Galerie

 

Letters to the Editor

Thanks for Danzig Report No. 70. It was good to see my notes on Danzig Revenues in print. I do hope that this is of value to fellow members.

I have now received some information from Martin Erler about the 10 Rpf Wertmarke found by Dave Ripley. Martin advises that the stamp is indeed a Municipal issue and that he has others in the series in his collection - two of which, the 30 Rpf and 60 Rpf value, copies are enclosed. Martin believes that there should have been a complete range from 10 Rpf - 10 RN issued with various different printings and perf types, and that they were used during the 1940’s (rather than the middle 1930’s, as you thought). This makes sense to me, not just on the grounds of the inclusion of the swastika insignia and the lack of the words “Freie und... “ before “Hansestadt ‘Danzig” in the stamp design, but also during the Free State period there really would not have been much practical difference between Municipal and State issues. Once the Nazis took over, however, there would have been a need to use some local, city revenue stamps peculiar to Danzig alone, as there was in other German Reich cities.

As further evidence of the period of use, you will note that both of the enclosed copies show incomplete 1940’s date stamps. The 60 Rpf value is also cancelled “Stand (esamt)” [for Registry Office] indicating it was probably used to denote payment of a marriage license fee or something similar. Martin advises that municipal issues, such as this, were used to denote the payment of various fees, such as for death certificates and registry entries and for payment of local taxes, including a “hotel tax for guests”, or “guest tax for spas”. (Perhaps they were used at the Zoppot Spa.)

Dave Ripley has certainly made a very interesting and most enviable find. I hope the above information is helpful. Please acknowledge the kind help of Martin Erler of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Fiskalmarken.
— Giles du Boulay
Aylesbury, Bucks, England

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 71 - April - May - June - 1991, Page 13.