Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

LITHUANIA

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Memel

In 1920 the Memel territory (formerly belonging to Germany) was put under the influence of France. It joined Lithuania in 1923.

1920 stamps of Germany overprinted 'Memel gebiet'

Stamps of Germany, overprinted 'Memelgebiet')

  5 p green
  10 p red
  10 p orange
  15 p lilac
  20 p blue
  30 p orange and black
  30 p blue
  40 p red and black
  50 p violet and black
  60 p olive
  75 p green and black
  80 p blue

Larger size

  1 M red
  1.25 M green
  1.50 M brown
  2 M blue
  2.50 M lilac

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
5 p	c	*
10 p red	***	***
10 p orange	c	c
15 p	***	***
20 p	c	c
30 p orange and black	**	**
30 p blue	c	c
40 p	c	c
50 p	*	*
60 p	*	*
75 p	***	***
80 p	*	*
1 M	*	*
1.25 M	R	R
1.50 M	***	***
2 M	***	***
2.50 M	***	***

1920 Stamps of France (sower and Merson issues), overprinted 'MEMEL' and value (first letter of value indication in small size, thus 'pfennig' and 'mark')

  5 p on 5 c green
  10 p on 10 c red
  20 p on 25 c blue
  30 p on 30 c orange
  40 p on 20 c brown
  50 p on 35 c violet

Larger size

  60 p on 40 c red and blue
  80 p on 45 c green and blue
  1 m on 50 c brown and blue
  1.25 m on 60 c violet and blue
  2 m on 1 F red and green
  3 m on 2 F orange and blue
  3 m (red) on 5 F blue and yellow
  4 m on 2 F orange and blue
  10 m (red) on 5 F blue and yellow
  20 m (red) on 5 F blue and yellow

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
5 p on 5 c	c	c
10 p on 10 c	c	c
20 p on 25 c	c	c	With widely spaced numbers: R
30 p on 30 c	c	c
40 p on 20 c	c	c
50 p on 35 c	c	*
60 p on 40 c	*	*
80 p on 45 c	*	*
1 m on 50 c	c	c
1.25 m on 60 c	**	**
2 m on 1 F	*	*
3 m on 2 F	R	R
3 m on 5 F	RR	RR
4 m on 2 F	*	*	With broader '4': RR
10 m on 5 F	***	***
20 m on 5 F	RR	RR

Surcharged

  '15' (blue) on 10 p on 10 c red
  '15' (blue) on 20 p on 25 c blue
  '15' (red) on 50 p on 35 c violet
  '60' (blue) on 40 p on 20 c brown
  '1,25' (blue) on 1 m on 50 c brown and blue
  '5,00' (blue) on 2 m on 1 F red and green

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
'15 on 10 p on 10 c	*	*	Inverted surcharge: RR
'15' on 20 p on 25 c	*	*	Inverted surcharge: RR
'15' on 50 p on 35 c	c	c	Inverted surcharge: RR
'60' on 40 p on 20 c	c	c	Inverted surcharge: RR
'1,25' on 1 m on 50 c	*	*
'5,00' on 2 m on 1 F	*	*	Inverted surcharge: RRR

Overprinted 'FLUGPOST' slanting in blue (airmail)

  60 p on 40 c red and blue
  80 p on 45 c green and blue
  1 m on 50 c brown and blue
  2 m on 1 F red and green
  4 m on 2 F orange and blue

Overprinted 'Flugpost' slanting in blue (airmail)

  4 m on 2 F orange and blue

1921 Stamps of France (Merson issues), overprinted 'MEMEL' straight and value (first letter of value indication in capital letter, thus 'Pfennig' and 'Mark')

  60 P on 40 c red an blue
  3 M (red) on 60 c violet and blue
  10 M on 5 F blue and yellow
  20 M on 45 c green and blue

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
60 P on 40 c	**	**
3 M on 60 c	*	*
10 M on 5 F	*	*	With widely spaced numbers: R
20 M on 45 c	**	**

Surcharged
  '75' (blue) on 60 P on 40 c red and blue

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
'75' on 60 P on 40 c	*	*

Overprinted 'FLUGPOST' slanting in blue (airmail)

  60 p on 40 c red and blue
  3 M (red) on 60 c violet and blue

Overprinted 'Flugpost' slanting in blue (airmail)

  3 M (red) on 60 c violet and blue

1922 Stamps of France (Merson issues), overprinted 'MEMEL' slanting and value (first letter of value indication in capital letter, thus 'Pfennig' and 'Mark')

  5 P on 5 c orange
  10 P on 10 c red
  10 P on 10 c green
  15 P on 10 c green
  20 P on 20 c brown
  20 P on 25 c blue
  25 P on 5 c orange
  30 P on 30 c red
  35 p on 35 c violet
  50 P on 50 c blue
  75 P on 35 c violet
  1 M on 25 c blue
  1 1/4 M on 30 c red
  3 M on 5 c orange
  6 M (red) on 15 c green
  8 M on 30 c red

Surcharged

  '25' (red) on 1 M on 25 c blue

Overprinted 'Mark'

  10 M on 10 P on 10 c green
  20 M on 20 P on 20 c brown
  50 M on 50 P on 50 c blue

Larger sized stamps

(Stamps of France, overprinted 'MEMEL')

  40 P on 40 c red and blue
  80 P on 45 c green and blue
  1 M on 40 c red and blue
  1.25 M (red) on 60 c violet and blue
  1.50 M (red) on 45 c green and blue
  2 M on 45 c green and blue
  2 M on 1 F red and blue
  2 1/4 M on 40 c red and blue
  2 1/2 M on 60 c violet and blue
  3 M (red) on 60 c violet and blue
  4 M on 45 c green and blue
  5 M on 1 F red and green
  6 M on 60 c violet and blue
  6 M on 2 F orange and green
  9 M on 1 F red and green
  9 M on 5 F blue and yellow
  10 M on 45 c green and blue
  12 M on 40 c red and blue
  20 M on 40 c red and blue
  20 M on 2 F orange and green
  30 M on 60 c violet and blue
  30 M on 5 F blue and yellow
  40 M on 1 F red and green
  50 M on 2 F orange and green
  80 M (red) on 2 F orange and green
  100 M on 5 F blue and yellow

Surcharged

 
  '10' (red) on 2 M on 45 c green and blue
  '80 -' on 1.25 M on 60 p violet and blue

Overprinted 'Mark' and bar on 'Pfennig

  40 M on 40 P on 40 c red and blue

Overprinted 'Klaipeda' and surcharged (both in green, 1923)

  100 M on '80 -' on 1.25 M on 60 p violet and blue
  400 M on '80 -' on 1.25 M on 60 p violet and blue
  500 M on '80 -' on 1.25 M on 60 p violet and blue

Overprinted 'Flugpost' slanting in blue (airmail)

  40 P on 40 c red and blue
  80 P on 45 c green and blue
  1 M on 40 c red and blue
  1.25 M (red) on 60 c violet and blue
  1.50 M (red) on 45 c green and blue
  2 M on 1 F red and blue
  3 M (red) on 60 c violet and blue
  5 M on 1 F red and green
  6 M on 2 F orange and green
  9 M on 5 F blue and yellow

Overprinted 'FLUGPOST' straight (airmail)

  40 P on 40 c red and blue
  1 M on 40 c red and blue
  1.25 M (red) on 60 c violet and blue (red overprint)
  1.50 M (red) on 45 c green and blue (red overprint)
  2 M on 1 F red and blue
  3 M (red) on 60 c violet and blue (red overprint)
  4 M on 2 F orange and green (not issued without 'FLUGPOST')
  5 M on 1 F red and green
  6 M on 2 F orange and green
  9 M on 5 F blue and yellow (red overprint)

Forgeries:
In the American Philatelist, Vol. 36 (7), April 1923, page 353; the following text can be found:
MEMEL
The February tenth number of Stamp Collecting calls attention to forgeries of Memel stamps. The entire notice is worth quoting. It reads as follows: COUNTERFEIT STAMPS OF MEMEL.
Our special correspondent at Libau, Latvia, Mr. George H. Jaeger, informs us that on January 3rd, Kurt Henning, stamp dealer and president of the Memel Postage Stamp Dealer's Association, his wife, and also a printer, named Paul Diessner, were arrested by the police of Memel. They were accused of the manufacture of counterfeit rarities of Memel.
Mr. Henning confessed that he had made the forgeries with the assistance of the printer, Paul Diessner, of Konigsberg. Only rare specimens were forged. So far as we know at present, the forgeries comprise single values of the following airpost stamps, Types I and II:-—
"Flugpost," Type I:
60pf., small "p.," ord. o'pt.
60pf., small "p.," inverted.
60pf., large "p.," ord. o'pt.
2m., inverted.
3m., inverted.
"Flugpost," Type II:
3m. vertical, ord. o'pt.
3m. vertical, inverted.
9m., inverted.
Henning had paid to Diessner 1,000m. for each forged stamp. The face value of the forgeries amounts to millions. The owners of the above-mentioned stamps will soon find that they are forgeries, for such varieties were never issued. All stamp dealers who have been in business relations with Kurt Henning, of Memel, would be well advised to examine their stocks of Memel postage stamps.

Stamps with inscription 'KLAIPEDA MEMEL' were first issued in 1923, examples:

(Examples of stamps of Memel)

Fiscal Stamps

Inscription 'KLAIPEDOS KRASTAS MEMELGEBIET WECHSELSTEMPEL'

In the above design I have seen the values: 25 c, 50 c, 1 L and 2 L. I have still seen them being used as late as 1930.

Inscription' KLAIPEDA' on top, 'MEMELGEBIET' at the bottom

In this design I have seen:
a) With 'Wechl.-St.' overprint: 1 L blue and 2 L grey
b) With 'Fr. U. St.' overprint: 3 L lilac

Arms of Memel, inscription 'MEMELGEBIET' in an arch on top

In this design I have seen (the value inscription is always in black):
a) With inscription 'Staats-Stempel': 2 M green, 3 M green, 4 M green
b) With inscription 'Staats-Stempel' and overprint 'S.V.A.': 30 p green, 50 p green, 1 M green, 1 1/2 M green, 2 1/2 M green and 3 M green. I have also seen '1 Lit.' (red) and two red lines on 30 p green (see image above).
c) With inscription 'S.V.A.' at the bottom: 20 p blue, 2 M blue, 10 M blue, 15 M blue and 20 M blue.

Stamps - Timbres-Poste - Briefmarken