Großräschen

Ebay Item # 2910583236 is an interesting example of an APEX Certificate that is completely erroneous. Here is the description for this lot:

The APS Certificate reads: "Germany - local issue, Michel No. V2III, unused, no gum, genuine, pin hole."

The certificate number isn't legible, but it was issued on Aug. 13, 1997 (at a time when Dr. Bohne was still expertizing German locals for APEX, even though he was ill and would die the following year).

"Germany - COD label soaked from a cover, worthless". I communicated my opinion on this to Mercer Bristow and Robert Lamb on Feb. 7, 2003.

1945, end of July. Triangular COD label used as fee paid label. Three various types, amount of fee entered by hand in red or blue ink; "Nachnahme" crossed out; shorthand handstamp in various positions; line perf. 11½ (Type A I and II) or imperf. (Type I).

Type A I:	"Nachnahme" in Antiqua typeface, above that the amount of the fee and below that the word "Remboursement", line perf. 11½
Type I:	"Nachnahme" in Fraktur typeface, amount of the fee in one or two of the lower corners, with "Remboursement", imperf.
Type II:	"Nachnahme" in Fraktur typeface, above that the amount of the fee, without "Remboursement", line perf. 11½

			mint	used	cover
V 2	15 (Pf)	black on brownish red
A I		Type A I, perf. 11½	350,—	300,—	600,—
I		Type I, imperforate	400,—	350,—	700,—
II		Type II, perf. 11½	350,—	300,—	600,—

V 2 III	Figure of value missing (Type A I and I)	600,—	500,—	750,—
V 2 IV	"Nachnahme" in Antiqua typeface, not crossed-out, red figure of value in lower left corner, imperf.	750,—	750,—
V 2 V	Like V 2 IV, however "Nachnahme: in Fraktur typeface	850,—	850,—
V 2 VI	Like V 2 V, however two figures of value in red	—,—	—,—
V 2 I/III	Pair, one stamp without figure of value, "Nachnahme" not crossed out	1200,—

Michel numbers V 2 IV - VI are postally-valid reprints produced in the Nov. 1945 to Jan. 1946 timeframe for dealers and collectors.

OK, let's look at the stamp in question. The scan isn't very good. Here's the best I could do with it:	For comparison, here's a genuine copy of Michel V 2 AI (to see a cover, click here). The line through "Nachnahme" and the shorthand stamp are present, although faint.

Allegedly, this is Michel V 2 III. Therefore, the following should be true, per the Michel description:

1. Should be type I (imperf.) - nope, this is Type II (which only exists perf.).
2. "Nachnahme" should be crossed out - doesn't appear to be.
3. Validating shorthand handstamp should be present - doesn't appear to be.

Every Grossraschen provisional stamp was "validated" by a (usually) purple handstamp of unintelligible squiggles. Actually, the squiggles are German shorthand and translate to "Correspondence in German shorthand desired". (See the 46th Congress Book (1980), pages 38-39, for more information.) Here's a scan that clearly shows the shorthand stamp near the bottom (Michel V31, the crossed hammers are drawn by hand rather than handstamped):

Oh yeah, the alleged V 2 III should either have gum or a cancellation. This example has neither. Not exactly damning, except that it suggests how this "stamp" was produced:

Now, how difficult would it be to soak the Nachnahme label off of this cover and submit it for expertizing as V 2 III like the above non-existant imperforate Type II:

Or this one, which really does exist without figures of value (V 2 III/Type I). It would not be terribly difficult to cross out "Nachnahme". The shorthand stamp might be a bit harder to fake. But who knows, maybe the expertizer won't care.

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