Hitler's Last Issue

Here's another nice set from the collection.

In early 1945, the German Reichspost issues a postal decree that on the occasion of Hitler's 12th anniversary as Chancellor (30 Jan 1945), the Reichspost would issue a set of four stamps depicting four Nazi Party formations (SA, SS, NSFK, and NSKK). Subsequent postal decrees delayed the release, eventually setting the release day as 20 Apr 1945, Hitler's Birthday.

Due to the deteriorating war situation, only two designs, the SA and SS, were printed in quantity. The NSFK and NSKK designs are found in very small quantities on presentation pages (a set recently sold at auction in Germany for €26,000).

The SA (Michel 909) and SS (Michel 910) issues were available at a handful of Berlin post offices on 20 April. However, at that time, mail service was interrupted by fighting in the streets of Berlin. Used copies exist, and their provenance is one of the most highly debated topics in German philately. There are several theories that could explain legitimate used copies -- limited mail runs or private couriers hand-delivering mail, for example. However, several studies have been done regarding the volume of mail emanating from the various post offices around 20 April, and the prevailing theory is that there was no mail service from the Berlin post offices which received these issues on 20 April.


Mi 909


Mi 910

Michel catalogs one plate flaw on 909 (not shown here), and two on 910.


Mi 910 I -- Plate flaw - gash across the face


Mi 910 II -- Plate flaw - bright spot on collar insignia

Imperf copies are believed to be from printers' waste.


Mi 909U - imperf


Mi 910U - imperf

The stamps were printed in sheets of 50 (5x10). Due to the high catalog value of these stamps, the full sheets are hard to find.


Mi 909 Sheet


Mi 910 Sheet


Mi 909U Sheet


Mi 910U Sheet

Those are very interesting stamps and they can be one of the hardest ones to get for the Third Reich since they are the last such issues. You have a very interesting specialized collection. I used to collect similar stamps but I have sold them all off except for one block which I have kept which has not yet been fully appreciated for what it is. It was the last issue that shows Hitler's portrait and it was from Bohemia and Moravia (Michel 142/Scott 90). However, it was cancelled on May 1, 1945 since Prague was the last German occupied capital to fall to the Soviets on May 9, 1945. The significance of May 1, 1945 (1.V.45) is that it was the Nazi official announced and Nazi official accepted date of Hitler's death in Berlin, Germany. (The Allies have this date as April 30, 1945.)



Interestingly, this looks like a (Stickney?) rotary press issue due to the horizontal gum breakers and the short lines of margin horizontal perforations.

Would anyone in Germany today use one of these unused stamps as postage? They take a pretty dim view of this period in their history.



-IBFS

I think that it's prohibited to use these stamps currently for postage in Germany, especially those stamps that depict Hitler and/or a swastika.

I remember whem I finally got my hands on those two last Third Reich issues. In retrospect I probably paid too much for them, but I really wanted to add them to my German Empire collection.

Hi PostmasterGS,

In your initial post you stated "In early 1945, the German Reichspost issues a postal decree that on the occasion of Hitler's 30th anniversary as Chancellor (30 Jan 1945),...".

Hitler was Chancellor from 30 January 1933 to 30 April 1945, so the anniversary was 12 years.

In 1915, he was serving in the First World War as a corporal.

- stamporator -

Oops. Guess I had the 30 from the date on the brain.

Hate to be a pain here, but symbol of Nazi Germany was based on, but is not, the swastika, a symbol used by many different cultures from the Hindus, to the Native Americans, to the Roman Empire. The correct term for the symbol Nazi Germany used on it's flag is "Hakenkreuz," which translates to "hooked cross."

I'm not sure anyone would know what a "Hakenkreuz" is however. Interesting information however.

I have a friend who lives in Germany and his hobby is painting military miniatures. Because of the law in Germany he must black out
any German Military insignia from WW2 on any photographs he posts in forums.

David

Ohh I forgot to ask in my last post... What do the two original stamps that started this thread catalog for?

David

Michel 2013 catalog values for MNH are €35 (909) and €55 (910) for the perf and imperf, and €180 for each of the plate flaws.