Catalogue Germany inflation period

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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!

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 'Crossed Lines' on a later issue)

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 p	vc	vc	c	*
10 p	vc	vc	*	**
15 p	vc	vc	c	*
25 p	vc	vc	vc	vc
30 p	vc	vc	c	*
40 p	vc	vc	vc	vc
50 p	c	c	vc	vc
75 p			vc	vc	only issued with Wmk 'crossed lines'
Surcharged
5 T on 40 p			vc	vc
8 T on 30 p	vc	vc	**	**
400 T on 15 p			vc	vc	rouletted
400 T on 25 p			vc	vc	rouletted
400 T on 30 p			vc	vc	rouletted
400 T on 40 p			vc	vc	rouletted
800 T on 5 p			vc	vc
800 T on 10 p			vc	vc

1921 Smith, field labourers and mine labourers

  60 p lilac
  80 p red
  100 p green
  120 p blue
  150 p orange
  160 p green
  5 M orange
  10 M blue
  12 M red
  20 M red
  25 M brown
  30 M olive
  40 M green
  50 M blue

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.

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
60 p	vc	vc	vc	vc
80 p	vc	vc	vc	c
100 p	c	vc	vc	vc
120 p	vc	vc	c	*
150 p	vc	vc	vc	vc
160 p	vc	c	c	*
5 M			vc	c
10 M			vc	vc
12 M			vc	vc
20 M			vc	vc
25 M			vc	vc
30 M			vc	c
40 M			vc	vc
50 M			vc	*
Rhein-Ruhr hilfe
100M + 5 M			vc	c
500 M + 25 M			vc	c
Surcharged
15 T on 40 M			vc	vc
20 T on 12 M			vc	vc
20 T on 25 M			vc	c
25 T on 25 M			vc	c
30 T on 10 M			vc	vc

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.

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
2 M violet and red	c	c	vc	vc
2 M violet			vc	c
3 M orange and yellow	c	*	vc	vc
3 M orange			vc	vc
4 M dark and light green	c	c	vc	vc
4 M green			vc	vc
5 M orange and yellow			vc	vc
5 M orange			vc	vc
6 M			vc	vc
8 M			vc	c
10 M			vc	vc
20 M violet and orange			vc	vc
20 M violet			vc	vc
30 M brown and yellow			vc	c
30 M brown			vc	c
40 M			vc	vc
50 M			vc	vc	Exists with watermark 'flower': *

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

1922 Munchen exhibition

  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	*

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 Koln dome