Germany 1Rm (1905) Was This Stamp Valid For Postage In 1921?

This stamp is a German 1 mark stamp from the 1905/12 issue (lozenge watermark), Type A (26 x 17 perf holes). It was cancelled at Frankfurt am Main on 30.3.1921, leading me to wonder whether it was even valid for postage at that date.

Does anyone know whether the prewar issues were still valid for postage under the Weimar Republic?

For the Germania issues that went along with this set, Michel says that they are valid until 31/10/22. This could be the date when stamps of value less than a certain amount were declared invalid for postage due to the high inflation. As for the stamp that you have, my (1997) Michel does not give the 'valid until' date.

peterethio, thanks for looking it up!

I don't think this stamp was reissued as part of the postwar Germania series, so I guess stocks of the prewar and wartime issues were still available and still valid.

They must have printed an awful lot of them earlier on!

According to Michel, Jimjam2, this set (1, 2, 3 and 5 Mark stamps) were reissued in 1916/17 in two slightly different perforations. The stamps had either 26 teeth (quite rare) or 25 teeth (more common) across the top. It was the redrawn and issued again in 1920. There may well have been millions of this stamp printed.

Do you happen to know what watermarks featured on the 1916/17 and 1920 issues? I assume the 1916/17 had the lozenge and the 1920 issue the network wmk.

If so, my pair could be from the 1916/17 issue.

Does the catalogue give the perf or just the number of teeth? This is actually the first time I've heard of perfs being measured this way.

What's more, one excellent website has a section on German stamps where the writer just gives the perf holes, not the teeth.

All three 1 mark stamps have the Lozenge watermark.

Michel normally give perfs as '14:14 1/2', for example. They also seem to give perfs to the nearest quarter. For this series they have given it as 14(1/4), 14 1/2 (3/4) which is 27 teeth by 16 teeth, and 14 1/2 which is 25 teeth by 17 teeth. The awkwardness of the '14(1/4), 14 1/2 (3/4)' probably caused them to give the number of teeth. I assume that '14(1/4), 14 1/2 (3/4)' means that the perforation is between 14 and 14 1/2, by between 14 1/2 and 14 3/4.

If they all have lozenge watermarks, then I should probably assume that this pair is from the 1920 printing.

Does anyone know the CV for the 1920 issue (or any issue) with 27 teeth (26 holes) across the top?

Hi again Jimjam2, my catalogue is 1997 so the prices are probably very out-of-date. I'd better leave this question for someone else.

peterethio, LOL. Even a 1997 price would be indicative.

I wonder if you're implying that prices for German stamps have changed a lot in recent years. If so, do you mean for better or worse?

Personally, I think DDR prices are going to rise. Well, they can't get much lower, can they?

Does anyone know the CV for the 1920 issue (or any issue) with 27 teeth (26 holes) across the top?

I'm wondering if this is the rare variety or the common one.

Anyway, Happy New Year people. It's 12 am here in Sydney!

Sorry to leave you waiting so long Jimjam2. I thought someone else may reply with more up-to-date info. All prices listed in German Marks (DM) for used condition.

1902 (no watermark) for 26 teeth (I wrote 27 before - sorry) DM 8; for 25 teeth DM 85
1906/11 for 26 teeth DM 7
1916/17 for 26 teeth DM 300; for 25 teeth DM 3
1920 redrawn DM 4

Hope this helps. I find down here in Melbourne dealers often charge 1/3 or 1/4 of these values.

Happy New Year from Melbourne too (although I come originally from north of Newcastle, NSW).

A bit late, but...Dland Spez 2005. Valid still 31.10. 1922. CV. used 3 eur./-26:17, 1905 Dec- 1912 Okt./

Thanks, guys, I really appreciate your help. I thought I might have had the 1916/17 one until I found out that the stamp was reissued in 1920.