Gallery

 

T.A.B.R.O.M.I.K.

the initials P.K.P., meaning: Poiska Kumunikaczna Powietrzna (Polish Air Postal Service)

The T.A.B.R.O.M.I.K. stamps or labels were the brainchild of Tadeusz Bronislaw Mikolajczyk, owner of a brewery in Poznan, Poland. Using the first several letters of his name, he named his brewery TA BRO MIK. When the Aero-Targ syndicate was formed to promote the industrial fair in Poznan, Mikola-jczyk approached them with the idea of the T.A.B.R.O.M.I.K. stamps. They approved, and the Polish Post Office also sanctioned it.

The stamps were to be used from Poznan to Warsaw, Kalisz, Lodz, Krakow, Lwow (Lemberg) and Gdansk (Danzig). Operations didn’t go as planned, and only a few flight covers were received at Warsaw and Danzig. The stamps were sold at Warsaw Post Office #1, Poznan P.O. #1, #3 and #9, and at Danzig.

The stamps were to be affixed to cards or envelopes, along with enough postage to carry the card or letter, since the T.A.B.R.O.M.I.K. stamps were valid postage. Cards were to have the 25-Mark stamp, and letters were to use the 100-Mark stamp. Most philatelic mail used both types on the same cover.

The first day of issue was 21 May 1921, and the fair lasted from 30 May until 8 June 1921. These stamps were designed by Wilhelm Rudy. They were lithographed by Pilczak of Poznan on thick, course, greyish-white and unwatermarked paper. The stamps were perforated 12-1/2, and there were 50,000 sets printed. They were printed and perforated by the brewery owner and, as a result of improper inspection or from deliberate action, there were many errors and misperfs. He received no monetary benefits, other than the advertisement for the brewery. The proceeds of the sale of the stamps went to the Fair. T.A.B.R.O.M.I.K. was printed below the stamp, with a separate perforation, so it could either be included with the stamp or without.

There were many counterfeits and reprints of the stamps and cancels, as well as faked covers. Genuine cancels were in black, red and purple ink. Flight covers that are genuine are Polish rarities, since most covers went by surface mail. Covers to Lodz never materialized, due to the lack of planes. There were on1( about ten letters actually flown to Danzig, due to the political differences between Poland and Danzig.

Although we might look upon the stamps as beer labels, they are listed in Sanabria’s Air Post catalog as “#501—2, Polish Air Mail Semi-Postals”.

- John Kovaiski

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 73 - October - November - December - 1991, Page 9.