Gallery

 

These all appeared more than a month before the airmail set was issued. Plenty of time to prepare plates for the airmail set.

There were also several essays of the “Ship” issue with burlage, but I think that they were all type A.

This of course does not prove the genuineness of the Hand Painted Essays, but certainly confirms the existence and availability of the underprint plates several months before the airmail issue (Assuming at least a month prior to the Aug 20 issues for those proofs.). I think we can assume the burlage plates were available to them in plenty of time to generate these essays. think that we have to admit that the actual 30 pf. stamp certainly made an ideal “canvas” or medium on which to test the proposed ideas for the airmail issue. I think that the airmail essays could very well be genuine. Proof of their genuineness is another matter! While it would be quite easy to paint whatever fantasy we chose on a stamp, it would be difficult to generate a burlage with the correct and precisely exact spacing. Since these are essays, the ink used for the burlage is probably different than that of the regular issue, however the burlage must still be the key if any definite statement of genuineness can ever be made for this issue. I guess we will really never know the truth unless someone that worked at Sauer in those early years can confirm or disprove the issue.

Oh, the mysteries of stamps. Wouldn’t it be boring if everything was cut and dried!
-. Burton Miller
Pacifico, CA


Thanks for printing my letter (D.R.64), but I’m talking Aufdruck and you are talking Unterdruck. (P.S.: I have since found that is listed in Michel as #461DD in a note. This is it!)
- Ernie Solit
Orleans, MA


As Burt says, there are mysteries. For instance, is it “Buy low - sell high”, or is it “Buy high — sell low” (as in philately)? Or is it “Aufdruck - Unterdruck”? Mysterious!


Thw Danzig stamps reproduced in these color photos have the value and country overprints missing, although the gray and violet burlage is present. The density of the network is approximately the same on all the stamps, but the multiple photographic processes don’t make it appear as such. Whether these are genuine stamps, errors, proofs, essays or just fakes, they aren’t in Michel as far as I can find. Incidenta lly, Mi.261, 411 and 4111 (the 30 Pfg. orange and black with one Mark overprint) could have been added later from all, some, or parts of these issues. If genuine, the 30 Pfg. indicates that this wasn’t done with the later violet burlaged stamps. Any thoughts?
- Bill Ruh
Long Island City, NY


 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 65 - October - November - December - 1989, Page 32.