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>> DANZIG: Postal History until 1920  -  J. L. Whiteside

the date in the third line now showed the year. This mark was slightly larger, 37½ x 14½ mm, and all three of these markings remained in use concurrently until well into the 1870’s.

As mentioned earlier, it became the policy of the Prussian postal administration to include the year dato in postmarks from late 1862 or 1863. Danzig introduced a new double-circle marking, 25 mm in diameter, with DANZIG at the top in sertiffed type and with the time of posting at the base. The time slugs were movable, not fixed as in the previous type, and they carried the suffixes V (= am) or N (= pm). At this time the date and time slugs were all in Antique (sertiffed) type. In the latter half of 1867, shortly before the Prussian administration gave way to that of the North German Confederation, this double-circle mark was modified by the substitution of Grotesque (sans-serif) type for the time of posting.

At the same time, probably in August 1867, a new type was put into use which was to remain standard until 1875. This was a single-circle datestamp with a diameter of 24½ mm, with DANZIG in sans-serif capitals at the top and time at the base. The date slugs wore in Antique type, but the time slugs were in Grotesque type for whole-hour intervals. However, for busy posting periods in the late afternoon and evening, ½-hour time intervals were used, and these were in Antique type.

The North German Confederation took over the posts from Prussia on 1st January 1868 and its stamps were used until 31st December 1871. The single-circle date stamps were the principal type used throughout this period, but some of the other Prussian marks continued to be used. The final variation of the double-circle marking with year date, that with time slugs in Grotesque type, remained in frequent use, although it is found also with 4-hour time intervals in Antique type. At the railway station office all three of the Prussian boxed date stamps remained in use and no other marks appeared for this office.

On 1st January 1872 the posts in Danzig were taken over by the postal administration of the German Empire, whose adhesives were issued on that day. The single-circle date stamps introduced in 1867 continued in use until mid- 1875. It is certain that at a large and busy office like Danzig more than one mark would have been used, but there is little discernible variation in the diameter or style of’ lettering of Danzig

However, sometime during 1873 a major change did occur. From then on the date lines are set very much further below DANZIG, leaving a large blank space. The other variations that occur throughout the period 1872 - 75 are in the style of type used for

 

Danzig Report  Nr. 30 - 1st Quarter 1981, Page 5.