GERMANY INFLATION PERIOD, 1921-1923, Part 2

Return To Catalogue - Inflation period, part 1 - Inflation period, part 3 - Germany Overview

Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
contact me if you want to purchase them: evert@klaseboer.com.

From 1921 to 1923 Germany was hit by a large inflation, in 1921 you could send a letter for a about 50 pfennig, in 1923 this went up to 50000000000 Marks! In 1923 a new currency was introduced.

Warning: Since these stamps were only in use for very short periods (the inflation of the money was very rapid), unused stamps are more common than used stamps. Especially for rarer used stamps, forged cancellations can be found very often!

(Forged cancel 'BRAUNSCHWEIG', reduced size)

1921 Number, large stamps

  5 M orange
  10 M red
  50 M blue
  100 M lilac
  200 M red
  300 M green
  400 M brown
  500 M orange
  1000 M grey
  2000 M bue
  3000 M brown
  4000 M violet
  5000 M green
  100000 M red

For the specialist; these stamps exist with two different watermarks: 'lozenges' or 'crossed lines'. The perforation is 14.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon			*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Watermark 'lozenges'		Watermark 'crossed lines'		Remarks
	Unused	Used	Unused	Used
5 M	c	c	c	c
10 M	c	c	c	c
50 M			c	c
100 M	c	c	c	c
200 M	vc	vc	vc	c
300 M	vc	c	vc	c
400 M	vc	c	vc	c
500 M	c	c	vc	c
1000 M			vc	vc
2000 M			vc	vc
3000 M			vc	vc
4000 M			vc	vc
5000 M			vc	vc
100000 M			vc	vc

I have seen the 500 Mk overprinted with 'German - American Press Association of Chicago', advertisement overprint?

1921 Ploughing man

  20 M blue

Overprinted 'Rhein Ruhr Hilfe' and value

  1000 M + 20 M blue

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon			*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Watermark 'lozenges'		Watermark 'crossed lines'		Remarks
	Unused	Used	Unused	Used
20 M	*	c	c	c
Rhein Ruhr Hilfe
10 M			*	*

1922 Munchen exhibition, arms of Munich, inscription 'DEUTSCHE GEWERBE-SCHAU MUENCHEN 1922'

  1 1/4 M red
  2 M violet
  3 M orange
  4 M blue
  10 M brown
  20 M red

For the specialist; the stamps 1 1/4 M to 4 M have watermark 'crossed lines'. The values 10 M and 20 M have watermark 'lozenges'. The perforation is 13 1/2.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 1/4 M	vc	vc
2 M	vc	vc
3 M	c	c
4 M	vc	c
10 M	vc	c
20 M	c	*

Some large (about twice the size of the stamps) labels:

Label in the same design as the stamps 1 1/4 M brown

Label with woman design, 20 M green

Label with arms, 20 M blue; I have also seen 20 M red and 20 M brown

1922 Girl planting flowers

  6 + 4 M blue and yellow
  12 + 8 M red and blue

For the specialist; these stamps have watermark 'crossed lines'. The perforation is 14.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
6 + 4 M	c	c
12 + 8 M	c	c

1923 Wartburg castle and Cologne (Koln) cathedral

  5000 M blue (Wartburg Castle)
  10000 M olive (Cologne cathedral)