Varieties of commemorative issues of postage stamps issued in Democratic Republic of Germany between 1949 and 1955

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9 October 1949. 75th Anniversary of UPU.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
50 pf.
1	Vertical colored line over letter P in WELTPOSTVEREIN.
2	Colored dot above letter J in JAHRE.

27 October 1949. International Postal Worker’s Trade Union.

CONSTANT VARIETIES
12 pf.			Field number
I Mi.243IV		Colored dot on postman’s uniform.	?
II Mi.243II		Small indentation in bottom frame, below letters DE of DEUTSCHE.	?

30 October 1949. Stamp day.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
12 pf.
1	Thin line below letters DE of DEUTSCHE.

2 March 1950. First German Winter Sport Championship, Schierke 1950

CONSTANT VARIETIES
12 pf.			Field number
I Mi.246I		Vertical thin line on ski pole	?
24 pf.			Field number
I Mi.247I		Mirror Y-shaped line on skater’s ankle.	?

UNLISTED VARIETIES
12 pf.
1	Colored dot between skis. (1)
2	Colored dot between skis. (2)
3	Colored dot above the second letter E in DEUTSCHE.

5 March 1950. Leipzig Spring Fair.

CONSTANT VARIETIES
30 + 14 pf.			Field number
I		White dot below letter L in LEIPZIGER.	?

14 June 1950. 200th Anniversary of the death of Johann Sebastian Bach.

CONSTANT VARIETIES
14 + 4 pf.			Field number
I Mi.256I		Thick vertical line on boy’s robe (between the two flutes).	?
30 + 8 pf.			Field number
I Mi.258I		Colored dot on Bach’s upper lip (below the left nostril).	?

UNLISTED VARIETIES
12 + 4 pf.
1	Big colored dot on boy’s left temple.
50 + 16 pf.
1	White circle below letter R of DEMOKRATISCHE.

10 July 1950. 250 years of the founding of the Academy of Science in Berlin.

CONSTANT VARIETIES
1 pf. (Leonhard Euler)			Field number
I Mi.261I		Dot on nose.	4

UNLISTED VARIETIES
6 pf. (Theodor Mommsen)
1	Colored dot below right-handed 6.

26 August 1950. German Stamp Exhibition DEBRIA, Leipzig.

CONSTANT VARIETIES
12 + 3 pf., 84 + 41 pf.
I Mi.Bl.7I		Thick line above numeral 9 above date 3.9.1950.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
12 + 3 pf., 84 + 41 pf.
1	Thin white line in the top left corner of the red stamp.

COINCIDENTAL VARIETIES
12 + 3 pf., 84 + 41 pf.
1	Impurities and air bubbles

1 September 1950. 750 years of Mansfeld copper mines.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
12 pf.
1	Vertical thin line above letter J in JAHRE.
24 pf.
1	Colored dot on worker’s protective clothes.

15 December 1950. Peace. (Election of October 15, 1950.)

CONSTANT VARIETIES
6 pf.			Field number
I		Indentation on tank tracks.	35

4 March 1951. Leipzig Spring Fair.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
50 pf.
1	Colored dot right from the letter E in DEUTSCHE.
2	Colored dot between the first two chimneys on the left.

27 June 1951. Friendship with China.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
50 pf.
1	Spot on letter K in DEMOKRATISCHE.

2 September 1951. Five-Year plan symbol.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
24 pf.
1	Letter D in DEUTSCHE slightly flattened on top.

12 January 1952. Winter Sports Championship in Oberhof.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
12 pf.
1	Colored dot on letter I in REPUBLIK.

1 May 1952. National Reconstruction Program.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
12 + 3 pf.
1	Small color disturbance on top left inner frame.
30 + 10 pf.
1	Top inner frame broken above the second letter U AUFBAUPROGRAMM.
50 + 10 pf.
1	White dot above letter T in NATIONALES.
2	Colored dot above letters OG in AUFBAUPROGRAMM.

 

14 March / 5 May 1953. 70th anniversary of the death of Karl Marx.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
6 pf.
1	Letter O in DEMOKRATISCHE like D.
16 pf.
1	Letter T in DEMOKRATISCHE prolonged at bottom.
48 pf.
1	Letter M in DEMOKRATISCHE deformed.

2 May 1953. 6th International Bicycle Peace Race.

CONSTANT VARIETIES
24 pf.			Field number
I		White spot on pine tree.	11
II		The first letter E in INTERNATIONALE deformed.	22
III		Dot on Czechoslovak flag, gutter on the building broken.	43
35 pf.			Field number
I		Punctured tire on the first bicycle.	?
II		Letters R and H in RADFERNFAHRT deformed.	11
III		Thin line over the wheel of the first bicycle, white spot below letter N in FRIEDEN.	41
60 pf.			Field number
I		Banner broken below letter N in FRIEDEN.	14
II Mi.357II		Letters D and E in FRIEDEN connected by a dot.	?
III Mi.357II		Letters D and E in FRIEDEN connected by a dot, color smudge below chain of the first bicycle.	?
IV Mi.357II		Letters D and E in FRIEDEN connected by a dot, the third bicycle with a puncture.	?

6 July 1953. 700th anniversary of Frankfurt a. d. Oder.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
20 pf.
1	Ribbon above year 700 broken.
24 pf.
1	Colored dot right from ship’s mast.
2	Colored dot right from the second letter F in FRANKFURT.
35 pf.
1	Raster next to letter R in ODER defective.

16 September 1953. 200th anniversary of the death of Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
24 pf.
1	White dot above dash line in 1699 – 1753.

16 October 1953. 400th anniversary of the death of Lucas Cranach.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
24 pf.
1	Tiny colored dot left from numeral 2.

23 October 1953. Red Cross.

CONSTANT VARIETIES
24 pf.			Field number
I		Letter A in DEMOKRATISCHE deformed.	?

25 October 1953. Stamp Day.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
24 pf.
1	Tiny colored dot in numeral 2.

9 – 30 November 1953. German Patriots.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
16 pf. (Karl Reichsfreiherr vom und zum Stein)
1	Big colored dot after word “des”.

3 June 1954. 2nd German youth meeting for peace, unity and freedom.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
12 pf.
1	Thin colored line over II. DEUTSC.

16 August 1954. For flood victims.

CONSTANT VARIETIES
24 + 6 pf.			Field number
I		Dot on letter R in REPUBLIK.	?
II		Indentation on letter F in HELFT.	?
III		Two dots on letter R in REPUBLIK.	?
IV		Vertical line of letter D in DEN split in the middle.	?
V	On overprinted stamp of 25.2.1955	Dot on letter R in REPUBLIK, green dot near letter L in EIGLER.	4 (?)
VI Mi.431I	On overprinted stamp of 25.2.1955 (Mi.449III)	White dot in letter C in DEMOKRATISCHE.	4, 19, 34, 49
VII Mi.431II	On overprinted stamp of 25.2.1955 (Mi.449IV)	White dot above letters HE in HELFT, colored dot on letter R in REPUBLIK.	7, 22, 37
VIII Mi.431III	On overprinted stamp of 25.2.1955 (Mi.449V)	White dot above letter E in DEN, colored dot on letter R in REPUBLIK.	11, 26, 41
IX Mi.431IV		Letters F and T in HELFT partially missing.	?

4 September 1954. Leipzig Fair.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
24 pf.
1	Tiny colored dot on top M in fair logotype.

30 October 1954. description

CONSTANT VARIETIES
20 pf.
I Mi.Bl.10III		Dot above top frame (top right corner).

UNLISTED VARIETIES
20 pf.
1	Red dot below top right frame.

21 February 1955. Leipzig Spring Fair.

CONSTANT VARIETIES
20 pf.			Field number
I		Top frame between letters U and T in DEUTSCHE broken.	?
II		Numeral 2 in 27 slightly deformed.	?

COINCIDENTAL VARIETIES
35 pf.
1	Blurred print (Schmitzdruck).

25 February 1955. For flood victims.

CONSTANT VARIETIES OF OVERPRINTS
20 + 5 pf. on 24 + 6 pf. Note: for flaws on basic stamps see above.			Field number
I		Small indentations on zero and 2 in overprint.	15
II		Big colorless spot in the middle of numeral 2 in overprint.	20
III Mi.449II		Shamrock-shaped plus sign.	23, 43
IV		Shamrock-shaped plus sign, inner curve of numeral 2 deformed.	25 (?)
V Mi.449I		Large plus sign in overprint (bottom stamp).	36

1 March 1955. International Woman’s Day.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
20 pf.
1	Tiny colored dot on zero.
2	Thin colored line above the first woman’s head.
3	Colored spot between words JAHRE and INTERNATIONALER.

15 March 1955. International Trade Union Conference.

COINCIDENTAL VARIETIES
10 pf.
1	Bottom inscription blurred.
2	Thin line over bottom inscription.

9 April 1955. 10th anniversary of liberation.

COINCIDENTAL VARIETIES
10 + 20 pf. (souvenir sheet)
1	Rose phase shifted.

 

30 April 1955. 150th anniversary of the death of Friedrich Schiller.

CONSTANT VARIETIES
5 + 10 + 20 pf. (souvenir sheet)
I Mi.Bl.12IV		Letter J in JAHR prolonged to the left.
I(a) Mi.Bl.12IV		Letter J in JAHR prolonged to the left, the second dot in umlaut above letter ü in Brüdern damaged.

20 June 1955. Leaders of German labor movement.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
10 pf (August Bebel)
1	Colored dot next to Bebel’s right eye.
60 pf (Rosa Luxemburg)
1	Thin line above the first letter R in FÜHRER.
2	Thin line in the sky, below letters CH in DEUTSCHEN.

3 September 1955. 10th anniversary of the Land-Reform.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
5 pf.
1	White spot in letter R and indentation in bottom frame below letter M in DEMOKRATISCHE.
2	Colored dot next to the top left corner.
10 pf.
1	White dot above letter K in REPUBLIK.
2	White dot above numeral 9 in 1945.
3	Indentation in top frame above letter B in BODENREFORM.
4	White dot above letter S in DEMOKRATISCHE.
5	A scratch on top of the letter D in DEMOKRATISCHE and dots on letters L and K in REPUBLIK.

7 November 1955. Friedrich Engels, 135th anniversary of birth.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
10 pf.
1	Four thin horizontal lines over the first half of the stamp design.
30 pf.
1	White spot below neckerchief.

14 November 1955. Restored historical buildings.

CONSTANT VARIETIES
40 pf. (Dresdner Zwinger)			Field number
I		Horizontal colored line to the right from the dome.	?

21 November 1955. 400th anniversary of the death of Georgius Agricola.

CONSTANT VARIETIES
10 pf.			Field number
I		Outer frame of top left corner almost missing, two spots on hat.	?
II		Colored dot above letter I in AGRICOLA.	?
III Mi.497III		Colored dot on right frame.	16
IV	Also with additional dot on right frame.	Colored dot below letter R in GEORGIUS.	29

21 November 1955. Return of famous art pieces to Dresden Art Gallery.

CONSTANT VARIETIES
10 pf.			Field number
I		Colored spot on the floor above letters T and A in LIOTARD.	?

 

 

References

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Bibliography

• Michel Deutschland-Spezial 2005, Band 2: Ab Mai 1945 (Alliierte Besetzung bis BRD), Schwaneberger Verlag GmbH, ISBN 3-87858-145-9

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