BAVARIA 1876-1913 (Germany)

Return To Catalogue - Bavaria 1867-1876 - Bavaria overview- Other German States - Germany

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.

For stamps of Bavaria issued from 1867 to 1876, click here.

ARMS OF BAVARIA (Pfennig issues)

1876 Arms of Bavaria, value in 'pfennig', the lions and arms are embossed

  2 Pfennig grey
  3 Pfennig green
  3 Pfennig brown
  5 Pfennig green
  5 Pfennig lilac
  10 Pfennig red
  20 Pfennig blue
  25 Pfennig brown
  25 Pfennig orange
  30 Pfennig green
  40 Pfennig yellow
  50 Pfennig red
  50 Pfennig brown
  80 Pfennig lilac

For the specialist, two types of perforation exist: a wide one (11 1/2, issued 1876) and a narrow one (14 1/2, issued 1888), not all values exist in both perforations. For similar stamps, but value in 'KREUZER' click here. Full sheets of the pfennig types consists of 60 stamps initially, but later (1888 onwards) 100 stamps formed one sheet.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Larger sizes values in 'MARK'

  1 M (imperforate, 1874) lilac
  1 M lilac (1876)
  2 M orange (1876)
  3 M brown (1900)
  5 M green (1900)

The 1 M imperforate appeared before the Mark was introduced in Bavaria. It was supposed to be used on parcels for the other German States. Full sheets of the Mark values consist of 50 stamps.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Surcharged '20' in blue in the four corners

  20 on 3 Pf brown

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

I have seen a 5 pf green stamp with overprint '1 Piastre', I presume this is a bogus issue.

Private reprint:

(A reprint mini-sheet of the 5 p green made for the 78th Deutscher Philatelistentag in Munchen, 1977, note the wavy watermark alike paper; they were made by the printing firm Gehringer in Germany, for more such reprints see under Gehringer reprints)

(Zoom-in of the stamp on the reprints sheet)

A similar reprint with only one stamp in a minisheet was made of the 10 c red value with large green 'E' overprint. It has the inscription 'JUBILAUMSAUSTELLUNG IN SCHWANDORF 20 JAHRE BRIEFMARKEN - SAMMLERGEMEINSCHAFT REGENSBURG IM BSW 1958 -1978'. Thus it was probably made in 1978. At the bottom the text 'Gehringer Kaiserslautern' can be found.

I've seen another reprint sheet with three 5 pf green (perforation 11 1/2 ) stamps which was issued for the 78. Deutscher Philatelistentag Munchen 1977. The three stamps are arranged horizontally in the sheet and separated by a white space about 2/3 of the width of an individual stamp. On top of the sheet is printed 'Bayern, Ausgabe 1876, 5 Pfennig'.

1876 Postage due stamps, arms, overprinted 'Vom Empfanger Zahlbar'

  2 Pf grey
  3 Pf grey
  5 Pf grey
  10 Pf grey
  '2' on 10 Pf grey (non issued)

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1908 Railway stamps, arms, overprinted with 'E' (Eisenbahn=Railway)

  3 p brown (overprint red)
  5 p green (overprint red)
  10 p red (overprint green)
  20 p blue (overprint red)
  50 p brown (overprint green)

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

As menitioned above a private reprint with only one stamp in a minisheet was made of the 10 c red value with large green 'E' overprint. It has the inscription 'JUBILAUMSAUSTELLUNG IN SCHWANDORF 20 JAHRE BRIEFMARKEN - SAMMLERGEMEINSCHAFT REGENSBURG IM BSW 1958 -1978'. Thus it was probably made in 1978. At the bottom the text 'Gehringer Kaiserslautern' can be found. For more information on such reprints see under Gehringer reprints.

1911 90th birthday of Prince Luitpold (issued March 1911)

  3 Pf brown
  5 Pf green
  10 Pf red
  20 Pf blue
  25 Pf violet

Slightly larger size

  30 Pf orange
  40 Pf green
  50 Pf brown
  60 Pf green
  80 Pf violet

Specialists distinguish two types for the stamps in the values 3 p to 80 p: small and large head of the 'R' of 'MAERZ' (the 'E' is also different in the middle horizontal stroke). The values 2 p to 25 p have watermark 'horizontal wavy lines', the values 30 p to 80 p 'vertical wavy lines'. All stamps have perforation 11 1/2. Some of these stamps (5 p and 10 p) exist in different values printed side by side or in tete-beche; they come from stamp booklets. Some stamps (5 p and 10 p) also exist with advertisement labels attached to them.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Larger size and design changed

  1 Mark brown
  2 Mark green
  3 Mark red
  5 Mark blue
  10 Mark yellow
  20 Mark brown

The Mark values have watermark 'vertical wavy lines'. They have perforation 11 1/2.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Perforated with 'E' to serve as railway stamps (1912)

  3 p brown
  5 p green
  10 p red
  20 p blue
  25 p violet
  50 p brown

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

All the stamps issued previously to 1911 were declared invalid for use after 31 March 1911.

1911 25 years reign of Luitpold, head of Luitpold and two angles

  5 Pf green, yellow and black
  10 Pf red yellow and black

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

The above stamps have perforation 11 1/2 (and no watermark). These stamps are cancelled with the date '10 jun 11' specially for collectors, here an example of the town of Selbitz.

(Special Cancellation 10 JUN 11, here from the town of Selbitz)

For stamps of Bavaria issued from 1914 to 1920, click here.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer