POSTAGE STAMPS
(1944)

This page was last updated
19-Mar-2023 01:14

MICHEL 4
PERMISSION STAMP for FIELD POST
(CHRISTMAS PARCELS)

BACKGROUND: Issued: 20th Oct 1944 after the cessation of the greater than 100-gram allowance. This stamp is very similar to a Michel 2 1942 concession label, except it is much smaller, being 22½ x 18mm. It was also printed at the Berlin State Printing Works.

The purpose of this stamp was to encourage the sending of Christmas parcels up to 1Kg in weight from Germany to soldiers stationed at the front. This stamp was not sold to collectors but can be found cut in half and used in Kurland as an air mail permission stamp.

Examples of this stamp with an 'INSELPOST' overprint are forgeries

VALIDITY: 20th Oct 1944 until May 1945
VALUE: N/A
COLOUR: green
WATERMARK: None
PERF: K 14
AVAILABILITY: Sheets (10x10)
QUANTITY PRINTED: Unknown

SPECIAL CANCELLATION:

VARIATIONS

There were two major variations:



ABOVE LEFT: Mi 4 x - smooth gum
ABOVE RIGHT: Mi 4 y - ribbed gum

OTHER VARIATIONS

There is only one other variation, Mi 4 Pa on glued paper web.

PLATE FLAWS

There are no major plate flaws.

STAMPS FROM MY COLLECTION

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

POSTALLY UNUSED - MINT

ABOVE: Mi 4 y - horizontal ribbed gum