German Reich year 1937 – Hitler stamps MNH/CTO

German Reich year 1937 – Hitler stamps MNH/CTO

In 1937, Nazi Germany issued a series of definitive postage stamps featuring portraits of Adolf Hitler as the leader of the German Reich. Here are some key details about these controversial “Hitler head” stamps:

Designs:

• The stamps displayed Adolf Hitler’s head and face in profile view facing to the right.
• Hitler is depicted wearing a Nazi party hat with swastika emblem.
• The inscriptions included “Deutsches Reich” and the denominations.

Denominations/Colors:

• Low values like 3pf brown, 4pf green up to 25pf showed Hitler’s head alone.
• Higher denominations like 32pf, 42pf, 62pf used more intricate designs with additional elements.
• The top value was 5 Reichsmark carmine showing Hitler superimposed on an oak leaf spray.

Printing:

• Engraved in elaborate detail and printed using intaglio plates.
• Issued both perforated and imperforate.

Controversy:

• These were essentially propagandistic stamps glorifying Hitler as the “Fuhrer.”
• Their overt links to Hitler and Nazi ideology make them controversial collectibles today.
• Many collectors, dealers and auction houses refuse to handle or sell them on ethical grounds.

While important artifacts of their era, the 1937 German Reich “Hitler head” definitives remain contentious items due to their connections to Nazi symbolism and ideology. For political and ethical reasons, they are not openly traded or displayed in many circles today. However, their existence cannot be ignored in the context of German philately during that period.