POSTAGE STAMPS
(1920)

This page was last updated
07-Mar-2023 07:23

MICHEL 133
REGULAR ISSUE BAVARIAN STAMPS WITH OVERPRINT
DEFINITIVE STAMPS

Michel 133 was designed by Sigmund Franz Xaver and Wilhelm Otto von Weech and was printed by the Reichsdruckerei in Berlin.



VALIDITY: 6th Apr 1920 until 30th Sep 1923.
VALUE: 2½ MARK (red overprint)
COLOUR: dark bluish violet / grey brown
WATERMARK: Vertical Wavy lines (Type I)
PERF: comb 11¾ x 11¼
SIZE:
PRINT TYPE: Typography
AVAILABILITY: Sheets
QUANTITY PRINTED: Unknown

COLOUR VARIATIONS

There are two colour variations.



ABOVE LEFT: 133 I: (brown) black / dark brownish olive (letterpress)
ABOVE RIGHT: 133 II: (red) black / dark brownish olive (lithography)

OTHER VARIATIONS

UPPER EDGE PIECES: (Flat Plate Printing Upper Margin Copies - P OR). There are four types of upper edge piece.

133 I P OR Type I
133 I P OR Type II
133 I P OR Type IV
133 II P OR Type I

There is a known error of the Type I upper edge piece where the comma is replaced with a period as seen below.

Mi 133 I P OR Type I flaw



IMPERFORATE: Michel 132 exists with two imperforate versions

133 I U
133 II U

OVERPRINT VARIATIONS: Michel 133 exists with several overprint variations

133 I AF XII: Imprint only ‘Reichs’ or only ‘Deutsches’
133 II AF XII: Imprint only ‘Reichs’ or only ‘Deutsches’

ADDITIONAL VARIATIONS:

133 III: Negative pressure strong (at least 4mm) shifted

PLATE FLAWS

There are no major plate flaws

CLOSED 'A'

Although not listed as a plate flaw it is quite common to find this stamp with one or other, or both, of the 'A's of 'BAVARIAE' closed.

STAMPS FROM MY COLLECTION

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

MINT / POSTALLY UNUSED

POSTALLY USED'

CLOSED 'A'

Although not listed as a plate flaw it is quite common to find this stamp with one or other, or both, of the 'A's of 'BAVARIAE' closed.



ABOVE LEFT: both 'A's closed
ABOVE RIGHT: both 'A's closed



ABOVE LEFT: first 'A' closed, second 'A' open
ABOVE RIGHT: first 'A' closed, second 'A' open



ABOVE: Mi 133 block. The stamps on he left have the first 'A' closed and the stamps on the right have them both open.

UPPER EDGE PIECE COMMA ERROR

This example has an error where the comma between the '5' and '0' is replaced with a period.

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