Wuerttemberg, Republic, Digits in Rhombus-Overprinted with new Values, December, 1922, Michel Nr. 159-170; With Germany having lost World War I an armistice was announced in October of 1918. However, the victorious Allies demanded that Germany pay reparations for all damages done to civilian population and property of the Allies. A treaty was drafted during the Paris Peace Conference in spring of 1919. According to it Germany lost a number of territories but was also condemned to pay $33 billion (in 1921 Dollars). The Germans were not given a choice in the matter even though international finance experts had warned that Germany could never pay such an amount. Since Germany still had financial obligations to its citizens (including then war bonds it had issued to finance the war) the country decided to print more money which eventually led into a phase of high inflation that only ended in November of 1923. At that time one U.S. Dollar was the equivalent of 4.2 billion Marks!. In order to deal with inflation postal authorities began to overprint older stamps with low nominals with new values rot make them useful again. Initially eleven stamps were overprinted as follows:
5M on 10Pf, 10M on 15Pf, 12M on 40Pf, 20M on 10Pf, 25M on 20Pf, 40M on 20Pf, 50M on 60Pf, 60M on 1.25M, 100M on 40Pf, 200M on 2M and 300M auf 50Pf.
Here is the mint (hinged) set.
and here the partial postally used set.
Here is a postally used error stamp. On it there is a wider space between the 2 and 5 of 25. It is listed in Michel under 163I. Signed „Klinkhammer“ and „Infla“.
Imperforate rial prints exist of the entire set, except the 12M on 40Pf stamp (Michel Nr. 161). Here is the entire set mint never hinged. All stamps are signed „Winkler“.
Here are the imperforate trial prints (mint new er hinged) but this time as gutter pairs.
Mixed franking of the 12Mark and 25 Mark overprinted stamps together with an un-overprinted 3Mark stamp paying an overall postage of 40 Marks. Sent from Heidenheim nach Itzelberg. Stamps cancelled with the rare B10 circular canceler of Heidenheim (value category 4). Note that the 25 Mark stamp shows the overprint error „wide space between 2 and 5 in 25“ (Michel Nr. 163I). Signed „Klinkhammer“ and Infla Berlin“.
Registration Nr. 00350
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