Catalogue Alsace and Lorraine

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Alsace and Lorraine were occupied by the Germans in the French- German war of 1870-1871. Some stamps with inscription "POSTES", the value and "CENTIMES" were issued. For political reasons no country name was indicated. Be aware: many forgeries and reprints exist! Before 1870 French stamps were issue, later German stamps were used, examples:

('4345' large french numeral cancel 'Wissembourg' on cover with french 20 c Napoleon stamp, 1868)

(So called 'Hufeisenstempel' or Horseshoe cancel of Strassburg on two stamps of Germany)

1870 Perforated

For the specialist: there are two ways the wavy background lines are printed on the stamps, one with the lines pointing upwards and on with the lines pointing downwards.

When the war ended, the use of these stamps was stopped in the occupied territories on 24 March 1871, but they continued to be used upto 31 December 1871 in Alsace and Lorraine.

Cancels:

Reprints:

These reprints were made with the original background pattern, however the text was newly made. They were ordered in Hamburg in 1885(?) with the original background pattern. Reprints can be recognized by the position of the "P" of "POSTES", if we draw a line connecting the upper left corner of the containing rectangle to the lower right corner, the line should go through the bottom part of the "P". However, in the reprints it will go through just below the center of the "P".

Fournier forgeries:

The Fournier forgeries exist with forged cancels. One forged cancel on these forgeries is known to be easily detectable: "Urbeis 31 2 71 2-3N", this can never be a genuine cancel, since February never has 31 days! (I have never seen this date on his forgeries myself). The perforation in the corners is not perfect in the Fournier forgeries. Furthermore, according to 'The Forged Stamps of all Countries' by J.Dorn, the wavy background patterns are not as parallel as in the genuine stamps and the patterns they form are also slightly different.

Fournier took great pride in his forgery of the 4-centime stamp of Alsace and Lorraine, the variety with figure displaced to the left, and vertical bar at the top of the T of "centimes." He himself considered it to be one of his 'masterpieces' (this text is translated from Serranne, in the french introduction of 'The Fournier album of philatelic forgeries').

The following cancels can be found in 'The Fournier album of philatelic forgeries'. According to the Serrane guide these cancels had interchangeable date.

The following cancels can also be found in this album, but I think they were used on telegraphic stamps of France instead (the date is 1869!):

Fournier forgeries of the 25 c value with "GEISPOLDSHEIM 11/1 71 4-5 N.", and 4 c and 25 c forgeries with "EGISHEIM" cancels as shown above. Also a 4 c with a forged "URBEIS 31 2 71 2-3N" cancel (an impossible date, since February never has 31 days....).

Modern Hialeah forgeries:

The above forgeries are made with a scanner and printer. The printing is very badly done (as the perforation). I've also seen the value 1 c of this particular forgery.

Furthermore so-called Paris forgeries and Brussels forgeries exist (sorry, no images available yet), both with perforations 13 1/2 instead of 13 1/2 x 14 according to 'Germany and it Colonies' by Bertram W.H.Poole. These two forgeries are also mentioned in 'The London Philatelist' 5 1896, p.61 'Manchester Philatelic Society' news by Vernon Roberts. According to the Barefoot guide, the Paris and Brussels forgeries are actually the same forgeries.

Railway stamps

I have seen the following values: 5 p red, 30 p green, 40 p orange, 50 p lilac, 60 p blue, 70 p lilac and 90 p brown. I think these stamps are not very common.

ALSACE (German occupation during World War II)

1940 During world war II, some stamps of Germany (Hindenburg design) were overprinted 'Elsaß'

  3 p brown
  4 p blue
  5 p green
  6 p dark green
  8 p orange
  10 p brown
  12 p red
  15 p brown (maroon)
  20 p blue
  25 p blue
  30 p olive
  40 p violet
  50 p green and black
  60 p lilac and black
  80 p blue and black
  100 p orange and black

LORRAINE (German occupation during World War II)

1940 During world war II, some stamps of Germany (Hindenburg design) were overprinted 'Lothringen' (=Lorraine)

  3 p brown
  4 p blue
  5 p green
  6 p dark green
  8 p orange
  10 p brown
  12 p red
  15 p brown (maroon)
  20 p blue
  25 p blue
  30 p olive
  40 p violet
  50 p green and black
  60 p lilac and black
  80 p blue and black
  100 p orange and black

Fiscal stamps

1871 Inscription 'DIMENSION REICHS-STEMPEL' with German eagle, value in 'cents' or 'franc'

1875 Inscription 'ELSASS-LOTHRINGEN', with German eagle, value in 'PFENNIG' or 'MARK'

(Left: large arms in center with some feathers upwards; right: small arms with all feathers downwards)

16 pf violet, 20 p grey, 40 pf brown, 80 pf green, 1.20 M brown, 1.60 M blue and 2.40 M red. Two slightly different designs seem to exist for all values (except 20 p, for examples see above).

1888 Inscription 'STEMPELMARKE ELSASS-LOTHRINGEN'

The following values were issued in 1888: 10 p red, 20 p blue, 40 p brown, 50 p brown, and 80 p grey. In 1896 similar stamps (but slightly smaller) were issued in the values: 5 p green, 10 p red, 20 p blue, 40 p violet, 50 p brown and 80 p violet.

1900 Inscription 'GERICHTSKOSTEN ELSASS-LOTHRINGEN'

The following values were issued: 5 p, 10 p, 20 p, 30 p, 40 p, 50 p, 60 p, 80 p (all in red), 1 M, 1.50 M, 2 M, 3 M, 4 M, 5 M, 6 M, 7 M, 8 M, 9 M and 10 M (all in blue). The value is printed in black.

1907 Inscription 'LOHNSTEUER' (revenue on income) and 'TEILBETRAG' (partial amount) or 'JAHRESBETRAG' (year amount)

The following values were issued: with inscription 'TEILBETRAG': 2.50 M red, 4 M, 6 M blue and 7.50 M brown; with inscription 'JAHRESBETRAG': 5 M red, 8 M, 12 M blue and 15 M brown.

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
Wavy background pointing upwards
1 c	***	***
2 c	***	***
4 c	***	***
5 c	***	***
10 c	***	*
20 c	***	**
25 c	R	***
Wavy background pointing downwards
1 c	RR	RR
2 c	RR	RR
4 c	R	R
5 c	RRR	RRR
10 c	R	**
20 c	RR	R
25 c	RRR	RRR
Reprints
All values	*	*

ALSACE AND LORRAINE