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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

GERMANY INFLATION PERIOD, 1921-1923, Part 1

Return To Catalogue - Inflation period, part 2 - Inflation period, part 3 - Germany Overview

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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 Value, 'Deutsches Reich' on top

  5 p lilac
  10 p olive
  15 p blue
  25 p brown
  30 p green
  40 p orange
  50 p violet
  75 p blue

Surcharged (1923)

  '5 Tausend' on 40 p orange
  '8 Tausend' on 30 p green
  '400 Tausend' on 15 p brown
  '400 Tausend' on 25 p brown
  '400 Tausend' on 30 p brown
  '400 Tausend' on 40 p brown
  '800 Tausend' on 5 p green
  '800 Tausend' on 10 p green

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

(Watermark 'Lozenges')

(Watermark 'Crossed Lines' on a later issue)

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

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

I've been told that the next overprint is a bogus one:

1921 Blackmiths, farmers and miners

  60 p lilac (blacksmiths)
  80 p red (blacksmiths)
  100 p green (miners)
  120 p blue
  150 p orange (farmers)
  160 p bluish-green (farmers)
  5 M orange (miners)
  10 M blue (farmers)
  12 M red (farmers)
  20 M lilac (miners)
  25 M brown (farmers)
  30 M olive (miners)
  40 M green (farmers)
  50 M blue (miners)

Overprinted 'Rhein Ruhr Hilfe' and value

  100 M + 5 M on 5 M orange
  500 M + 25 M brown

Surcharged

  '15 Tausend' on 40 M green
  '20 Tausend' on 12 M red
  '20 Tausend' on 25 M brown
  '25 Tausend' on 25 M brown
  '30 Tausend' on 10 M blue

For the specialist; these stamps exist with two different watermarks: 'lozenges' or 'crossed lines'. The stamps with the image of the mine labourers was later inverted in the higher values. The perforation is 14.

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

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

Imperforate 150 p stamp

Some private overprints:

Some stamps with propaganda overprints 'Gebt Deutschland seine Kolonien wieder!' and 'Ohen Kolonien ist Deutschland nicht lebensfähig.' translated as: 'Give Germany its colonies back!' and 'Without colonies Germany cannot survive.'

A 'FM' in a circle overprint on a 5 M stamp issued for Fredersdorf in 1945, see Germany 1945 local issues, part 1 for more details.

1921 Posthorn

  2 M violet and red
  2 M violet
  3 M orange and yellow
  3 M orange
  4 M dark green and light green
  4 M green
  5 M orange and yellow
  5 M orange
  6 M blue
  8 M olive
  10 M red
  20 M violet and orange
  20 M violet
  30 M brown and yellow
  30 M brown
  40 M green
  50 M green and violet

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

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

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

Imperforate pair of 4 M stamps

For more stamps of the inflation period, click here or or here.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer