Galerie

 

THE SEARCH FOR COVERS

A few months ago, Bud translated an article by Karl Kniep (Danzig ARGE, W. Germany). The significance didn’t register until we discovered the paucity of flown covers containing stamps of the subject set. We had only two: the Leo Mirau commercial cover to Berlin (29.10.23) and the typed cover to Streng of Nürnberg of the same date. Here’s Karl’s article:

The 4 air mail stamps were issued on October 18, 1923, and were, unfortunately, sold only by the set at the post office, and most of the time, glued to envelopes, even though one can visualize beautiful combinations of these stamps with others for the days of 18, 19, 20, and 21 of October. For example, a post card to Germany, land-forwarded with 3 copies of #179, at 6 million marks, or a normal letter to Germany with 3 #180, for a total of 15 million marks.

Genuinely flown, the set #177-180 alone is sufficient to cover a printed matter item 220 grams to Germany with postmark dates between 18. and 21.10.23.

There exist a few covers with the set #177-180 being used, together with other Danzig stamps, which, however, are not completely rate correct due to the use of full sets.

All individual sets which have been placed on cover are Philatelic (Machwerke) which are cancelled 22.10.23 or later.

A special chapter of this type of letter are those to Nürnberg of which the late Mr. Michaelis accumulated about two dozen in November, 1975. These are supposedly letters carried by air with postmark dates of Danzig air mail postmarks to 28.10.23, with arrival marking “NUrnberg”. The 4 stamps of this set are

 
Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 37 - October - November - December - 1982, Page 13.