Saarland became a French Protectorate at the beginning of
1948. As a result, the new, quasi-independent state required their
own postage stamps.
On April 1, 1948, the thirteen new postage stamps and three new
airmail stamps shown above (Mi. #239-54, Sc. #188-200, #C9-11) were issued. The new
stamps were engraved on unwatermarked white paper. The 10 C. through 9
Fr. denominations were perforated 14 x 13, and the higher denominations
were perforated 13.
The eight new "reconstruction themed" postage
stamp designs feature clasped hands, a worker, a girl gathering wheat,
a miner, Colliery Shafthead, smelting, reconstruction, and Mettlach
Abbey. The three airmail stamps feature the shadow of a plane flying over the Saar River.
On October 12, the four postal charity stamps and the
airmail charity stamp shown above (Mi. #255-59, Sc. #B61-64, #CB1) were issued. The surtax was to raise
money for the victims of the floods of 1947-1948.
These "Flood Relief" stamp designs feature flooding scenes from the Saarbrücken and Saarlouis Areas.
The
two "Flood Relief" souvenir sheets shown below feature imperforate examples of the regular
stamp designs. The larger sheet (Mi. Block 1, Sc. #B64a) contains the postal charity stamps, and
the smaller sheet (Mi. Block 2, Sc. #CB1a) contains the airmail charity stamp. Only 38,000 were printed, and as a
result, they are very scarce today. Used examples are RARE.
The two commemorative stamps shown above (Mi. #260-61, Sc. #201-02) were issued on
December 1, 1948. They commemorate the first anniversary of the
establishment of the the Saar Protectorate. Both of the stamps depict a
map of the Saar Protectorate.
Due to their
being printed in sheets with small panes, almost all Saar Protectorate stamps are
available in gutter pairs, and some are even available in gutter
blocks.
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Saarland - Issues of 1948