Memel Territory - Issues of 1921-1922

Custom Search

Memel Territory

(Memelgebiet, Memelland, Klaipeda)

Issues of 1921-1922

The postage stamp issues for the Memel Territory, utilizing overprinted and / or revalued contemporary French definitive postage stamps, continued throughout 1921 and into 1922. The first Memel airmail stamps also appeared during this period.

As with the contemporary French Sower and Merson type stamps, these overprinted stamps for Memel exist in various types of gutter pairs. Please refer to the specialized Michel or Yvert Tellier catalogs for details.

Forgeries of some of the overprints do exist. When shopping for the more expensive varieties, it may be wise to buy only those that have been properly authenticated.

These overprinted definitive postage stamps are presented in Michel (Deutschland Katalog - Memelgebiet) catalog number order. Color names are from the Scott catalog. Both Michel and Scott catalog numbers are used in the description tables, where possible.

The seven overprinted and re-valued Memel Territory stamps of 1920-1921 shown above were re-issued as airmail stamps during July 1921.

These Memel Territory postage stamps feature an additional "FLUGPOST" overprint, in outlined block letters, positioned diagonally from the top left corner to the bottom right corner of the stamp.

Their catalog attributes are as follows:

60 Pf. on 40 C. (1921 - Mi. #40, Sc. #C1) - Red & Pale Blue.
60 Pf. on 40 C. (1921 - Mi. #41, Sc. #C6) - Red & Pale Blue.
80 Pf. on 45 C. (1921 - Mi. #42, Sc. #C2) - Green & Blue.
01.00 Mk. on 50 C. (1921 - Mi. #43, Sc. #C3) - Brown & Lavender.
02.00 Mk. on 01 Fr. (1921 - Mi. #44, Sc. #C4) - Claret & Olive Green.
03.00 Mk. on 60 C. (1921 - Mi. #45, Sc. #C7) - Violet & Ultramarine.
04.00 Mk. on 02 Fr. (1921 - Mi. #46, Sc. #C5) - Orange & Pale Blue.

These first Memel Territory airmail stamps exist in multiple types and with the "FLUGPOST" overprint inverted. See the Michel Deutschland-Spezial-Katalog for details.

The five Sower and Merson type Memel Territory stamps shown above, were re-valued between November 1921 and January 1922.

Their catalog attributes are as follows:

15 on 20 Pf. on 25 C. (1921 - Mi. #47, Sc. #44) - Blue.
15 on 50 Pf. on 35 C. (1921 - Mi. #48, Sc. #45) - Violet.
75 on 60 Pf. on 40 C. (1922 - Mi. #49, Sc. #47) - Red & Pale Blue.
1.25 on 1.00 Mk. on 50 C. (1922 - Mi. #50, Sc. #48) - Brown & Lavender.
5.00 on 2.00 Mk. on 01 Fr. (1922 - Mi. #51, Sc. #49) - Claret & Olive Green.

Some of these Memel Territory re-valued stamps exist with inverted surcharges. See the Michel Deutschland-Spezial-Katalog for details.

The twenty contemporary Sower and Merson type French stamps shown above were overprinted and re-valued for the Memel Territory between January and September 1922.

These new Memel Territory overprints feature the country name and new denomination, with the letters and numerals in italics (script).

Their catalog attributes are as follows:

05 Pf. on 05 C. (1922 - Mi. #52, Sc. #50) - Green.
10 Pf. on 10 C. (1922 - Mi. #53, Sc. #51) - Red.
10 Pf. on 10 C. (1922 - Mi. #54, Sc. #52) - Green.
15 Pf. on 10 C. (1922 - Mi. #55, Sc. #53) - Green.
20 Pf. on 20 C. (1922 - Mi. #56, Sc. #54) - Red Brown.
20 Pf. on 25 C. (1922 - Mi. #57, Sc. #55) - Blue.
25 Pf. on 05 C. (1922 - Mi. #58, Sc. #56) - Orange.
30 Pf. on 30 C. (1922 - Mi. #59, Sc. #57) - Orange.
40 Pf. on 40 C. (1922 - Mi. #60, Sc. #67) - Red & Pale Blue.
50 Pf. on 50 C. (1922 - Mi. #61, Sc. #59) - Dull Blue.
75 Pf. on 35 C. (1922 - Mi. #62, Sc. #61) - Violet.
80 Pf. on 45 C. (1922 - Mi. #63, Sc. #68) - Green & Blue.
01.00 Mk. on 40 C. (1922 - Mi. #64, Sc. #69) - Red & Pale Blue.
01.25 Mk. on 60 C. (1922 - Mi. #65, Sc. #70) - Violet & Ultramarine.
01.50 Mk. on 45 C. (1922 - Mi. #66, Sc. #71) - Green & Blue.
02.00 Mk. on 01 Fr. (1922 - Mi. #67, Sc. #73) - Claret & Olive Green.
03.00 Mk. on 60 C. (1922 - Mi. #68, Sc. #76) - Violet & Ultramarine.
05.00 Mk. on 01 Fr. (1922 - Mi. #69, Sc. #78) - Claret & Olive Green.
06.00 Mk. on 02 Fr. (1922 - Mi. #70, Sc. #80) - Orange & Pale Blue.
09.00 Mk. on 05 Fr. (1922 - Mi. #71, Sc. #82) - Blue & Buff.

There are a LOT of listed varieties of these overprints. See the Michel Deutschland-Spezial-Katalog for details.

The twelve overprinted and re-valued Memel Territory stamps of early 1922, shown above, were re-issued as airmail stamps during May 1922.

These Memel Territory postage stamps feature an additional "FLUGPOST" overprint, in solid italic (script) letters, positioned diagonally from the top left corner to the bottom right corner of the stamp.

Their catalog attributes are as follows:

40 Pf. on 40 C. (1922 - Mi. #72, Sc. #C8) - Red & Pale Blue.
80 Pf. on 45 C. (1922 - Mi. #73, Sc. #C9) - Green & Blue.
01.00 Mk. on 40 C. (1922 - Mi. #74, Sc. #C10) - Red & Pale Blue.
01.25 Mk. on 60 C. (1922 - Mi. #75, Sc. #C11) - Violet & Ultramarine.
01.50 Mk. on 45 C. (1922 - Mi. #76, Sc. #C12) - Green & Blue.
02.00 Mk. on 01 Fr. (1922 - Mi. #77, Sc. #C13) - Claret & Olive Green.
03.00 Mk. on 60 C. (1922 - Mi. #78, Sc. #C14) - Violet & Ultramarine.
03.00 Mk. on 60 C. (1922 - Mi. #79, Sc. #C18) - Violet & Ultramarine.
04.00 Mk. on 02 Fr. (1922 - Mi. #80, Sc. #C19) - Orange & Pale Blue.
05.00 Mk. on 01 Fr. (1922 - Mi. #81, Sc. #C15) - Claret & Olive Green.
06.00 Mk. on 02 Fr. (1922 - Mi. #82, Sc. #C16) - Orange & Pale Blue.
09.00 Mk. on 05 Fr. (1922 - Mi. #83, Sc. #C17) - Blue & Buff.

There are many listed varieties of these overprints. See the Michel Deutschland-Spezial-Katalog for details.

The Michel catalog states that inverted overprints on these airmail stamps are forgeries!

eBay Auction and Store Links
Germany Plebiscites

The following links feature category-focused affiliated seller listings on various eBay sites worldwide. They may enable visitors to shop for and to buy specific items for the particular collecting subject they've just read about.

The affiliated eBay seller auction lots provided by eBay, Inc. are not the responsibility of the management of this website. On high priced material, make sure the lots you are buying are properly authenticated.

Remember that the lots on European eBay sites are priced in EUROS. Shipping charges may be more, and the lots may take longer to arrive. Also, make sure the foreign seller ships to your country, before bidding on or buying his lot.

eBay-DE-Dt. Abstimmungsgebiete