Gallery

 

Letters to the Editor - T.A.B.R.O.M.I.K.


The main point of my writing today is to let you know of a letter I received from Karl Kniep regarding the AERO—TARG private airmail surcharge stamps, illustrations of which were used to round off the first part of my translation in Report No. 62.

Kark warns that examples of these stamps on piece or cover are Machwer]c; in other words, forgeries, sometimes made up from previously genuinely used covers. He enclosed copies of two typical examples in his letter, and I am passing the copy on so that you can show these, with the appropriate Caveat Emptor! warning. Karl points to various tell-tale signs:

On the cover to Poznan, the oval DANZIG 2. LUFTPOST cancellations on the AERO-TARG stamps are different from those on the 60-Pf air mail stamps, with the former showing the time of cancellation as 8—911 whereas on the letter the time is cancelled 8-92.

On the same cover a mark has been left where there was an EILBOTEN (express) adhesive label. This begins to explain how this cover is seemingly expertised by Schüler. It appears that at the time the cover was expertised, it was a straight—forward express airmail letter and that the AERO-TARG stamps have been stuck over the place where previous stamps and cancellations existed. Removal of the express label completes the disguise, leaving Danzig stamps adding to a value of lMk, 20 Pf, to correspond, as Karl states, with a correct rate to Poland.

- Giles du Boulay
Aylesbury, England

The two covers sent to Cues by Karl are shown at the right. One thing, however: when did Schuler change his expertizing mark from all caps to a capital S and lower case letters? Here’s an example of the latter that is found on most of Curt Michoelis’ covers:


Below is a section of the Polish Katalog Specijalizowany of 1990, indicating quantities of mail carried on the Aero-Targ flights.


2a. Pozrian — Warszawa (29.5.21) ............................................................60,000
2b. Poznan — Gdansk (29.5.21) ................................................................80,000
Przesylki z okresu 30.5 — 16.6
2c. Poznan — Warszawa (Lodz) ................................................................15,000
2d. Poznan — Gdansk ................................................................................20,000
2e. Warszawa — Poznan ............................................................................15,000
2f. Gdansk — Poznan .................................................................................25,000

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 73 - October - November - December - 1991, Page 14.