Klaipeda Stamps - Memel Territory - Issues of FEB

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Klaipeda Stamps

Memel Territory / Memelgebiet

Issues of FEB - APR 1923

Provisional Klaipeda stamps appeared at the beginning of February 1923.

The important Baltic port of Memel (Lithuanian: Klaipeda), and its surrounding territory, had been part of the state of East Prussia, within the German Empire, until the end of World War I. This Baltic territory was detached from Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, and it was given the name "Territoire de Memel" (German: "Memelgebiet"). The post-war Memel Territory was occupied by French troops, and the government was administered by a "Council of Ambassadors". This arrangement was doomed to failure. The populations of both Germany and Eastern Europe, since the conquests of Napoleon Bonaparte at the beginning of the 19th Century, found French military occupation intolerable.

At the beginning of 1923, the Lithuanian military occupied the territory by force. The French military administration did not take any significant action to counteract the occupation, and at the end of January 1923, the territory was annexed by Lithuania. The annexation was recognized by the Council of Ambassadors, in 1924, and by Germany, in 1928.

These definitive postage stamps, issued during the Lithuanian annexation of the Memel Territory, are presented in Michel (Deutschland Katalog - Memelgebiet) catalog order.

The five provisional definitive stamps shown above were issued on February 5, 1923. These provisional stamps are lithographed on unwatermarked paper, and they are perforated 11.

These stamps, called the Kaunas Printings (in the Scott catalog), were created by overprinting "Klaipeda / (Memel)" on un-issued Lithuanian official stamps. The stamps are re-valued in German currency, with a curved line separating the denomination numeral and the currency name.

The catalog attributes are as follows.

010 M. on 05 C. (Mi. #124, Sc. #N7) - Blue.
025 M. on 05 C. (Mi. #125, Sc. #N8) - Blue.
050 M. on 25 C. (Mi. #126, Sc. #N9) - Red.
100 M. on 25 C. (Mi. #127, Sc. #N10) - Red.
400 M. on 01 L. (Mi. #128, Sc. #N11) - Brown.

The six provisional definitive stamps shown above were issued on February 7, 1923. These provisional stamps are lithographed on unwatermarked paper, and they are perforated 11.

These stamps, called the Memel Printings (in the Scott catalog), were created by overprinting "Klaipeda / (Memel)" on un-issued Lithuanian official stamps. The stamps are re-valued in German currency, with two horizontal lines separating the denomination numeral and the currency name.

The catalog attributes are as follows.

010 M. on 05 C. (Mi. #129, Sc. #N1) - Blue.
025 M. on 05 C. (Mi. #130, Sc. #N2) - Blue.
050 M. on 25 C. (Mi. #131, Sc. #N3) - Red.
100 M. on 25 C. (Mi. #132, Sc. #N4) - Red.
400 M. on 01 L. (Mi. #133, Sc. #N5) - Brown.
500 M. on 01 L. (Mi. #134, Sc. #N6) - Brown.

A variety of the 10 M. denomination has "(Memel)" and the horizontal lines omitted (Mi. #129I, Sc. #N1b). Double overprints also exist on some of the Klaipeda stamps of both the Kaunas and Memel Printings.

The six provisional definitive stamps shown above were issued during the middle of February 1923. These provisional stamps are lithographed on unwatermarked paper, and they are perforated 11.

These stamps were created by overprinting "Klaipeda / (Memel)" on un-issued Lithuanian official stamps. The stamps are re-valued in German currency, with four horizontal stars separating the denomination numeral and the currency name.

The catalog attributes are as follows.

010 M. on 05 C. (Mi. #135, Sc. #N12) - Blue.
020 M. on 05 C. (Mi. #136, Sc. #N13) - Blue.
025 M. on 25 C. (Mi. #137, Sc. #N14) - Red.
050 M. on 25 C. (Mi. #138, Sc. #N15) - Red.
100 M. on 01 L. (Mi. #139, Sc. #N16) - Brown.
200 M. on 01 L. (Mi. #140, Sc. #N17) - Brown.

The ten new definitive Klaipeda stamps shown above were issued between February 28, 1923 and April 12, 1923.

Theses stamps are all inscribed "Klaipeda" / "Memel" and their central design features the Vytis or White Knight from the Lithuanian Coat of Arms.

The catalog attributes are as follows.

0010 M. (Mi. #141, Sc. #N18) - Brown.
0020 M. (Mi. #142, Sc. #N19) - Yellow.
0025 M. (Mi. #143, Sc. #N20) - Orange.
0040 M. (Mi. #144, Sc. #N21) - Violet.
0050 M. (Mi. #145, Sc. #N22) - Yellow Green.
0100 M. (Mi. #146, Sc. #N23) - Carmine.
0300 M. (Mi. #147, Sc. #N24) - Olive Green.
0400 M. (Mi. #148, Sc. #N25) - Olive Brown.
0500 M. (Mi. #149, Sc. #N26) - Lilac.
1000 M. (Mi. #150, Sc. #N27) - Blue.

The thirteen new pictorial definitive Klaipeda stamps shown above were issued on April 12, 1923 in celebration of the Union of the Memel Territory with Lithuania.

The three common designs are a ship, an anchor, and a lighthouse.

The catalog attributes are as follows.

0040 M. (Mi. #151, Sc. #N31) - Olive Green.
0050 M. (Mi. #152, Sc. #N32) - Brown.
0080 M. (Mi. #153, Sc. #N33) - Green.
0100 M. (Mi. #154, Sc. #N34) - Red.
0200 M. (Mi. #155, Sc. #N35) - Deep Blue.
0300 M. (Mi. #156, Sc. #N36) - Brown.
0400 M. (Mi. #157, Sc. #N37) - Lilac.
0500 M. (Mi. #158, Sc. #N38) - Orange.
0600 M. (Mi. #159, Sc. #N39) - Olive Green.
0800 M. (Mi. #160, Sc. #N40) - Deep Blue.
1000 M. (Mi. #161, Sc. #N41) - Lilac.
2000 M. (Mi. #162, Sc. #N42) - Red.
3000 M. (Mi. #163, Sc. #N43) - Green.

The three overprinted and re-valued Memel stamps of December 1922 shown above were again overprinted and re-valued for Klaipeda on April 13, 1923.

The catalog attributes are as follows.

100 M. on 80 M. on 60 C. (Mi. #164, Sc. #N28) - Violet & Ultramarine.
400 M. on 80 M. on 60 C. (Mi. #165, Sc. #N29) - Violet & Ultramarine.
500 M. on 80 M. on 60 C. (Mi. #166, Sc. #N30) - Violet & Ultramarine.

Of course, now that Klaipeda (the Memel Territory) was integrated into Lithuania, all of the provisional Klaipeda stamps issued earlier in 1923 needed to be re-valued in the Lithuanian "Litas" currency (1 Litas = 100 Centai).

The seven overprinted and re-valued definitive Klaipeda stamps shown above were issued between April 16, 1923 and April 20, 1923. The currency abbreviation on these stamps is "CENTŲ".

The catalog attributes are as follows.

02 C. on 300 M. (Mi. #167, Sc. #N44) - Olive Green.
03 C. on 300 M. (Mi. #168, Sc. #N45) - Olive Green.
10 C. on 025 M. (Mi. #169, Sc. #N46) - Orange.
15 C. on 025 M. (Mi. #170, Sc. #N47) - Orange.
20 C. on 500 M. (Mi. #171, Sc. #N48) - Lilac.
30 C. on 500 M. (Mi. #172, Sc. #N49) - Lilac.
50 C. on 500 M. (Mi. #173, Sc. #N50) - Lilac.

The two overprinted and re-valued definitive Klaipeda stamps shown above were issued April 16, 1923 and May 16, 1923. The currency abbreviation on these stamps is "CENT.".

The catalog attributes are as follows.

05 C. on 300 M. (Mi. #174, Sc. #N56) - Olive Green.
30 C. on 500 M. (Mi. #175, Sc. #N58) - Lilac.

The seven overprinted and re-valued definitive Klaipeda stamps shown above were issued between April 23, 1923 and May 18, 1923. This group has thin re-valuation numerals .

The catalog attributes are as follows.

02 C. on 0020 M. (Mi. #176, Sc. #N51) - Yellow.
02 C. on 0050 M. (Mi. #177, Sc. #N52) - Yellow Green.
03 C. on 0040 M. (Mi. #178, Sc. #N53) - Violet.
03 C. on 0300 M. (Mi. #179, Sc. #N54) - Olive Green.
05 C. on 0100 M. (Mi. #180, Sc. #N55) - Carmine.
10 C. on 0400 M. (Mi. #181, Sc. #N57) - Olive Brown.
01 L. on 1000 M. (Mi. #182, Sc. #N59) - Blue.

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