Catalogue Germany

Currency: 30 Groschen = 1 Taler (northern part of Germany) 60 Kreuzer = 1 Gulden (southern part of Germany)
1875: 100 Pfennig = 1 Mark

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Before 1870 Germany consisted of several states;
four kingdoms: Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony and Wurtemberg;
six grand-duchies: Baden, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Saxe-Weimar, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Oldenburg;
five duchies: Brunswick, Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe-Altenburg, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Anhalt;
seven principalities: Schwartzburg-Sondershausen, Schwartzburg-Rudolstadt, Waldeck, Reuss-Greiz, Reuss-Schleitz, Schaumburg-Lippe, Lippe-Detmold;
three free towns: Lubeck, Bremen, Hamburg
and one 'Reichsland': Alsace-Lorraine.
Many of them issued their own stamps. For a more extensive history of Germany see 'Germany and it Colonies' by Bertram W.H.Poole. In 1870 Germany was united and only Bavaria and Wurttemberg continued issuing their own stamps. The currency in the northern part and the southern part was different, therefore we can find stamps of the first issue in 'Kreuzer' or in 'Groschen'. In 1875 the 'Mark' was introduced (1 Mark = 100 Pfennig). Stamps of Germany have as inscription 'Deutsche Reichs-Post', 'Reichspost' or 'Deutsches Reich'. After the second world war the stamps of Western Germany have the inscription 'Deutsche Bundespost' and the stamps of the German Democratic Rebublic 'Deutsche Demokratische Republik'. After the re-unification of both Germanies in 1990, the inscription is 'Deutschland'. Berlin, which was surrounded by the German Democratic Republic, but was part of Western Germany, issued its own stamps from 1948 to 3rd October 1990 (date of reunification).

First issues

The value of these stamps was in 'Groschen' (northern part of Germany) or 'Kreuzer' (southern part of Germany).

1875-1988 issues

Inscription 'Deutsche Reichs Post' or 'Reichspost', examples:

1889-1899 issues

1901-1920 issues

Examples:

German stamps used abroad

Issues for Turkey, Morocco and China:

Stamps of Bavaria overprinted 'Deutsches Reich'

1920 Stamps of Bavaria overprinted 'Deutsches Reich'

These stamps were printed after the incorporation of Bavaria in the German Empire. They were valid in whole Germany, but were almost only used in Bavaria itself. Click here for more information.

Inflation period

1924-1935 Issues

1936-1945 issues

So-called Bizone (or Bi-Zone)

After the end of World War II, the American and British occupational zones were joined to form the so-called Bizone. The Russian and French zones issued their own stamps. Click here for stamps issued during this 1945-1948 'Bizone'. The stamps issued during this period have inscription 'DEUTSCHE POST' or 'AM POST DEUTSCHLAND'.

In 1949 the French occupation zone joined the Bizone.

West Germany (Federal Republic; 'Deutsche Bundespost')

French Occupation Zone

In 1945 stamps were issued in the French occupation zone of Germany, special stamps with inscription 'BADEN', 'WURTTEMBERG' and 'RHEINLAND PFALZ' (Rhine Palatinate) were issued as well as a general issue.

Russian Occupation Zone and German Democratic Republic ('Deutsche Demokratische Republik' or DDR)

1948 Various stamps of the Bi-zone and Berlin, overprinted 'Sowjetische Besatzungs Zone'

On Berlin bear issues
  5 p green
  6 p violet
  8 p orange
  10 p brown
  12 p red
  20 p blue
  30 p green

On 1946 numeral design 
  5 p green
  30 p olive
  45 p red 
  75 p blue
  84 p green

On 1947 Bizone issue

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

1948-49 Leipziger Messe (Leipzig Fair), designs identical to Bi-zone stamps, inscription 'DEUTSCHE POST'

  12 p + 8 p blue (inscription 1949)
  16 p + 9 p brown (incription 1948)
  24 p + 16 p lilac (inscription 1949)
  30 p + 15 p red (inscription 1949)
  50 p + 25 p blue (inscription 1948)
  50 p + 25 p blue (inscription 1949)

1948 Famous persons

  2 p grey (Kathe Kollwitz)
  6 p violet (Gerhardt Hauptmann)
  8 p brown (Karl Marx)
  10 p green (August Bebel)
  12 p blue (Friedr. Engels)
  15 p black (G.W.Fr. Hegel)
  16 p blue 
  20 p brown (Kathe Kollwitz)
  24 p red (Ernst Thalmann)
  25 p green
  30 p orange (Friedr. Engels)
  40 p lilac (Gerhardt Hautpmann)
  50 p blue (Karl Marx)
  60 p green (G.W.Fr. Hegel)
  80 p blue (Ernst Thalmann)
  84 p brown (August Bebel)

1948 Stamp day, inscription 'DEUTSCHE POST Tag der Briefmarke'

  12 p + 5 p red

1949 Goethe, inscription 'DEUTSCHE POST GOETHE 1848 1949', various portraits of Goethe

  6 p + 4 p violet
  12 p + 8 p dark brown
  24 p + 16 p red
  50 p + 25 p blue
  84 p + 36 p green

1949 Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, inscription 'DEUTSCHE POST'

  24 p red

1949 Volkskongress, dove of peace

  24 p red

Overprinted '3.Deutscher Volkskongress 29.-30.Mai 1949'
  24 p red

1949 Stamp day, inscription 'DEUTSCHE POST 1849 TAG DER BRIEFMARKE 1949', magnifying glass and first stamp of Bavaria

  12 p + 3 p black

Usually this stamp is perforated, but I've seen it imperforate in a minisheet together with an imperforate stamp day 1950 stamp, issued for the 'DEUTSCHE BRIEFMARKENAUSSTELLUNG - LEIPZIG 26 . 8 . - 3 . 9 . 1950'.

1949 UPU issue, inscription '75 JAHRE WELTPOSTVEREIN DEUTSCHE POST'

  50 p blue

1949 Inscription 'GEWERKSCHAFTSINTERNATIONALE DER POSTIER IM WGB 27.-29.10.49', image of postwoman and postman in front of globe

  12 p blue
  30 p red

Other interesting items

German Dictionnary

Abart = variety
Abbildung = illustration
abgenutzt = worn (for plates)
Abklatsch = parts of stamp image visible on the backside
ablösen = soak off
abnützung = wear
Absender = sender
Abstand = distance
Abstimmung = plebiscite
Abweichung = variety
ähnlich = similar
Albumblatt = album page
allseitig = on all sides
amtlich = official
Ankunft = arrival
Antwort = reply
Attest = certificate
Aufdruck = overprint
Auflage = number of stamp issued
ausland = foreign
Ausschnitt = cut square
Bahnpost = railway postage
Balkenstempel = bar cancel
Bayern = Bavaria
beschädigt = damaged
beschnitten = cut into design
bezahlt = paid
Bild = image
blass = pale
Bogen = sheet
breit, breitrandig = wide (margin of stamp)
Brief = letter
Briefkarte = postcard
Briefmarke = stamp
Briefumschlag = envelope
Brustschild = name of first stamps of German Empire)
Bundespost = federal German post
Deutschland = Germany
Dienst = official
Dienstmarke = official stamp
Doppeldruck = doubly printed
Druck = print
Druckfehler = misprint
dünn = thin
dünne Stelle = thinned part
Entwertung = cancel
falsch = forged
Fälschung = forgery
Fälschung zum Schaden der Post = postal forgery
Falz = hinge
Farbe = colour
Fehldruck = error
Ganzfälschung = total forgery (paper, image and cancel are forged)
Ganzsache = postal stationery
Ganzsachenausschnitt = cut from postal stationery
gebracht = used
gebühr bezahlt = postage paid
gefälligkeitsstempel = cancelled to order
gefälscht = forged
geprüft = expertized
gerissen = torn
Germania = name of stamps issued from 1900 onwards with image of a woman
geschnitten = imperforate
gestempelt = obliterated, cancelled
gezähnt = perforated
Groschen = currency unit
Gummierung, Gummi = gum
halbiert = bisected
infla = stamps from the inflation period
Katalog = catalogue
Katalogwert = catalogue value
kopfstehend = inverted
Kreuzer = currency unit
Lückenfüller = spacefiller
Machwerk or Mache = bogus stamp
Makalatur = made only for philatelists
Mängel = damage
mangelhaft = faulty
Nachdruck = reprint
Nachporto Marken = postage due stamps
Neudruck = reprint
ohne Obligo = sold as is
postfrisch = unused
Postkarte = post card
Privatmache = bogus issue
Probedruck, Probe = proof
Reich = empire
repariert = repaired
Riss = tear
Sammler = collector
Sammlung = collection
Schwindelmarke = bogus stamp
Stempel = postmark (or fiscal stamp)
tatsächlich gelaufen = postally used (not for philatelic purposes)
Trennung = separation
ungebraucht = unused
ungezähnt = imperforated
unverausgabt = non issued
Vorläufer = colonial cancellation on ordinary German stamp
Wasserzeichen = watermark
Zahl = figure of value
Zähnung = perforation

GERMANY Overview