German Reich postage stamp year 1933 20pf Wagner Mi. 505 MNH
That’s a well-known stamp! The German Reich 1933 stamp, Michel (Mi.) No. 505, is part of a semi-postal set honoring the composer Richard Wagner.
📜 Stamp Details
- Year of Issue: 1933
- Catalogue Number (Michel): Mi. No. 505 (part of the Mi. No. 499-507 set)
- Denomination: 20 Pfennig + 10 Pfennig (semi-postal, meaning the extra 10 Pf. was a surcharge for charity, specifically the Nothilfe or emergency relief fund).
- Design Subject: The opera “Tristan und Isolde”
- Series Name: Richard Wagner Commemorative Semi-Postal Issue.
- Historical Note: This set was one of the first German stamps issued after the Nazi Party came to power, and it is the first German stamp issue to feature the swastika watermark in the paper. It was initially sold only at the Wagner Festival in Munich and Bayreuth.
💸 Value and Varieties
The value of this stamp depends heavily on its condition and, importantly, its perforation variety:
- Mi. No. 505 A (Perforation 14): This is the more common perforation for this stamp.
- Mi. No. 505 B (Perforation 13.5 x 14 or similar): This variety is significantly scarcer and therefore more valuable, especially in mint condition.
| Condition | Mi. 505 A (Common Perforation) | Mi. 505 B (Scarce Perforation) |
| Used (Cancelled) | Generally in the low range (e.g., $10 – $50) | Higher, but depends greatly on the market |
| Mint Hinged (MH) (With original gum and hinge mark) | Generally in the mid-range (e.g., $50 – $150) | Substantially higher, often reaching hundreds of dollars/euros |
| Mint Never Hinged (MNH) (Perfect, unused gum) | Generally in the higher range (e.g., $100 – $300) | Very Valuable. Mint Never Hinged examples of the “B” variety are considered collector’s pearls and can command prices well into the hundreds or over a thousand dollars/euros, especially with an expert certificate. |
