Germany year 1949 stamps Anniversary of the German Stamps

Germany year 1949 stamps Anniversary of the German Stamps MLH set

In 1949, Germany issued a special stamp set to commemorate the centenary (100th anniversary) of the first postage stamps issued in Germany. Here are some key details:

The Set:

• This was a two-stamp set issued on November 14, 1949 by the Allied occupation authorities in the combined American/British bi-zonal territory that later became West Germany.
• The stamps featured designs closely resembling the famous “Black Penny” and “Numeral” stamps first issued in 1849.

The Designs:

• The 10 pfennig stamp depicted the profile portrait of Prussia’s King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, modeled after the “Black Penny” design of 1849.
• The 25 pfennig stamp showed the numeral “3” inside an oak wreath, inspired by the “Numeral” issue of 1849.
• Both stamps had the inscription “100 JAHRE DEUTSCHE BRIEFMARKEN” meaning “100 Years of German Postage Stamps”.

Significance:

• This was the first commemorative stamp set issued in post-WWII Germany.
• It celebrated the founding of the world’s first postage stamp issues and Germany’s pioneering role in establishing modern postal services.
• The stamp designs paid homage to the famous first German stamp issues that revolutionized mail service in the 19th century.

So in 1949, just four years after WWII ended, this commemorative set allowed Germany to reflect on its philatelic legacy and the German origins of adhesive postage stamps 100 years earlier in 1849.