Gallery

 

With this Report, we begin a series on the Dienstmarken, as the official stamps for government agency use were known. This will follow the 1987 Michel catalog format and will aid those who have a problem in reading German text. The Dienstmarken provide an opportunity for the collector who has limited resources to assemble a complete collection. Only the 1924-1925 set with the two—line Dienst—Mark overprint contains high-priced examples, topping out at DM 110.— for No. 48. As with the Portomarken (Postage Dues: see Bud Hennig’s article in Report #2), this group is within every collector’s budget.

Adding to the sport of collecting these stamps are the many varieties available in the overprints, the original stamps, the underprinting pattern and the offsets. A thick album is necessary to contain the basic stamps and their (almost) infinite varieities. We will attempt to illustrate the subtleties of the damaged M but may find it necessary to secure the plating positions from you experts.

Dienstmarken: Official Stamp for Government Agencies

The use of the Dienstmarken first became obligatory on 1.9.1921, and mixed franking of regular issues and Dienstmarken are seen, as in Inflation times.

The overprint DM appears partly damaged at times due to cliche wear on almost all values. Thru various defects, we see the overprints as D, MD, DMD, MDM, etc. No attempt has been made to catalog these anomalies.

H(aus)-A(uftrags)-N(ummern): Print Shop Job Number

Only No. 1, 2, 5, 7, 8 and 11 show a part of the printed HAN 1322 of the original stamp. Additional price for the HAN number in the margin of the stamp is about D,1 50.—. Beside these examples is only No. 42 with the possible HAN marking.

 
Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 57 - October - November - December - 1987, Page 2.