Philately of GDR: Notable Personalities, varieties

Watermarks
Multiple Flowers DDR and Post Horn

Definitive issues, depicting notable personalities from politics, art and science were issued in years between 1948 and 1953. The stamps were printed in many runs, on at least 17 different paper types, 3 types of gum, different watermark orientations and in many color nuances. Two printing houses, Deutsche Wertpapierdruckerei (DWD) and Graphische Werkstätten (GW), were involved in the production process.

In catalogs, these issues are presented in two groups which differentiate in watermark. Stamps issued in Soviet occupation zone, prior to foundation of German Democratic Republic in October 1949 have watermark resembling crossing lines (Multiple Flowers), while watermark of stamps, issued after formation of GDR, depicts post horn and letters DDR in various orientations.

Varieties of all issues are presented in single tables, as many of them persist between printings.

Types

TYPES: Differentiation between DWD and GW printings:

  • DWD: Deutsche Wertpapierdruckerei
  • GW. Graphische Werkstätten (Leipzig)
80 pf.
DWD printing:

  • three lines on forehead, the first is very thick.

GW printing:

  • four thin lines on forehead,
DWD printing GW printing

Plate flaws

CONSTANT VARIETIES
2 pf. (Käthe Kollwitz)
I Line and dot on forehead connected.
Field №: 10, 55, 60 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: Michel Mi.327I
Notes: –
II White circle on the left side of the right eye.
Field №: 100 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: 327II
Notes: –
III Retouched numeral 2 with much heavier appearance.
Field №: 6 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: Michel Mi.212I
Notes: –
6 pf. (Gerhart Hauptmann)
I Hairlock on left missing.
Field №: f41e, 46, 91, 96, Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: Michel Mi.213I
Notes: Plates 1-12
II White dot on letter M of HAUPTMANN.
Field №: 87a Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: Koepfe [2]
Notes: Only plate 31 with DZ4.
15 pf. (Georg Hegel)
I White spot behind collar.
Field №: f13b, 18, 63, 68 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: 217II, 331II Koepfe [2]
Notes: Partially retouched examples exist.
20 pf. (Käthe Kollwitz)
I Zero in denomination flat on bottom.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: Koepfe [2]
Notes: –
II Letter O in POST thicker at bottom.
Field №: 54 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: Michel Mi.219I; Koepfe [2]
Notes: Only on plate 1.
24 pf.
I Large white spots over letters THÄ of THÄLMANN and DE of DEUTSCHE.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: Koepfe [2]
Notes: –
25 pf. (Rudolf Virchow)
I Dot above two vertical hairlines on left.
Field №: 23 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: Michel Mi.334I
Notes: –
II Line on ear indented.
Field №: f21a, 26, 71, 76 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: 221II, 334II; Koepfe [2]
Notes: Plate 1.
80 pf., dark blue and red (Ernst Thälmann)
I Letter T in POST pointed on right and white separating line above it is narrower.
Field №: 62 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: Michel Mi. 339IV (340IV)
Notes: –
II Spot on neck, line on collar connected to lapel.
Field №: 23, 73 (in one part of circulation) Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: Michel Mi. 339III (340III)
Notes: –
III Additional hair line on top of head.
Field №: 55 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: 339xb V, 340IV; Koepfe [2]
Notes: –
84 pf. (August Bebel)
I Inner frame above hair open.
Field №: 7 Pane: N/A
Other nomenclatures: Michel Mi.341II
Notes: –

Unlisted varieties

UNLISTED VARIETIES
6 pf.
1 Letter S in POST deformed.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Notes: –
8 pf.
1 Dot on letter A in KARL.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Notes: –
20 pf.
1 ITZ of KOLLWITZ deformed.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Notes: –
25 pf.
1 Indentation in bottom right corner.
Field №: ? Pane: N/A
Notes: –

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. Das Köpfe Portal