p)
  40 p lilac (design as 4 p)
  50 p olive (design as 6 p)
  60 p brown (Berlin Nationalgalerie)
  80 p blue (design as 20 p)
  90 p green (design as 20 p)

Larger size
  1 DM green (Berlin-Tempelhof airport) 
  2 DM lilac (Berlin-Gendarmenmarkt)
  3 DM red (Berlin Brandenburger Tor)
  5 DM blue (Berlin-Tegel Schloss)

 

1949 Goethe issue, various portraits of Goethe

  10 p green
  20 p red
  30 p blue

Forgeries exist of all three values with inscription 'FAUX' at the bottom of the stamp. I've also seen them imperforate.


Imperforate forgeries with 'FAUX' written at the bottom.

 

1949 75 years UPU, inscription '75 JAHRE WELT-POST VEREIN', statue of Heinrich von Stephan

  12 p grey
  16 p green
  24 p light brown
  50 p olive
  60 p brown

Larger size
  1 DM green
  2 DM lilac

Some 'reproductions' were made for the 'Salon der Philatelie in Hamburg 1984' (World Postal Congress). They consist of one minisheet with the values 12 p, 16 p, 24 p, 50 p and 60 p with inscription 'Reproduktion 1984' at the bottom of each stamp. Another minisheet exists with the values 1 DM and 2 DM, they also have written 'Reproduktion 1984' written at the bottom of each stamp.

 

1950 Freedom bell of Berlin ('FREIHEITSGLOCKE BERLIN')

This design exists in three different types (the bottom part of the bell is in the center, at the left, or at the right).

 

Most later issues have inscription 'DEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST BERLIN'


Copyright by Evert Klaseboer