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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

OLDENBURG 1859 - 1862 issues

Return To Catalogue - Forgeries of the 1858 issue - Forgeries of the first 1861 issue - Forgeries of the second 1861 issue - Oldenburg 1851 issue - miscellaneous - Other German States - Germany

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One of the German States. A Grand Duchy in the north of Germany. It issued stamps from 1852 to 1867, it used the stamps of the North German Confederation afterwards.

Click here for the stamps of the Oldenburg 1852 issue.

1859 Arms, black on coloured paper, imperforate (issued July or August 1859)

1 g black on blue 2 g black on red Certified genuine

  1/3 Gr black on green
  1 Gr black on blue
  2 Gr black on red
  3 Gr black on yellow

These stamps became necessary since the currency changed in 1857 (1 Thaler = 30 groschen). They were designed by Gerhard Stalling and were printed in sheets of 100 (10 rows of 10).
Forgeries exist. For more information click here.

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
1/3 g RRR RRR  
1 g RR ***  
2 g RRR RRR  
3 g RRR RRR  

 

1861 Arms as 1859 issue, but couloured on white paper, imperforate (issued 1st January 1861)

Genuine 2 g red 3 g yellow 3 g yellow

  1/3 Gr green
  1 Gr blue
  2 Gr red
  3 Gr yellow

Forgeries exist. For more information click here.

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
1/3 g RRR RRR  
1 g RR RR  
2 g RRR RRR  
3 g RRR RRR  

 

1861 Similar to previous issue, but shield on coloured background and different frame

Genuine

  1/4 g orange
  1/2 g brown

The 1/4 g is cheaper in unused condition (worth about ten times less unused); therefore many forged cancels exist!

Forgeries exist. For more information click here.

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 RRR RRR Used for fractional rates on letters abroad.
1/2 g RRR RRR For local letters. Later it replaced the 1/4 g for fractional rates.

The remainders of the 1/4 g (about 35,000 stamps) were sold to various stamp dealers and a quantity of 4790 stamps was finally burnt (source: 'The Stamps of the German States' by B.W.H.Poole).

 

1862 Arms in oval, rouletted, embossed in the center

1/3 g green 2 g blue, 3 g brown

  1/3 Gr green
  1/2 Gr orange
  1 Gr red
  2 Gr blue
  3 Gr brown

Specialists distinghuish two different kinds of rouletted stamps for this issue (broad and narrow). To facilitate the postal operations throughout the whole of Germany, these stamps have the same colors as the stamps for other German states used during this period. Also, it was now required to fix the stamps in the upper right hand corner of the envelope, instead of the left. These stamps were printed by Mr. Schilling of the Prussian State Printing Works in Berlin. The 1 Gr, 2 Gr and 3 Gr were issued in colors corrresponding to the German-Austrian Postal Union convention.

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
1/3 g *** RR 490,000 stamps printed
1/2 g *** RR 240,000 stamps printed
1 g ** *** 2,100,000 stamps printed
Exists bisected (unauthorized)
2 g ** RR 380,000 stamps printed
3 g *** RR 380,000 stamps printed

Typical cancels:

1/2 g orange

Uncancelled stamps (remainders) are cheaper than cancelled stamps. according to 'The Stamps of the German States' by B.W.H.Poole, the following quantities of remainders were sold to Carl Dinklage of Oldenburg who in turn sold most of them to Mr. Berrig of Hannover:
1/3 gr: 46,000 stamps
1/2 gr: 45,000 stamps
1 gr: 59,000 stamps
2 gr: 63,000 stamps
3 gr: 36,000 stamps

Forged cancels are known to exist for this issue (on remainders)!


A forged Russian(?) cancel


Some kind of modern reprints with coloured perforation lines around the stamps. I don't know when or by whom these were made.


Copyright by Evert Klaseboer