Galerie

 

POSTMARKS OF THE SMALLER OFFICES IN THE FREE STATE

Introduction
The Danzig Free State administered an area of 754 square miles and had a population of about 350,000. Of these, some 220,000 lived in the Danzig metropolitan area, about 50,000 in Zoppot and the remainder in the small towns and villages in the rest of the state.

The postrnarks of the Free State may be divided into two groups - those used in the metropolitan area and those used in the smaller offices.

The postrnarks of the metropolitan area are classed as those with the wording “Danzig” plus a district number or name (e.g. DANZIG 1 or DANZIG-NEUFAHRWASSER). These are not dealt with in this article, which is concerned solely with the markings of the smaller offices and Zoppot.

A classification of the types of postmark used has been suggested and a record of the types of postmark I have been able to obtain for each of the offices then follows, together with any infor mation I have been able to acquire about the status of the office and any dates of opening or closing.

This is not, and does not pretend to be, a complete listing; it may, however, serve as a framework upon which to build. I hope it may help others to study their collections and provide corrections and additions, so that a really authoritative listing may be put together.

Sources of Information
The Michel Specialised Catalogue lists the offices involved. It also gives a list of Poststellen, or collecting offices. Several offices appear in both lists, inferring that at some time during the Free State period these were demoted (or promoted) in status. These are noted in the detailed listing.

The Billig Handbooks also list the offices and additionally include the district naimes which appear on the earlier postmarks.

Reference has also been made to an article by Harold W. Fox in the American Philatelist of 1959 and to some notes from an unknown German source.

The postmark types
The markings fall into two groups. Group 1, which is the most varied, comprises the markings taken over from the German Postal Administration. Group 2 are the markings introduced by the Free State, which are, with a few exceptions, of a standard type and remain so throughout the 19 years of The Free State.

Group 1
This may be split into two basic types; single-circle datestamps and double-circle “bridge” type datestamps. Each of these may be further sub-divided.

a) Single-circle datestamps

Type 1a - Office name only. With or without time at the base.
Type 1b - In addition to the office name, a district name appears across the upper centre.
Type 1c - As type lb, but with a segment added above the district name.

 

Danzig Report  Nr. 8 - March - April - 1976, Page 4.