POSTAGE STAMPS
(1920)

This page was last updated
31-Jan-2023 12:41

MICHEL 115
REPRESENTATIVE IMAGES of the GERMAN EMPIRE (VI)

Michel 115 was designed by Lipinsky, was issued on 15th Mar 1920, and depicts the union of North and South Germany. The winged sculpture is 'Genius with a torch' by Albert Wolff, created in 1876 and resides in Heinrich-von-Kleist-Park, Berlin-Schoeneberg, Germany.



VALIDITY: 15th Mar 1920 to 30th Sep 1923
VALUE: 2.50 MARK
COLOUR: rose lilac to dark rose lilac
WATERMARK: diamond lozenge
PERF: comb 14¾ x 14½
SIZE: 37 x 26mm
PRINT TYPE: Offset Lithography
AVAILABILITY: Sheets (5 x 10)
QUANTITY PRINTED: Unknown

COLOUR VARIATIONS

There are six major colour variations



ABOVE LEFT: 115 a: rose lilac to dark rose lilac
ABOVE LEFT CENTRE: 115 b: lively red carmine to carmine, magenta
ABOVE LEFT RIGHT: 115 c: brown purple to dark brown purple



ABOVE LEFT: 115 d: blackish grey lilac
ABOVE CENTRE: 115 e: brownish lilac to dark grey lilac
ABOVE RIGHT: 115 f: lilac carmine to dark brown lilac

OTHER VARIATIONS

UPPER EDGE PIECES: (Flat Plate Printing Upper Margin Copies - P OR). There are six different upper edge pieces.

115 a P OR
115 b P OR
115 c P OR
115 d P OR
115 e P OR
115 f P OR

OVERPRINT: 115 can also be found with four double overprints.

115 a DD - double overprint
115 b DD - double overprint
115 e DD - double overprint
115 f DD - double overprint

SHEETS: 115 sheets can be found with the following HAN numbers.

115 a HAN: H6010.19
115 b HAN: H6010.19 and 2025.20
115 c HAN: H4891.20
115 d HAN: H4891.20
115 e HAN: H6010.19, H2025.20, H3407.20 and H4891.20
115 f HAN: H3407.20 and H4891.20

PLATE FLAWS

There were four major plate flaws listed in the Michel catalogue:



ABOVE LEFT: 115 PF I: left man's right upper arm and lines to the right of it broken
ABOVE LEFT CENTRE: 115 PF II (Schantl f10): Large white spot on left man's back
ABOVE LEFT RIGHT: 115 PF III (Schantl f29): upper frame broken above left wing
ABOVE RIGHT: 115 PF IV: Broken tip of nose, white spot in left wing of genius

There are an additional six plate flaws listed in the Schantl catalogue



ABOVE LEFT: 115 Schantl f4 - Middle of the mark broken out? (field 4)
ABOVE CENTRE LEFT: 115 Schantl f12 - left denomination '2.50' with white spot to the right of the '0' (field 12)
ABOVE CENTRE RIGHT: 115 Schantl f17 - 'g' in first 'einig' without the top serif (field 17)
ABOVE RIGHT: 115 Schantl f25 - lower right eagle with white fleck in tail (field 25)



ABOVE LEFT: 115 Schantl f27 - white fleck in left figures calf (field 27) ABOVE CENTRE: 115 Schantl f33 - white fleck in left figures knee (field 33) ABOVE RIGHT: 115 Schantl f49 - left denomiation '2.50' with broken plant tendril to left (field 49)

STAMPS FROM MY COLLECTION

All stamps from here until the end of the page are from my collection.

MINT / UNUSED

Mi 115 Type 'a'

Mi 115 a - rose lilac to dark rose lilac. Expertised by DESCHNER BPP

Mi 115 Type 'b'

Mi 115 b - lively red carmine to carmine, magenta. Expertised by INFLA BERLIN

Mi 115 Type 'c'

Mi 115 c - brown purple to dark brown purple. Expertised by INFLA BERLIN PE.

Mi 115 Type 'd'

Mi 115 d - blackish grey lilac. Expertised by INFLA BERLIN PE.

Mi 115 Type 'e'

Mi 115 e - brownish lilac to dark grey lilac. Expertised by INFLA BERLIN PE.

Mi 115 Type 'f'

Mi 115 f - lilac carmine to dark brown lilac. Expertised by INFLA BERLIN PE.

REFERENCES:

1. MICHEL Deutschland-Spezial 2022 Band 1: 1849 bis April 1945. ISBN: 978-95402-401-8.
2. www.colnect.com
3. Plattenfehler Katalog Deutsches Reich 1872-1945 inkl. Dienstmarken, 4th Edition 2003. Thomas Schantl Verlag. ISBN: 3-932769-25-2