Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Thanks,
Josh
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You have an improper use of postage stamps cover to add to your collection.
Stamps issued for Berlin were valid throughout the former West Germany. However, upon reunification of east and west Germany, the stamps remained valid throughout the reunited Germany only until December 31, 1991.
The stamps are from a souvenir sheet, by the way.
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08:11:19pm
In addition, stamps denominated in Deutschemarks (and pfennige) are no longer valid for postage since some time after the Euro was adopted by Germany.
Roy
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Josh:
A nice addition to your West Berlin collection. 
Show us the postcard, if you can. 
David
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for sure ! Would love to see it.
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Thanks everyone for the info. I was wondering about the pre-Euro stamps as well. Here's the back and the stamps (at least as well as they came out on my scanner).
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01:36:37pm
Are you sure those are Berlin stamps? They look like Deutschland to me.
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Hard to see from the image, but look along the left edge of the stamp. "Deutsche Bundespost Berlin" reads vertically on the edge. The stamps are from the souvenir sheet Scott #9N537.
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04:14:07pm
Ahh Michael - I was on my phone and when I zoomed in it was just too blurry to read. I see it now. There is a Deutschland stamp that looks almost identical to that one although of course, Bundepost and Berlin were identical and many Bundepost and Deutschland are identical. Sort of like looking at USSR and DDR!
Thanks for clarifying and to add my agreement to the original post, I'm quite surprised to see it made it through the post as it is no longer legal postage. I hadn't considered the pre-Euro aspect of EU countries. We take for granted here in Canada as well as USA and GB that we can use older issues on our parcels.
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Some European countries allowed the use of pre-Euro stamps after the Euro was adopted to allow people to use up their existing stamps, presumable at the same rate as the "dual currency" issues.
I don't know about Germany but certainly the Netherlands allowed Guilder stamps for quite a time.
At the time of the introduction of the Euro I think that the domestic letter rate was
1.10 dm (0.56Euro)- based on the value of single commemoratives, so it is possible that the postcard rate was indeed 90pf. Legal use or not it appears that the rate was more or less correct.
Given that fact,there are 2 points at issue-
1.Could dm stamps be used
2 could Berlin stamps be used
I bow to superior knowledge, but I do not see the difference between Berlin,and West German stamps being used after reunification. There was not an instant break between West German and whole Germany stamps - and politically unification was only an enlargement of the existing West German state and not a completely new country.
Even if 2. above could not be proved it is unlikely that they would be stopped as the number of Berlin stamps available was probably miniscule by then.
Malcollm
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Many Berlin stamps were issued alongside their West German counterparts--in the Scott catalogue, many pictures of the Berlin stamps are not shown--the cat. constantly refers to the German counterpart for reference.
I actually collect Berlin and not Germany proper as I am 1) intrigued by the Berlin stamps and 2)not nearly as many issues to try and collect. :-)
Nice find for your collection!
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08:20:03pm
Then this creates the question "Is the address side the front of the postcard ?" or the picture side, and if the stamps are on the picture side as with Maximum cards does that matter? THE WHOLE WORLD WONDERS XXX
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Are the Berlin Stamps still valid for postage? I just received a postcard mailed with a couple of them (denominated 40 and 50 pf, inscribed 750 Years of Berlin and dated 1987) - it received the normal Briefzentrum postmark and made it to me with no indication otherwise.
Thanks,
Josh
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03:32:05pm
re: Are Berlin Stamps still valid for postage?
You have an improper use of postage stamps cover to add to your collection.
Stamps issued for Berlin were valid throughout the former West Germany. However, upon reunification of east and west Germany, the stamps remained valid throughout the reunited Germany only until December 31, 1991.
The stamps are from a souvenir sheet, by the way.
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26 Apr 2014
08:11:19pm
re: Are Berlin Stamps still valid for postage?
In addition, stamps denominated in Deutschemarks (and pfennige) are no longer valid for postage since some time after the Euro was adopted by Germany.
Roy
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re: Are Berlin Stamps still valid for postage?
Josh:
A nice addition to your West Berlin collection.
Show us the postcard, if you can.
David
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10:59:46pm
re: Are Berlin Stamps still valid for postage?
for sure ! Would love to see it.
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re: Are Berlin Stamps still valid for postage?
Thanks everyone for the info. I was wondering about the pre-Euro stamps as well. Here's the back and the stamps (at least as well as they came out on my scanner).
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A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
27 Apr 2014
01:36:37pm
re: Are Berlin Stamps still valid for postage?
Are you sure those are Berlin stamps? They look like Deutschland to me.
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02:33:09pm
re: Are Berlin Stamps still valid for postage?
Hard to see from the image, but look along the left edge of the stamp. "Deutsche Bundespost Berlin" reads vertically on the edge. The stamps are from the souvenir sheet Scott #9N537.
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A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
27 Apr 2014
04:14:07pm
re: Are Berlin Stamps still valid for postage?
Ahh Michael - I was on my phone and when I zoomed in it was just too blurry to read. I see it now. There is a Deutschland stamp that looks almost identical to that one although of course, Bundepost and Berlin were identical and many Bundepost and Deutschland are identical. Sort of like looking at USSR and DDR!
Thanks for clarifying and to add my agreement to the original post, I'm quite surprised to see it made it through the post as it is no longer legal postage. I hadn't considered the pre-Euro aspect of EU countries. We take for granted here in Canada as well as USA and GB that we can use older issues on our parcels.
Login to Like
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09:18:19pm
re: Are Berlin Stamps still valid for postage?
Some European countries allowed the use of pre-Euro stamps after the Euro was adopted to allow people to use up their existing stamps, presumable at the same rate as the "dual currency" issues.
I don't know about Germany but certainly the Netherlands allowed Guilder stamps for quite a time.
At the time of the introduction of the Euro I think that the domestic letter rate was
1.10 dm (0.56Euro)- based on the value of single commemoratives, so it is possible that the postcard rate was indeed 90pf. Legal use or not it appears that the rate was more or less correct.
Given that fact,there are 2 points at issue-
1.Could dm stamps be used
2 could Berlin stamps be used
I bow to superior knowledge, but I do not see the difference between Berlin,and West German stamps being used after reunification. There was not an instant break between West German and whole Germany stamps - and politically unification was only an enlargement of the existing West German state and not a completely new country.
Even if 2. above could not be proved it is unlikely that they would be stopped as the number of Berlin stamps available was probably miniscule by then.
Malcollm
Login to Like
this post
re: Are Berlin Stamps still valid for postage?
Many Berlin stamps were issued alongside their West German counterparts--in the Scott catalogue, many pictures of the Berlin stamps are not shown--the cat. constantly refers to the German counterpart for reference.
I actually collect Berlin and not Germany proper as I am 1) intrigued by the Berlin stamps and 2)not nearly as many issues to try and collect. :-)
Nice find for your collection!
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14 Nov 2014
08:20:03pm
re: Are Berlin Stamps still valid for postage?
Then this creates the question "Is the address side the front of the postcard ?" or the picture side, and if the stamps are on the picture side as with Maximum cards does that matter? THE WHOLE WORLD WONDERS XXX
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