DDR Five Year Plan

APS # 51714

Jay T. Carrigan

(USA)

phone:

email:

The 1953-1959 "Five Year Plan" issues of the
German Democratic Republic (DDR)

1. Identifying the issues.

Watermark
DDR and Posthorns

Watermark
DDR and Quatrefoils

Lithographed: Shading with dots, blurred impressions, thin letters, A under HE, bottom curve of 5 ends short of the left arm of the compass.

Typographed: Shading with lines, clear impressions, thicker letters, A under E, bottom curve of 5 extends to the left arm of the compass.

Top: Imprint of designer E(rich) Gruner and engraver K(arl) Wolf.

Bottom: No imprint.

- - - Watermark DDR and Posthorns - - -

- - - Watermark DDR and Quatrefoils - - -

1st issue

2nd issue*

3rd issue* **

4th issue

5th issue

6th issue

7th issue

Year of Issue

1953

1953/54

1954

1955

1957

1958/59

1959

Printing Method

Litho.

Typo.

Typo.

Typo.

Typo.

Litho.

Typo.

Typo.

Typo.

Typo.

Typo.

Typo.

Typo.

Perf.

13:12½

13:12½

13:12½

13:12½

13:12½

13:12½

13:12½

13:12½

13:12½

13:12½

14

13:12½

14

Imprint

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

No

Face

Color

Design

Michel
Scott
Gibbons

Michel
Scott
Gibbons

Michel
Scott
Gibbons

Michel
Scott
Gibbons

Michel
Scott
Gibbons

Michel
Scott
Gibbons

Michel
Scott
Gibbons

Michel
Scott
Gibbons

Michel
Scott
Gibbons

Michel
Scott
Gibbons

Michel
Scott
Gibbons

Michel
Scott
Gibbons

Michel
Scott
Gibbons

1

black

Coal Miner

362
155
120

405
187
153

5

green

Woman Mariner

363
156
121

406
188
154

577A
330
310I

577B
476
310II

6

blue violet

German & Soviet Workers

364
157
122

407
189
155

5/6

blue violet

German & Soviet Workers

435
216
189

8

light brown

Mother teaching Marxism

365
158
123

408
190
156

5/8

light brown

Mother teaching Marxism

436
217
190

10

blue green

Machinists

366
159
124

409
191
157

704A
477
311I

704B
477a
311II

10

dark greenish blue

Worker, Peasant, Intellectual

453
227
158

578A
331a
312I

578B
331
312II

12

light blue

Worker, Peasant, Intellectual

367
160
125

12

greenish blue

Worker, Peasant, Intellectual

410
192
159

10/12

greenish blue

Worker, Peasant, Intellectual

437
218
191

15

purple

Teletype Operator

368
161
126

15

violet

Teletype Operator

411
193
160

15

gray violet

Steel- worker

454
227B
161

579A
332a
313I

579B
332
313II

16

dark violet

Steel- worker

369
162
127

16

blue violet

Steel- worker

412
194
162

15/16

blue violet

Steel- worker

438
219
192

20

gray olive

Bad
Elster

370
163
128

413
195
163

20

brownish carmine

Stalin- Allee

455
228
164

580A
333
314I

580B
478
314II

24

carmine red

Stalin- Allee

371
163A
129

24

brownish carmine

Stalin- Allee

414
196
165

20/24

brownish carmine

Stalin- Allee

439aIg
220
194

20/24

dark brownish carmine

Stalin- Allee

439aIIg
—
—

20/24

brownish carmine (reprint)

Stalin- Allee

439bIIg
223A
193

25

dark green

Railway Engineers

372
164
130

25

dark gray green

Railway Engineers

415
197
166

581A
334
315I

30

brown red

Dancing Couple

373
165
131

416
198
167

30

brown rose

Dancing Couple

582A
335
3316I

582B
479
316II

35

ultramarine

Berlin Sports Hall

374
166
132

35

violet ultramarine

Berlin Sports Hall

417
199
168

40

carmine

Lab Worker

375
167
133

418
200
169

40

purple violet

Zwinger Castle

456
229
170

583A
336
317I

583B
480
317II

48

purple violet

Zwinger Castle

376
168
134

419
201
171

40/48

purple violet

Zwinger Castle

440
221
195

50

gray blue

Launching Ship

457
230
172

584A
337
318I

584B
481
318II

60

blue

Launching Ship

377
169
135

420
202
173

50/60

blue

Launching Ship

441
222
196

70

dark brown

Dove & Family

458
230A
174

585A
338
319I

585B
482
319II

80

greenish blue

Reaper & Farm Worker

378
170
136

421
203
175

84

lilac brown

Dove & Family

379
171
137

422
204
176

70/84

lilac brown

Dove & Family

442
223
197

* - For the 2nd and 3rd Issues, Michel distinguishes between horizontal (X) and vertical (Y) watermarks for most values. In addition, for the 2nd Issue 30 and 35 Pfg. values Michel lists ordinary paper (y) varieties in addition to the coated paper (x) varieties for all values of the set.

** - Per Michel, all values exist with a shiny typographed overprint (g), and all values except the 40/48 and 50/60 Pfg. are also exist with a dull lithographed overprint (m).

2. Identifying the Reprints

All unused stamps are originals. Reprints of the 1st through 4th issues (posthorn watermark) occur mostly with press-printed cancellations (centered on a block of 4), but handstamped cancellations also exist. As far as I know, reprints of the 5th through 7th issues (quatrefoil watermark) do not exist.

The following cancellations are known to have been applied to the reprints:

COTTBUS 1 n	05.1.56 - 11, 14.2.56 - 11, 12.3.56 - 11, 17.4.56 - 11, 05.5.56 - 11, 19.6.56 - 11
DRESDEN N 25 i	01.12.56 - 12
ERFURT 1 k	07.12.56 - 17
GERA 4 a	14.4.56 - 16, 15.3.56 - 17, 16.6.56 - 21
GERA 4 e	12.1.56 - 18-19, 13.2.56 - 19-20, 14.3.56 - 20-21
HALLE (SAALE) 2 be	10.12.56 - 13
KARL-MARX-STADT C 1 ac	15.11.56 - 10
KARL-MARX-STADT 4 m	15.12.56 - 11
LEIPZIG C 1 bl	17.12.56 - 15
LEIPZIG O 5 g	-5.12.56 - 16
MAGDEBURG BPA 7 gg	10.1.56 - 10, 11.2.56 - 10, 12.3.56 - 10, 14.4.56 - 10, 15.5.56 - 10, 26.6.56 - 10
POTSDAM 1 z	-3.1.56 - 15, -2.2.56 - 15, -7.3.56 - 15, 15.4.56 - 15, 20.5.56 - 15, 23.6.56 - 15
ROSTOCK b	-1.1.56 - 13, -2.2.56 - 12, 13.3.56 - 11, 15.4.56 - 14, 17.5.56 - 15, 19.6.56 - 18
SCHWERIN (MECKL) 1 ag	10.1.56 - 15, 14.2.56 - 16, 17.4.56 - 18, 18.5.56 - 19, 29.6.56 - 14

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© Jay T. Carrigan, 2007-2009