Germany Weimar Republic stamps year 1923 2/300 million Mark Mi.310a MNH
The designation “Mi. 310a” refers to a specific version of the stamp in the Michel German catalogue (the standard reference for German stamps).
🇩🇪 The 2 Millionen on 300 Mark (Michel #310a)
This stamp is a classic example of the postal administration trying to keep up with the collapse of the currency by surcharging (overprinting) existing stocks of stamps:
| Feature | Detail |
| New Denomination | 2 Millionen Mark (2,000,000 Mark) |
| Old (Underlying) Stamp | 300 Mark |
| Catalogue Number | Michel #310a |
| Base Design | The blackish-yellowish-green 300 Mark stamp from the “Number in Circle” definitive series. |
| Overprint Color | Black (The surcharge text “2 Millionen Mark” in Gothic script is printed in black ink). |
| Issue Date | September/October 1923 |
| Variety (‘a’) | The ‘a’ suffix in the Michel catalog often denotes a specific printing method, color shade, or paper type for the base stamp or the overprint. For Mi. 310, the ‘a’ typically refers to the common and widely issued variety, usually distinguished from other printing types or the later ‘b’ variant (if one exists). |
Significance of the Overprint
The leap from 300 Mark to 2 Million Mark in value illustrates the speed of the hyperinflation. The original 300 Mark stamp, issued only a little earlier in 1923, was virtually worthless by the time it was overprinted to 2 Million.
The “2 Millionen Mark” overprint series (Michel #309 to #312) was used for basic letter postage for a very brief time in the run-up to the colossal 10, 20, and 50 Million Mark issues that followed almost immediately.
