Galerie

Start counting your Perfs !

The following reprint appeared in Pete Rickenback’s German Philatelic Review of October 1956, quoting G. Hochkeppler’s article in D.B.Z.:

The stamps of Danzig have in the course of the years been really taken to pieces and the likelihood that any surprises or unrecorded Varieties still appear could be considered as remote, Yet in the last few days I came across a most intriguing variety. Checking my stock of the 5 Mark values of the first issue, some of the copies proved to be perforated 26 x 17. All the copies of the first issue of the 1, 3 and 5 Mark have only been recorded in perforation 25 x 17 and there is no record whatsoever of the 26 x 17. It is naturally very interesting that amongst the thousands of mint and used stamps, which I have checked of the 5 Mark, only a few appeared in this new perforation, and all of them mint. I naturally then checked the 2 and 3 Mark values as well but without luck. I hazard the guess. that not many copies can exist of this new perforation, as the overprint was applied in 1920, when the stamps were in perforation 25 x 17. The 26 x 17 perforation of the original stamps was in circulation in the beginning of the war so that obviously very small quantities could only have been available by 1920. The production of the stamps with 25 x 17 perforationholes was actually caused by the perpetually deteriorating quality of the paper during the war which made a correct perforating of 26 x 17 practically impossible. Now I should be delighted to hear If one of the readers could perhaps find a used copy of the 5 Mark and of the other values in this recorded perforation.

This explains Mi #15, but what about those overprints #8 thru 10 & 12? The cover below has 2 #10’s with 26x17 perforations, even though this isn’t mentioned in Michel. Apparently #8, 9, 10 & 12 are common in 26:17 Zhänungslöcher, as well as the specified 25:17.

Have you found any 26:17’s among your #11’s and 13’s? These could be a real find, but what about the unmentionable cheapies listed?

 

Danzig Report  Nr. 1 – March - 1975, Page 4.