Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

GERMAN STATES (overview)

Altdeutschland

Return To Catalogue - Germany overview - German States that only issued fiscal stamps

Baden - Bavaria 1849-1913 - Bavaria 1914-1920 - Bavaria Miscellaneous - Bergedorf - Bremen - Brunswick - Hanover - Hamburg - Heligoland - Lubeck - Mecklenburg-Schwerin - Mecklenburg-Strelitz - North German Confederation - Oldenburg - Prussia - Prussia miscellaneous - Saxony first two issues - Saxony other issues 1851 onwards - Schleswig-Holstein - Thurn and Taxis - Thurn and Taxis numeral cancels - Wurttemberg - Wurttemberg part 2:1866-1900 - Wurttemberg miscellaneous

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Before the foundation of the German Empire in 1871 some individual states of Germany issued their own stamps. The following states existed;
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.
The stamp issuing states were:

In south Germany:

BADEN:

Baden

WURTTEMBERG (K.WURTT. POST):

Wurttemberg - Issues of 1866-1900 - Miscellaneous official etc.

BAVARIA (BAYERN):

Bavaria 1849-1913 - Bavaria 1914-1920 - Bavaria Miscellaneous

THURN AND TAXIS

"Thurn and Taxis stamp" 3 s brown
Thurn and Taxis - Thurn and Taxis numeral cancels

In East Germany:

SAXONY (SACHSEN):

3 pf green
Saxony first two issues - Saxony other issues

(Fiscal stamps, 'STEMPELMARKE' of Saxony)

MECKLENBURG SCHWERIN AND MECKLENBURG STRELITZ

Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz

In West Germany:

HANOVER (HANNOVER):

Hanover

The following cities:

BERGEDORF:

BREMEN:

LUBECK

HAMBURG:

OLDENBURG

BRUNSWICK (BRAUNSCHWEIG):

Brunswick

HELIGOLAND

Heligoland

And the following States

SCHLESWIG HOLSTEIN

Schleswig Holstein 1850 issue - Schleswig Holstein 1864-1867 issue - Schleswig Holstein 1920 issue and miscellaneous

PRUSSIA

"Prussia" stamp
Prussia and Prussia miscellaneous

NORTH GERMAN CONFEDERATION (NORDDEUTSCHER POSTBEZIRK)

1/4 g black
North German Confederation

Most of these States (except Baden, Wurtemberg and Bavaria) joined the North German Confederation in 1868.

The Prussian Postal Administration proposed in 1861 to use a uniform color scheme for the stamps used in the German Austrian Postal Union. Despite the different currencies, it would be immediatly clear if the right stamp was used on a letter. The colors used were red, blue and brown. Click here for the German States, unified color scheme of 1861

Click here for German States that only issued fiscal stamps.