German States Hamburg stamp year 1866 1½ Schilling
The 1 $1/2$ Schilling stamp from 1866 belongs to the final definitive issue of the German State of Hamburg before it joined the North German Confederation.
These stamps are highly collectible as they represent the last vestige of the city-state’s independent postal authority.
Here are the key details about the 1866 Hamburg 1 $1/2$ Schilling stamp:
⚓ Hamburg 1 $1/2$ Schilling (1866)
| Feature | Detail |
| Denomination | 1 $1/2$ Schilling |
| Catalogue Numbers | Michel #21 (or Scott #25) |
| Series/Design | Coat of Arms (Wappen) |
| Design Detail | Features the ornate Coat of Arms of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (a castle/fortress design) with the value prominently displayed at the bottom. |
| Color | Rose or Carmine (various shades exist) |
| Perforation/Roulette | Typically Rouletted 10 (meaning the cuts are small slits rather than clean holes, measuring 10 cuts per 2 centimeters). |
| Watermark | None (unlike some earlier issues, this series was typically unwatermarked). |
| Historical Context | Issued just before Hamburg integrated its postal system into the North German Confederation (Norddeutscher Postbezirk) in 1868. |
