LEVANT

The Turkish Empire in the late 1800s, early 1900s must be a very interesting period for philatelists, with all the foreign post offices, various currencies, etcetera. Those foreign post offices were I suppose usually founded to facilitate trade. The Germans had had post offices in Turkey ever since 1870. In the early days, stamps from the "Home Country" were used, which can only be identified as having been used in the Turkish Empire by their cancellations. Later, from 1884, stamps were overprinted in the local currency, piastres and paras.

However, the rather unfortunate exchange rates were having a detrimental effect on trade. This held especially true for printed matter and samples. Many traders started sending these via the post offices of other countries. In order to try and regain this important source of income for the German Post Office, they issued a set in French francs, on 5 August 1908. This set was also to be the last set of the German post offices in the Turkish Empire, because the First World War changed everything and made the Turks close their country to all foreign post offices in 1914.

The stamps, by the way, are from the German "Germania" definitives, which I would say is my favourite German definitive set. One day I will have a great collection of these, but just don't hold your breath!

:-)

Adrian

THOROUGH?

And here's me thinking that the Germans are so thorough! But there's little left of this proverbial thoroughness because what happened last month?

A visitor to a Berlin stamp fair walked up to the assistants of Deutsche Post and showed them two sheetlets of this stamp,

wanting to know what it was as he couldn't find it in the catalogue. No wonder, because this stamp was never issued! It was prepared for issue but when a proposed rate change never materialized and the "Tourist Sights" set was discontinued anyway, the stamp was never actually issued!

Deutsche Post apparently still has no idea how the two sheetlets could end up in private hands, but allegedly they're being rather secretive about it so it might well be an "inside job"!

Oh well, they do know how to make beautiful stamps though! So bring back the Tourist Sights definitives (and the Famous Women definitives as well, please!) and get rid of those unimaginative flower stamps!

:-)

Adrian

(sources: DBZ and "Filatelie" website)

GERMANY - FRAUEN DER DEUTSCHEN GESCHICHTE

The nice thing about a definitive set like this one, with all those personalities depicted, is that you can turn it into some sort of thematic collection as well! Although you need to stretch your philatelic imagination somewhat with some people portrayed, with others it is quite easy.

Take for example Maria Sibylle Merian (1647-1717), depicted on the 40pf stamp. She was an artist renowned for her very realistic painting of insects and flowers. The United States issued a set of stamps in 1997, reproducing her flower paintings to mark the 350th anniversary of her birth.

I only have used copies so I can't really do justice to her work, therefore I tried to find some images of her artwork on the net. Funny to find that most works of her can be found as mirror images as well! And there are even copies of her pineapple print without the insect at the top!

The portrait on the stamp is very much like the portrait used on a German banknote.

Take care

Adrian