Weimar Republic postage stamps year 1923 5M MNH
The Weimar Republic 5 Mark stamp from 1923 falls right into the Hyperinflation era, where stamp values changed almost daily. Because of this, the “5M” could refer to a couple of different issues or overprints:
1. The Regular Definitive Issue
- Original 5 Mark Stamp (Pre-Hyperinflation): Before the worst of the hyperinflation took hold, a 5 Mark stamp was issued. This was generally part of the “Numerals of Value” or “Miner, Farmer, and Numerals” series.
- Design: The 5 Mark denomination (usually a large numeral ‘5’ with “Mark” and “Deutsches Reich”) would be the main feature of the design. These high-value stamps (5 Mark and above) often featured a large numeral design, unlike the lower-value Posthorn or Worker designs.
2. Hyperinflation Overprints on a 5 Mark Stamp
As hyperinflation spiraled out of control in 1923, the government could not print new stamps fast enough. They resorted to overprinting existing, lower-value stamps with massive new denominations.
- You are more likely to find stamps originally valued at 5 Mark that were overprinted with a much higher value, such as:
- 100 Mark on 5 Mark (Mihel #258, a Rhein-Ruhr Assistance semipostal overprint, issued in February 1923)
- 2 Millionen (2 Million) Mark on 5 Mark (An extremely common hyperinflation overprint from late 1923, generally on the Posthorn design base, not the numeral base).
3. A 5 Million Mark Value
Later in the year, as inflation reached a fever pitch, a 5 Million Mark stamp was a distinct, high-denomination issue in one of the new inflationary series:
- Design: These later hyperinflation stamps often featured large numerals in a circle or a simple text and numeral design, such as the 5 Millionen Mark (5 Million Mark) stamp, which was a very common value during the height of the crisis. This stamp is usually printed in red or a shade of red.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.