Postal Tax Stamp: Notopfer Berlin

Notopfer Berlin postal tax stamp was introduced as a consequence of Berlin blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949). The 2 pfennigs that were collected were intended to benefit the West Berlin population, who had got into economic hardship.

The stamp was in obligatory use in the whole territory of the Federal Republic of Germany for domestic postal traffic on letters, postcards, printed papers and parcels. The stamp wasn’t used in territory of West Berlin and for shipments to Soviet occupation zones (later East Germany) where letters with these stamps were marked as “stamp not allowed” and returned to sender.

Introduction of postal tax stamp:

  • Anglo-American zone: 1.12.1948
  • Baden: 1.-2.7.1949 and from 17.7.1949
  • Rheinland-Pfalz: 1.2. – 31.3.1949 and from 1.7.1949
  • Württemberg: 10.1. – 31.5.1949 and from 1.7.-31.12.1949

Stamps were in obligatory use until 31.3.1954.

Types

TYPES
Notopfer Berlin Steuermarke Type I Za Notopfer Berlin Steuermarke Type II Zb Notopfer Berlin Steuermarke Type III Zc Notopfer Berlin Steuermarke Type IV Zd
Type I:

 Type II:

  • corners of letter N in NOTOPFER pointed
  • last stroke of letter R in NOTOPFER at higer angle
  • letters thin to thick
  • letters R, N and E not aligned
  • comb 11, 12 or 14
  • watermark Wave descending
 Type III:

  • corners of letter N in NOTOPFER flat
  • last stroke of letter R in NOTOPFER at higher angle
  • letters thin
  • letters R, N and E not aligned
  • comb 12 or 14
  • watermark Wave descending, Wave ascending
 Type IV:

  • corners of letter N in NOTOPFER flat
  • last stroke of letter R in NOTOPFER at lower angle
  • letters thick
  • letters R, N and E aligned
  • comb 14
  • watermark Wave descending, BP regular,
    BP inverted

Constant varieties

CONSTANT VARIETIES
Type I
I Blue spot in bottom white outline of numeral 2.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: Michel Mi. 1 IV, 2 IV
Notes: –
Value €: –
Type III
I White dot at top left from letter E in NOTOPFER.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: another example.
Value €: –
II Dot below second letter E in STEUERMARKE.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: another example with additional dot on letter E in NOTOPFER.
Value €: –
III Thin white line at top of letter N in BERLIN.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: –
Notes: another example.
Value €: 1,5

Unlisted varieties

UNLISTED VARIETIES
Type I
1 Numeral 2 interrupted in the middle, additional blue dot in the area.
2 Second letter O in NOTOPFER broken on left.
3 Netter R in NOTOPFER damaged (NOTOPFEP).
4 Letter P in NOTOPFER deformed.
5 Letter T in NOTOPFER deformed.
6 White spot on top of letter B in BERLIN.
7 White dot on letter L in BERLIN.
Type II
1 Letters KE in STEUERMARKE deformed.
2 Letter S and last letter E in STEUERMARKE deformed.
Type IV
1 Letter T in STEUERMARKE sort at bottom.

 

References

Bibliography

  1. Michel Deutschland-Spezial 2005, Band 2: Ab Mai 1945 (Alliierte Besetzung bis BRD), Schwaneberger Verlag GmbH, ISBN 3-87858-145-9
  2. Steuermarke “Notopfer Berlin”: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steuermarke_%E2%80%9ENotopfer_Berlin%E2%80%9C