POSTAGE STAMPS
(1920)

This page was last updated
31-Jan-2023 12:49

MICHEL 121
REGULAR ISSUE BAVARIAN STAMPS WITH OVERPRINT
DEFINITIVE STAMPS

Michel 121 was designed by Valentin Zietara and printed by the Reichsdruckerei in Berlin.



VALIDITY: 6th Apr 1920 until 30th Sep 1923.
VALUE: 15Pf
COLOUR: dark rose red (tones)
WATERMARK: Horizontal Wavy lines (Type I)
PERF: comb 14 x 14½
SIZE: 21 x 26mm
PRINT TYPE: Typography
AVAILABILITY: Sheets
QUANTITY PRINTED: Unknown

COLOUR VARIATIONS

There are no major colour variations

OTHER VARIATIONS

UPPER EDGE PIECES: (Flat Plate Printing Upper Margin Copies - P OR). There is only one type of upper edge piece.



121 P OR Type III

DOUBLE PRINT: Michel 121 exists with a double overprint

121 DD

INVERTED OVERPRINT: Michel 121 exists with an inverted overprint

121 K

OVERPRINT VARIATIONS: Michel 121 exists with several overprint variations



ABOVE LEFT: 121 AF VI: thick closed "D" in "Deutsches"
ABOVE CENTRE LEFT: 121 AF VII: upper bar of the 'D' of 'Deutsches' tilted down left
ABOVE CENTRE RIGHT: 121 AF VIII clasp around the ‘D’ of ‘Deutsches’
ABOVE RIGHT: 121 AF X: thin overprint



ABOVE LEFT: 121 AF XI: thick overprint
ABOVE CENTRE: 121 AF XII: Imprint only ‘Reichs’ or only ‘Deutsches’
ABOVE RIGHT: 121 AF XVI: paint on the ‘R” of ‘Reich’ scrapped off

MAJOR PLATE FLAWS

The Michel catalogue identifies two major plate flaws.



ABOVE LEFT: 121 PF II (Schantl fA): '5' of the value '15' extended below by a large white spot
ABOVE RIGHT: 121 PF III (Schantl f27): 'B' of 'BAYERN' badly damaged at the bottom. (field 27)

There is an additional plate flaw listed in the Schantl catalogue



ABOVE LEFT: 121 (Schantl f97) - large white fleck between farmer's legs (feild 97)

STAMPS FROM MY COLLECTION

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

Unused 121 AF X (thin overprint)

ABOVE: Unused 121 AF X. Also, with minor overprint error black fleck on bottom of 'h' of 'Reich'

UPPER EDGE PIECE - P OR TYPE III

121 P OR Type III

Unused 121 AF XI (thick overprint)

ABOVE: 121 AF XI - Thick Overprint

Postally used 121 AF X (thin overprint)

ABOVE: Postally used 121 AF X (thin overprint)

MISCELANEOUS OVERPRINT ERRORS

ABOVE: Large black fleck between 'D' and 'e' of 'Deutsches'

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