June 25, 2005 (BALPEX 2005)

 

Synopsis –East Saxony 1945-1946

 

 

Purpose of Exhibit

 

To present highlights from my collection of East Saxony (Ost Sachsen), Soviet Zone of Germany, 1945-46.  This is a Special Study, covering Michel Soviet Zone 41-65 (Scott 15N1-20, 15NB1-2) and related issues.  It combines aspects of the traditional, postal history and postal stationery categories of the Postal Division.

 

 

Exhibit History

 

I first exhibited this subject over 20 years ago, under the title “The Postage Stamps & Postal History of East Saxony/ OPD Dresden (1945-46)”.  It qualified for and was subsequently entered in the International Exhibition in Chicago.

 

BALPEX 1984

8 frames

Gold

AMERIPEX 1986 (International)

5 frames

Silver

 

After a long hiatus, I again exhibited in 2004 under the title “East Saxony, 1945-1946”.  About 50% of the material in this exhibit did not appear in the earlier exhibits.

 

Peach State Stamp Show 2004

5 frames

Vermeil

VAPEX 2004

5 frames

Gold

NAPEX 2005

8 frames

Gold

Stampshow 2005

5 frames

unknown

 

The principal criticism of the Peach State jury was that I was trying to show both a traditional exhibit and a postal history exhibit.  For VAPEX, I showed it as a strictly traditional exhibit by eliminating sections on Captured Mail (3 pages), Cash Franking (6 pages) and Emergency Cancellations (8 pages).  Some covers from the latter section were used elsewhere in the exhibit, and approximately 25% of the material was not in the Peach State exhibit.

 

For NAPEX I expanded the exhibit to 8 frames.  While mainly a traditional exhibit, it did contain elements of postal history and postal stationery exhibits, and was entered as a Special Study.  Besides combining most of the material from the Peach State and VAPEX exhibits, several pages of new acquisitions were also included.

 

This Stampshow exhibit will be similar to the VAPEX exhibit, except that it will contain most of the new material acquired for the NAPEX exhibit.  It will be entered as a traditional exhibit (with FIP judging option).  However, there are a few pages of postal stationery which serve to round out the treatment of “Postal Issues” per the exhibit title.

 

For BALPEX, I am using the organizational structure of the (traditional) Stampshow exhibit, but with the addition of two sections at the end covering Cash Franking and Postal History – thus the Specisl Study designation.

 

The inclusion of the Görlitz and Niesky local issues in the exhibit is justified based on the fact that the Central PT&T Administration in Berlin subsequently declared that these issues had the same status as all of the official Soviet Zone issues.  They are an integral part of the story.

 

 

Challenge Factor

 

This collection will never be complete.  The exhibit attempts to show all stamp issues as well as most major varieties.  In general, I show plate varieties only when they are especially prominent.  I only show color varieties when they are particularly significant.  Usage is shown for all issues

 

In spite of their relatively modest cost, the most difficult items to obtain were covers showing the Dresden-Loschwitz postmaster roulette and the Niesky local issue that were not blatantly philatelic.

 

 

Organization of Exhibit

 

Sections 1-10 in the Exhibit Plan are in chronological order, while the last two sections span the entire 1945-1946 period.

 

 

 

Exhibit Plan

 

 

1.  Cork Obliterations

2.  The “ПОЧТА” Stamp

3.  First Issue

4.  Trial Separations

5.  Postmaster Separations

6.  Second Issue

7.  Third Issue

  8.  Fourth Issue

  9.  Fifth Issue

10.  Reconstruction Issue

11.  Local Issues

12.  Postal Stationery

13.  Cash Franking

14.  Postal History

 

Some sources consider the second, third and fourth issues to be a single issue.  Since each of these was produced by a different printer using different paper, gum and printing processes, I prefer to treat them as individual issues.

 

 

Material Highlights

 

Items of exceptional interest are described in red:  

 

Cover from Kamenz with unrecorded cork obliteration and unrecorded emergency cancellation

Cover with cork-obliterated official stamps, used past validity

Michel 41 (ПОЧТА), top margin block of 4

Michel 41 on cover to Meißen

First Issue registered letter delivered as an exception to the prohibition of private mail

Michel 43Ac and 43AcDD (20 printed), plus 43AbDDI on cover (10 pairs printed)

Michel 46ADD (20 printed, but only 4 known as of 1999)

Michel 46A horizontal gutter pair

Michel 49ADDI (10 printed)

Michel 43C on non-philatelic cover (3 known 20 years ago)

4 different Coswig perforations on previously rouletted stamps - Michel 43BIa/DI, 43BIIa/DI, 43BIIa/DIII and 43BIIb/DII

Michel 43DIaUMw (pair, imperf between), probably the only known cover

Großröhrsdorf trial perforation, pair plus cover (Michel 46EZ)

Pirna roulette, complete set in used blocks of 4 (Michel 42-50H)

Pirna roulette on cover (Michel 44H); Seiffen roulette on cover (Michel 46L)

Third Issue color varieties, Michel 53b, 53c and 54b; also Michel 53-55 G (printed on gummed side)

Gutter pair, Michel 56aZW; Trial printing, Michel 60P (300 printed)

Michel 58 on post card with Ebersbrunn emergency cancel (fewer than 10 known)

Michel 61uDD, both types of double impression (10 copies printed of each type)

Michel 61uZSI/61uDD, vertical “small” gutter strip of 5, double impression on bottom stamp

Michel 61uZSII, vertical “large” gutter block of 8

Michel 61uF, printed on paper splice

Michel 64bSKZU, vertical gutter strip of 4

Trial printings, Michel 64PI, 64PII, 65PI, 65PII, 65PIIUr, 65PIIUl, 65PIII

Görlitz official postal card, Michel P898, properly used

 

 

References

 

See reverse of Title Page.

 

 

Internet Availability

 

This exhibit should be available by early August on my web site at http://www.jaypex.com/Exhibits/OS5.html.  Links to earlier versions can be found at http://www.jaypex.com.  Questions can be directed to jay@jaypex.com.

 

 

 

 

Jay T. Carrigan / 39 Foxglove Road / Hendersonville, NC 28739 / 828-698-7836 (phone) / 828-698-6365 (fax)


 

 

 
Primary references

 

 

  1.

Michel Deutschland-Spezial Katalog (2004)

 

  2.

Die Postwertzeichen der OPD Dresden 1945 – 1946 (1979)

Ströh

 

 

Secondary references

 

 

  3.

Die Sächischen Schwärzungen 1945, 2 volumes (2001, 2003)

Anderson, Bänsch, Meyer, Porsche

  4.

DDR-Universalkatalog (1986)

Fischer, Skupin, Gudenschwager

  5.

Planning a Soviet Zone OPD Postal History Collection

German Postal Specialist, Feb.-Mar. 2004

Beede

  6.

Forgeries of OPD Dresden 1945-1946

German Postal Specialist, Jan. 1989

Ströh

  7.

Passing in Review, German Postwar Postal History 1945 – 1949 (1984)

Halle

  8.

Postal History, Postwar Years of Germany 1945 – 48 (1994)

Stich & Stich

  9.

Die Aufnahme der Postverkehr in Deutschland nach der

Besetzung 1945 bis 1950 (2002)

Strobel

10.

Ortsnotstempel deutscher Postanstalten 1945 – 1953 (2001)

Arenz, Kahl, Richter

11.

Die Postzensur der Alliierten im Besetzten Deutschland nach dem II. Weltkrieg (1977)

Riemer

12.

Briefzenzur in der sowjetischen Besatzungszone Deutschlands und im Ostsektor von Berlin (1994)

Richter

13.

Nicht alltägliche Frankaturen in der OPD Dresden 1945-1946

Festschrift zum Briefmarkensalon  deutsche Postgeschichte

1945 – 1948 (1995)

Buchheit

14.

Dresden Wiederaufbau-Marken 1946

Deutsche Notmaßnahmen ab 1945, Rundbrief 1, Dec. 1995

Strobel

15.

Gültigkeit von Briefmarken fremder Ausgabebezirke in Berlin und in der sowjetischen Besatzungszone 1945/46

Deutsche Barfrankaturen und Notentwertungen ab 1945, Rundbrief 55,

July 1995

Strobel, Walch

16.

Bedarfsbriefe Deutschland nach 1945 (1980)

Götz

17.

Michel Ganzsachen-Katalog Deutschland (2003)