Preview of Stamps Catalogue CD : VOLUME 1

NORTH GERMAN FEDERATION

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Currency: North: 30 Groschen = 1 Taler
South: 60 Kreuzer = 1 Gulden

The North German Confederation (Norddeutscher Postbezirk) included the following postal services: Saxony, Mecklenburg Schwerin, Mecklenburg Strelitz, Oldenburg, Brunswick, Prussia, and the cities Hamburg, Lubeck and Bremen. It used its own stamps from 1868 until 1872, when they were replaced by the stamps of the German Empire.

1868 Issues for the Northern district, value in GROSCHEN, perforated or rouletted

(rouletted)

1/3 g green
(perforated)

  1/4 Groschen violet
  1/3 Groschen green
  1/2 Groschen orange
  1 Groschen red
  2 Groschen blue
  5 Groschen 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
Rouletted
1/4 g	**	*
1/3 g	***	*
1/2 g	***	c
1 g	***	vc
2 g	***	c
5 g	R	*
Perforated 13 1/2 x 14 1/4
1/4 g	***	***
1/3 g	*	c
1/2 g	c	c
1 g	c	vc
2 g	*	c
5 g	*	*

Typical cancels:

(Reduced size)

(Horse shoe cancel)

1869 Issues for the Northern district, Other designs

  10 Groschen grey
  30 Groschen blue

Obliteration: by signature

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
10 g	RRR	***
30 g	R	***

1868 Issues for the Southern district, value in KREUZER, Perforated or rouletted

2 k orange 7 k blue 18 k brown

  1 Kreuzer green
  2 Kreuzer orange
  3 Kreuzer red
  7 Kreuzer blue
  18 Kreuzer 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
Rouletted
1 k	***	***
2 k	***	***
3 k	R	*
7 k	RR	**
18 k	***	***
Perforated 13 1/2 x 14 1/4
1 k	**	*
2 k	***	R
3 k	c	c
7 k	*	*
18 k	RR	RRR

Forged 18 k stamps, examples:

('FACSIMILE' below the '18', reduced sizes)

1868 Issue for Hamburg, Inscription Stadtpostbrief Hamburg, no value indicated, Perforated or rouletted

(1/2 Sch.) brown, with cancel

  (1/2 Sch.) 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
1/2 s	***	***	rouletted
1/2 s	*	*	perforated 13 1/2 x 14 1/4

Official Stamps

1869 Northern district, value in 'GROSCHEN', brown inscription under stamp:

1/4 g black 1/3 g black, 1/2 g black

  1/4 g black
  1/3 g black
  1/2 g black
  1 g black
  2 g black

These stamps are perforated 14 1/4 x 14. They have a brown underprint.
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
1/4 g *** ***
1/3 g ** **
1/2 g * *
1 g c c
2 g * *

1869 Southern district, value in 'KREUZER'

7 k black

  1 k black
  2 k black
  3 k black
  7 k black

These stamps are perforated 14 1/4 x 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
1 k *** RR
2 k *** RRR
3 k *** ***
7 k *** R

Forged cancels exist (since the unused stamps are much cheaper), example of a forged cancel:

(Forged cancel)

Miscellaneous

1869 Telegraph Stamps, Value in black

  1/2 Groschen blue
  1 1/4 Groschen blue
  2 1/2 Groschen blue
  4 Groschen blue
  5 Groschen blue
  8 Groschen blue
  10 Groschen blue
  30 Groschen blue

For the specialist: The stamps are perforated 13 1/2 x 14 1/2 and have no watermark. There exists a misprint of the 10 gr with inverted value. Typical cancels: penstrokes in black and red, both on the same stamp. Similar telegraph stamps exist for the German Empire: inscription 'TELEGRAPHIE DES DEUTSCHEN REICHES'.

Envelopes and Wrappers

The text runs through the envelope

  1/3 Groschen green
  1 Groschen red (overprinted Post-Couvert)
  1 Kreuzer green
  3 Kreuzer red (overprinted Post-Couvert)

Envelope of Prussia, with 1 g stamp and overprint

The stamps 1 Groschen, 2 Groschen and 3 Kreuzer were used to cover the various envelopes of the individual states who joined the confederation. They have overprint: NORDDEUTSCHER POSTBEZIRK in very small letters, and they are very rare. They exist for Brunswick, Oldenburg, Prussia, Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Saxony.

An example of a cut from an envelope of Prussia, where the stamp has been removed by a stamp collector:

Stamps of the North German Confederation used in Turkey:

Stamps used in Alsace and Lorraine during the war of 1870-1871, inscription POSTES, value and CENTIMES

Fiscal stamps

1869, inscription 'NORDDEUTSCHER WECHSELSTEMPEL':

The following values exist: 1 g, 1 1/2 g, 3 g, 4 1/2 g, 6 g, 7 1/2 g, 9 g, 12 g, 15 g, 22 1/2 g, 30 g, 45 g, 60 g, 90 g, 150 g and 300 g. All these stamps have the colour lilac (with brown value inscription), they are perforated (the above specimen has the perforations cut off). Similar stamps were issued for the German Empire, but then with inscription 'DEUTSCHER WECHSELSTEMPEL'.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer

Preview of Stamps Catalogue CD : VOLUME 1