Gallery

Forerunner and Provisional stamps & Postal Stationery used by Polish Post in Gdansk 1920-1939. 

Information Developed from Katalogue Special Izowany Znakow Pocztowych iem Polskich.
By Wladislaw Dziemianczuk.

FORERUNNER AND PEOUISIONAL STAMPS & POSTAL STATIONERY USED BY POLISH POST IN GDANSK. 1920-1939
Information Developed from KATALOG SPECIAL IZOWANY ZNAKOW POCZTOWYCH IBM POLSKICH By Wladyslaw Dziemianezuk
The Postal and lelegraphic Services were administered by the Danzig G.P.O. Tbc Free City of Danzig was a member of the World Postal Union. To establish direct communication between Poland and foreign countries, the Republic of Poland was permitted her own Post and Telegraphic Office within the liarbour, as mandated By the League of Nations had been extended in 1923 to the Inner City. The ship "Krakus" bringing packages from USA on March 10, 1920 inaugurated the service of the first Polish Post Office "Urzad Ekspedycji Pocztowej Gdansk - Nowy Port". The Polish Post Office in the harbour office had already received a specially prepared labels and parcel cards, using leftover Austrian parcel cards with the over print "POCZTA POLSKA". These cards were a precursor to later cards issued by Polish Office. This service was only for official use until January 5 1925 when it was opened to the public. As a result many varieties of postal use came to light in the period 1920-1939.
Polish Post Office No 3 at 2 Hevelius Square (available for public use from 1925) became Polish Post Office No I on October 1925.
It is commonly known that not only stamps and postal stationery with overprint PORT GDANSK but also stamps issued in Poland were equally valid, normal used interchangeably between 1920- 1939.
It was not uncommon in the period of 1920 - 1939 to find both Polish and Port . Gdansk overprint PORT GDANSK stamps and postal stationery in use. Since no records were kept, it is difficult to establish usage of polish and PORT GDANSK stamps in Gdansk and in Poland.
In other words, any one who possessed polish stamps and postal stationery with or without overprint could be used without additional payment of postage, provided that the mail was placed into a Polish mail box or to the Polish Post Office. (No polish stamps could be used as a postage in the mail boxes and post offices of The Free City of Danzig) In all die three post offices in Gdansk, the Polish postal rates were in use, with few changes. (Rates are in grosze. but actual charges for postage were paid in Gdansk currency with exchange rate of 1 Gulden = 1 Zloty).
Fir5t PORT GDANSK overprint stationery card is very interesting that 2 types of over print occurred in the 2nd edition cards Cp 45 (on the sign of charge with Sigismunt III Wasa in Warsaw on it) designed by Ryszard Kloczkowski with printing designation P.Z.G. Nr 235 - 5.000.000-26. This reprint was done by die Agricultural Printing house in Warsaw and went to circulation 1.11. 1934.
To prepare reprint old value (20 gr) by eight horizontal beams (6 x ft 25 mm) overprint. Type I "15" large serif, number "15" and no dot after gr Type 11 "15" small serif italic and gr. followed by dot with only 50.000 cards printed.
In September, 1939, during die defense of the Polish Post Office in Gdansk,all of the various stamps and postal stationery were destroyed. The Polish postal workers were doomed before the attack by the mechanized German Panzers.

Danzig Report 140, 2008, Page 14.