Germany 1915, 3m, 25x17 Perforation Holes

Hello.

Sorting out, found this, unmounted mint, "Specimen" overprint.




Can't seem to find anything in the Michel Specialised catalogue.

Any info would be great.

Regards.
Lee.


*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***

Michel lists prices for 3 of the "peace printing" mark values; the 3 M stamp is not listed as a "Specimen" stamp.

Your stamp is a war printing, issued 1918 or 1919. No "Specimen" overprint listed for a war printing. The overprint appears fuzzy to me and a shade of dark gray; the genuine overprint is sharp and full black.

If there is no listing of a Specimen for this stamp, and therefore no catalogue valuation, is a counterfeit overprint still conceivable? I.e., would it make sense to produce one? And if not, what else could this be?

I translate from BPP site (german organisation for certification):

"Muster is a German term for "Specimen", which was affixed in the form of a stamp to templates for issuing postage stamps. These "samples" were usually sent to the press and authorized recipients for information before they were issued. Deutsche Post carried these "sample" stamps as hand stamps in various shapes and designs until the end of 2002. They are generally not checked. Specimen is a Latin term for "specimen" or "sample". It denotes postage stamps that are marked with an identical stamp or imprint as template for the Universal Postal Union, the press, companies or public figures. Alternatively, depending on the country and tradition, other terms such as B. "MUSTER", "Muestra" or "Canceled" or simple forms of pre-cancellation by line (s), crosses, bars, etc. Ä .. Specimen are not valid postage stamps, but copies of the postage stamps intended for issuance. Such pieces are only checked in exceptional cases".

The 3 Mark stamp does exist with the "Specimen" overprint on the Peace printings (both unwatermarked and watermarked versions), but not the War printing. The wrong stamp was used; not surprising as it has the smallest catalog value.

Don't quite understand. Since this is a war printing, and therefore should not bear the Specimen overprint, is it an error by printers? Or, what seems more likely, an attempt at a counterfeit?

I think it is a forged overprint but cannot be positive without the stamp in hand.

Thanks for the clarification, Germania. Given the varieties of this design, and the relative difficulty discerning the differences between them, I can see why a forgery would be worth the effort, especially on a less valuable wartime printing.