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Letters to the Editor from Burt Miller

I attended this year’s ARGE Danzig Treffen in Hamm-Pelkum, Germany on May 20 this year. It was great to meet with our friends Karl Kniep, Sigfried Stoye, Heinz Pauli, Hans Menke, Ronny and others. It is so invigorating to be with so many others that are equally “Nuts” about Danzig.

I just thought I’d respond to a couple of items in your Report. Regarding the “puzzlement” of Ernie Solit, from his description I wonder if what he is describing is really Michel Nr. 461 DD. It sounds to me like it fits the description - lilac burlage, points up with double overprint (Cat. 350, DM **). Here is a picture of my copy. Mine is expertised by Holtz and Kniep. Of course, if he meant that the underprint was doubled, your response was quite correct.

Since I collect proofs and essays, I am always fascinated by the material that you print from Bud’s collection. You will note that all of these essays have one thing in common. They all have the burlage descending from right to left, just the opposite of the regular burlage issues. Inverting the regular underprint plate changes the points from “up” to “down”, but they always descend from left to right. This angle of descent is about 50 degrees. This appears to match the angle on the essays. If the plate were rotated 90 degrees, it would descend from left to right, but the angle of descent would only be about 40 degrees. This means that a separate plate had to be prepared for the underprint used on the essays. Peter Theuss of Toronto, Canada is preparing a catalog of German Proofs and Essays. From his pre-publication data we find the following information:
Two types of burlage proofs (or essays) were prepared and printed as follows:

Type A - Wavy lines descending from left to right (as issued)
I. Points up
II. Points down
Type B - Wavy lines descending from right to left (essays)
I. Points up
II. Points down

Essays were prepared for several of the August 20. 1920 issues including:
1 Mk in blue on 2 pf. yellow-gray, with Bli burlage.
1.25 Mk in black on 3 pf. brown, without burlage.
1.25 Mk in green on 3 pf. brown, with Bil.
1,25 Mk in black on 3 pf. brown, with 811
5 Mk in green on 35 pf. reddish-brown with Al.
10 11k in red on 35 pf. reddish-brown with Al.

In addition, essays with burlage only were printed as follows:
2 1/2 pf. gray with BI burlage.
3 pf. brown with Bli burlage.

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 65 - October - November - December - 1989, Page 31.