Germany Weimar Republic stamps year 1923 Wartburg Cologne Cathedral MNH stamps
Weimar Republic Stamps of 1923: Wartburg Castle and Cologne Cathedral
Overview
In 1923, during the height of Germany’s hyperinflation crisis, the Weimar Republic issued a series of postage stamps featuring prominent national landmarks, including Wartburg Castle and Cologne Cathedral. These stamps are notable not only for their historical and philatelic significance but also as artifacts of a period marked by rapid and extreme currency devaluation.
Key Stamps and Details
- Michel 261: Wartburg Castle
- Value: 5,000 Mark
- Color: Black-blue
- Issued: May/July 1923
- Printing: Engraved by the Government Printing Office
- Watermark: Vertical waffle (network)
- Sheet Format: 5 x 10
- Perforation: K14
- Michel 262: Cologne Cathedral
- Value: 10,000 Mark
- Color: Bright grey-brown
- Issued: May/July 1923
- Printing: Engraved by the Government Printing Office
- Watermark: Horizontal waffle (network)
- Sheet Format: 10 x 5
- Perforation: K14
Historical Context
These stamps were issued as regular postage during a period when inflation was so severe that postal rates changed almost weekly. The cost to send a postcard abroad, for example, soared from 15 Pfennig in 1919 to 200 billion Marks by December 1923. Despite this, mail remained the primary means of communication for most Germans
