Hohenzollern Yacht (stamp series)

Finding Colonies

United in 1871 around Prussia, the federal German Empire at first declared its disinterest in colonial expansion ^[1] .

However, starting in 1873, private commercial companies began to organize in Germany to develop and operate various overseas territories, and after a decade of their activity, including lobbying for their interests in the Reichstag , the state officially announced in 1884 the protection and patronage of private territorial possessions German business in overseas lands ^{[1] [2]} .

As a result, in the years 1884-1885, the German Empire owned vast colonies in East , Southwest , Central and West Africa , as well as in Oceania and, later, in China . The empire actively expanded many of its possessions and acquired new ones. By the end of the XIX century, their total area was 2,953,000 km², population - 12.3 million people ^[1] .

Administration

In the Germanic possessions, ten colonial postal administrations were formed and operated, each of which was a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) ^[3] . In German transcription, the names of some of the issuers printed on postage stamps changed over time (see the results of the First (1876) and Second (1901) spelling conferences in Berlin) ^[4] :

Since the money systems in the German Empire itself and in its colonies, with the exception of German East Africa, were compatible at the time described (1 gold Reichsmark = 100 pfennig), and the postage rates were identical, until 1897 ordinary standard postage stamps were in circulation there Germany ^[3] .

To determine their use in a particular colony is possible only by postal cancellation with the designation of the city and / or colony. The described postal dispensaries are called “ predecessor stamps ” ^[5] . In German East Africa since 1893, standard imperial postage stamps were used with overprints of face value in pesos and rupees , local currency ^[6] .

From 1896-1897, standard German postage stamps with an additional overprint on the diagonal of the name of a colony were issued. This makes it possible to identify quicklime colonial stamps of this period ^[6] .

Design

At the turn of 1900-1901, simultaneously with the release in circulation in the German Empire itself of a new series of standard postage stamps “ Germany ” ( German: Germania ), the first series of original similar stamps depicting the Kaiser yacht “Hohenzollern” was published for all its overseas colonies. The series had a common plot, but, like "Germany", two separate for denominations in the Pfennig ( front yacht) and in the Reichsmarks (side yacht), and the color scheme of both series ("Germany" and "Yacht") was in harmony ^[6] .

To achieve the aesthetic unity of the high-value figure (in the Reichsmarks), two versions of their design were developed, distinguished by a ribbon waving from above with the name of a particular colony - the first for short names (the tape is folded twice), the second for long (the tape is straightened and extends without folding the entire width of the brand). The design of the Pfennig part of the series is unified - and to fill in the voids in the case of a short colony name, a decorative element ( Togo, Samoa , etc.) or just dots ( Kiautschou, Marianen , etc.) is reproduced to the right and left of the inscription on the tape ^[6] .

The image of the Kaiser yacht "Hohenzollern" was chosen as a single plot of colonial postage stamps as the quintessence of rapidly growing imperial power and prestige: at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, Germany began to build its own modern ocean fleet, seeking to strengthen its presence in overseas lands and compete on equal terms with other great powers , especially with the British Empire . According to the expert on the cultural heritage of Oceania, Dirk Spennerman , the emperor’s yacht sailing in pairs on colonial stamps symbolized the latter’s willingness, if necessary, to quickly come to the aid of the colonists ^{[7] [8]} .

Currency

The Yacht series was nominated in the Pfennig and Reichsmarks. However, the monetary system of German East Africa historically differed from other colonies, which was influenced by the parallel circulation of the Indian rupee . Since 1890, an East African rupee of 64 pesos was introduced there. Accordingly, the denominations of the “Hohenzollern Yacht” series of postage stamps were given in these units - 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 40 peeses, 1, 2 and 3 rupees. Since 1905, after the transition to the decimal system a year earlier, it has been in rupees and Hellers (2½, 4, 7½, 15, 20, 30, 45 and 60 Hellers, 1, 2 and 3 rupees) ^[6] . See also: History of Post and Postage Stamps of German East Africa .

The currency of the concession territory of Jiao-zhou ( Kiautschou ) in Qing China was also different . In 1900, for her, like for the rest of the German colonies, the Yacht series was issued in German currency (Pfennig and Reichsmarks), but since 1905 her postage stamps began to be denominated in Chinese dollars and cents (since 1907 in dollars and cents Jiao-Zhou ) - 1, 2, 4, 10, 20 and 40 cents, ½, 1, 1½ and 2½ dollars ^[6] . See also: German Post in China .

Print

"Yachts" of low denominations (3, 5, 10, 20 pfennigs, 1, 2, and 3 marks) were printed in one color, high (25, 30, 40, 50, 80 pfennigs and 5 marks) - two-color. It was a classic colonial type omnibus issue , manufactured in two rentals - the frame drawing was applied with the same printing form ( English key plate ), after which the vignette (the picture of the yacht in the center) and the text part were imprinted with the help of the differing duty plate for each colony (name of a colony and denomination) ^[6] .

Size of Pfennig postage stamps 21 × 24 mm, serration 14: 14½, printing (high) printing . The size of the series nominated in the Reichsmarks was larger - 35 × 24 mm, serration 26:17, 25:16 or 25:17 depending on the colony and year of manufacture, the printing method is intaglio printing (metallography) ^[6] . This method required moistening the paper before the process. Due to the unevenness of its drying, the final size of postage stamps of different parties may vary slightly ^[10] .

Specialized Michel-Katalog Deutschland mentions that all stamps of the Yacht series for all colonies are known with an English-language overprint “ Specimen ” ( English Specimen ). Officially, this was commissioned by the Reichspost at the time of issuing each denomination for submission of samples to the headquarters of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in Bern . However, such overprinted copies were sold at the Berlin Post Office to philatelists; therefore, an excessive amount of them circulates in the specialized market (see Sterilization of stamps ) ^[6] .

Circulations of the pfennig part of the Hohenzollern Yacht series were printed with one hundred (10 × 10) sheets of paper, high values ​​of 20 pieces (4 × 5) on paper without watermarks , but from 1905-1906 all the series were issued in paper with a watermark "rhombuses" ( German Rauten ) as a protective feature ^[8] . On the top field of the stamp sheet, the cost of postage stamps in vertical rows was additionally indicated to facilitate the calculation of their sale in post offices ^[6] .

In parallel, a series of face values ​​were issued in the format of vintage notebooks (booklets) . As in the case of the Germany series, some postage stamps turned out, in this case, with gatters or advertising coupons separated from the stamps themselves by perforation. Such couplings are known, in particular, among the Yacht issues for Cameroon, German South-West Africa, German East Africa, etc.

The most popular denominations of the “Hohenzollern yacht” series were 5 and 10 pfennigs, they were imported into the colony in the largest numbers ^[6] . However, over the years of the postal circulation of the series, there have been several cases of a sharp aggravation of the need for certain brands that are difficult or impossible to foresee. In such cases, local postmasters , being bound by the need for strict reporting , were forced to make non-standard decisions.

Pre-war

Ponape

On April 20, 1905, a powerful typhoon hit the eastern part of the Caroline Islands , including the destruction of the post office in Ponap (now Pohnpei ), the main island of this part of the archipelago . Among the lost property was most of the stockpiles of postage stamps stored there (especially the most popular, 5-pfennig), as well as a calendar postmark . As a result, it was decided to use 10 pfennig stamps vertically cut in half as face value of 5 pfennigs, and they were extinguished by the official seal of the local post office to confirm the legality of the bisects . Such provisions were used until July 9 of the same year ^{[11] [12] [13]} .

In July 1910, unexpectedly for the islanders, ships of the East Asian cruising squadron of the German Navy led by the flagship armored cruiser Scharnhorst appeared on the same island of Ponape. During their stay in Ponap (July 2–7), the local population and the crews of warships managed to use up all the stocks of postage stamps of denominations of 5 and 10 pfennig that were there. To cover the current demand after the departure of the squadron at the post office of the island, it was decided to print 3 pfennig marks 5 Pf and sell them, respectively, by five, as well as vertically cut the face value of 20 pfennigs and sell halves of ten. Over 500 overprints and another 500 bisectors were created ^{[11] [12] [13] [14]} .

Such franking of postal correspondence was carried out only one day on July 12, 1910, and at the same time next to the pasted-in pharmacies was placed an assurance of the legality of the issue of the official seal of the post office. Since the year before these events, Ponape received a new official seal to replace the old one, their prints of the 1905 and 1910 models are different. In the first case, the size of the font of the word Karolinen is smaller and it is shorter than the word Ponape , in the second case - on the contrary, longer ^[14] .

Lounges

A year later, another bisect appeared. This happened in German Cameroon in the small town of Longji , located on the coast of Biafra Bay in the Department of Oceans near Kribi . Due to the speedy departure of the Badeniya postal steamer there, the demand for postal services increased sharply: the local population sought to send their correspondence on this steamboat. As a result, on May 19, 1911, 10-pfennig postage stamps ended at the post office ^[15] .

Postmaster Longey, in violation of the Reichposhta instructions not to produce pharmacies, decided to cover the suddenly increased needs to vertically cut the 20 pfennig stamps and use halves, assuring the legitimacy of the pharmacy with a nearby seal of the official seal of his department. Thus, one to two hundred bisectors were made and consumed in Longhi ^[15] .

Like all cut stamps (bisects), the Ponape and Longhi issues have philatelic value only in the form pasted on the whole thing or on a clipping from it, when stamps of stamps passing to the shell are visible, since otherwise it is impossible to prove the fact of mail circulation ^[16] .

Military

Königsberg / Meow

With the outbreak of World War I, hostilities between the Central Powers and the Allies unfolded in the colonies of the German Empire. During prolonged hostilities in German East Africa , the administration of this colony became an unexpected prey for stocks of postage stamps of the Germany series , which were located to meet the postal needs of the crew on the sunken Allies in July 1915 as a result of an unequal battle at the mouth of the Rufiji German cruiser Königsberg ^[17] .

Local authorities managed to raise not only ship weapons, but also the remaining stock of stamps from the bottom of the river and take them out. The latter were later combined with similar reserves remaining after the explosion in the harbor of Dar es Salaam hydrographic ship " Meuve " in September 1914. Stamps of the “Germany” series were of undoubted value for the inhabitants of the colony due to the steady depletion of stocks of the full-time series “Yacht“ Hohenzollern “” when it was impossible to adequately replenish them in war ^[17] .

The colonial authorities decided to use the shipborne "Germany" as service marks for franking parcels and parcels and distributed the saved circulation (a total of about 11 thousand pieces) among the eight largest post offices in German East Africa. At the same time, the denominations of the Germany series (in Pfennig) were directively reassigned in local currency, Hellers, as follows ^[17] :

No overprints were made - and the affiliation of the stamps with this provisional issue can be determined only by the calendar postal cancellations of the colony. The Koenigsberg pharmacies were forbidden to use for franking private correspondence, however, isolated cases of violation of such an instruction were recorded. After receiving freshly printed copies of the Yacht series from Europe, at the end of June 1916, pharmacies were withdrawn from circulation ^{[17] [18]} .

Wooga

The “Wuga pharmacies” ( German Wuga ), which also appeared in German East Africa during the war period, turned out to be more famous. By the end of 1915, the British naval blockade of this colony led to the complete exhaustion of stocks of postage stamps of the Yacht series of all denominations. In January 1916, local postal services prepared an emergency issue of pharmacies, which, like the Yachts, had two designs for low (2½, 4, 7½ and 15 hellers) and high (20, 30, 45 hellers, 1, 2 and 3 rupees) of denominations, but an extremely simplified drawing - in the first case, simply with the inscription Deutsch-Ostafrika in the center, in the second - with the coat of arms of the German Empire ^{[6] [19]} .

In March 1916, in the missionary printing house of the village of Vuga ( Wilhelmstahl district of the Tanga region), it was possible to print the first printings of stamp sheets of three face values ​​- 2½ and 7½ hellers, as well as 1 rupee. They were without an adhesive layer and were separated from each other by a notch . Each sheet contained one hundred stamps, however, identical typographic letters “2” and “7” were not enough for such a printed quantity, so when typing different fonts were compelled to mix — and out of a hundred stamps, 60 were of the first type (according to the classification of the Michel catalog) ), and another 40 second, with both types alternating ^{[6] [19]} .

The Wug’s food stores were never used for their intended purpose: the British blockade was broken, the German cargo ship Marie was able to deliver new copies of the Hohenzollern yacht series to the colonists, and the need for surrogates disappeared. Later, the printed foodstuffs were buried on plantations before surrendering the colony to the Allied forces . In 1921, British colonial authorities allowed Weimar Germany to dig out the burial place and take out stamps for sale on the philatelic market. Most of the circulations turned out to be in very poor condition due to increased humidity, not much survived - about 10 thousand pieces of 2½ Gellers (from more than 100 thousand), about 19 thousand 7½-Geller brands (out of 313 thousand) and 470 copies of face value of 1 rupee (out of 10.5 thousand) ^[19] .

In total, the contingent of German troops in all the territorially fragmented colonial possessions of the empire for 1914 amounted to only about 15 thousand people, and a number of vast territories were not protected by anything other than police units. German forces were opposed by more than ten times the superior allied armed forces, however, the process of seizing and occupying the overseas possessions of Germany dragged on for several years ^[1] :

Later, under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles signed in June 1919 ( sections I and II of part IV ), Germany lost all of its overseas colonies, these lands were divided between the victorious allied powers as the mandate territories of the League of Nations ^[20] .

Yacht Evolution

In 1915-1919 (before the signing of the peace treaty at Versailles by Germany), the Imperial Post , despite the loss of contact with the colonies, continued to print out the runs of the Hohenzollern Yacht series, including a number of denominations that were never used in real postal circulation and therefore are not listed in the Scott catalog . Stamps were sold until the end of the war to philatelists and vintage dealers at the main post office in Berlin at a nominal cost ^{[8] [21]} .

In addition to the non-watermark editions of the Yachts of 1900-1905, experts distinguish two later issues with watermarks “rhombuses” - circulations of 1905-1914 (peacetime, German Friedensdruck ) and 1915-1919 (wartime ", Kriegsdruck ). They differ in perforation and other small features, while earlier options are priced at auctions more expensive. In addition, extinguished copies with a watermark “rhombuses” that have passed through colonial mail are valued - since a significant part simply did not have time to reach their destination before the war, or was used there for a short time, such stamps are relatively rare (and actively faked ) ^{[22] [23]} .

Occupation

During the occupation of German territories by allied forces, the yacht stocks remaining at the disposal of local post offices were requisitioned, and the activities of the German colonial postal administrations ceased. However, later stamps were put into circulation again, but with overprints of new denominations in the British currency (pence and shillings) and status inscriptions. The first such issues were published in 1914 ^[24] .

The exceptions were stamp seizures captured by the Japanese in the Caroline and Mariana Islands - they were officially destroyed. In Jiao-Zhou, all local stocks of stamps were burned by the German defenders of this naval base themselves before surrender. No overprints were made on the stamps of the Yacht series of the German South-West Africa (the stamped stamps of the neighboring South African Union were immediately put into circulation there) ^[25] .

In New Guinea, the Marshall Islands, and Samoa, the Hohenzollern Yacht was imprinted with the abbreviation GRI ( lat. Georgius Rex Imperator , “George, King and Emperor” —signature of George V ), with some of the printings printed for official use (Official Service) - OSGRI Cameroon overprints looked different - CEF ( Cameroon Expeditionary Forces , "Expeditionary Force in Cameroon"). In Togo, “Yachts” were issued without currency change with English imprints in English TOGO Anglo-French Occupation for the British zone of occupation and in French TOGO Occupation franco-anglaise for the French zone ^{[24] [25]} . There are copies with double, triple, inverted overprints, omissions of letters, errors in the text, etc. ^[26] .

Since "Yachts" with occupational overprints , as a rule, had small circulations and were in circulation for a short time, they are of high philatelic value and are often faked. Of particular interest are copies published in 1915 on the coastal island of Mafia in German East Africa with the printed text GR MAFIA ("King George. Mafia") ^{[25] [27]} .

It is characteristic that the German Imperial Post prohibited all trade in the described postage stamps within the empire, since by law their purchase was equated with financing of the enemy side. Police harassed such merchants and buyers. There is a known case when, at the request of the German postal service, an article describing the Yacht series with overprints of the Allies was withdrawn from publication in a specialized philatelic publication ^[26] .

Parody Marks

German East Africa was the largest and most populated of all the colonies with a well-developed infrastructure, which allowed the rapid deployment of troops, which is why its conquest became an uneasy task for the Allies (which de facto was not fully implemented until the surrender of Germany itself in Europe) ^{[ 28]} .

In order to demoralize the enemy, the Allies in 1914-1918 launched production of propaganda for the so-called “ Karisimbi provisionals ” - fake brands - parodies resembling a series of low-value "Hohenzollern" yachts (brown - 2½ gellers) green - 4 Gellers, red - 7½ Gellers, blue - 15 Hellers and purple - 30 Hellers) ^[29] .

The fakes had an enlarged size ( 3 × 4 cm instead of 2 × 2.5 cm ), overprints of the GEA British Occupation ("German East Africa. British Occupation") and new denominations - 12, 3, 6, 15 and 25 cents. In reality, there were never such overprints on the stamps of German East Africa of the Yacht series ^[30] .

Propaganda

The German colonies were of great economic importance to the empire, their loss following the results of the First World War caused her serious damage ^[31] . Against the backdrop of chronic economic turmoil in the Weimar Republic , the idea of ​​returning the seized lands gained popularity ^[32] .

In particular, since 1920 in Germany the propaganda series of non-postage stamps “Lost Territories”, published by several unnamed private companies, was distributed - one stamp for each such territory, European or overseas ^[33] . All of these had a black mourning background and a central pattern. The face value was not indicated ^{[34] [35]} .

The “Colonial” part of the series (10 of 19 marks) repeated the main features of the “Hohenzollern Yacht” series - in the center in the oval there is a drawing of this yacht, accompanied by a lowered banner Kaiserlichmarine . Stamps were printed in sheets of 20 pieces (5 × 4) ^[36] , as well as in sets in the form of perforated gift sheets decorated in red and black imperial colors with explanations and revenge calls ^{[32] [34] [37]} .

As important evidence of German colonial history, stamps featuring the Hohenzollern yacht continue to attract collectors :

• History of postal and postage stamps of the colonies of Germany
• German Post Abroad
• Hohenzollern (yacht)

• Dietz A. A postal history of the First World War in Africa and its aftermath - German colonies: IV Deutsch-Ostafrika / German East Africa . - Leiden: African Studies Center, 2015 .-- 85 p. (eng.)

• Deutsche Kolonien at Kolonialmarken.de (German )
• Deutsche Kolonien Briefmarken on Phila-gert.de (German)
• German Colonies at Germanstamps.net
• German Colonies at Stamp-collecting-world.com
• Rare German Colonies Stamps at Sandafayre.com
• Fake stamps of German colonies on Stampforgeries.com