Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Since almost all Used seem to be CTO, it can't be (I suppose) an issue of less purchased because of postal relevance. So I'm thinking there must have been a restricted number printed/issued.
Thoughts?
Thanks, Dave.
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I don't know if it applies, but it's likely to be rarity
the Czechs issued many CTO sets, and it wasn't always the high value that had a considerably lower print run.
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I believe that one stamp from each set was withheld, or issued in tiny numbers. From memory, it was someting to do with the state not wanting citizens to be in a position to sell full sets to collectors overseas.
I can't recall the source of this info though!
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The commemorative stamps issued from 1955 on with catalog values in italics were issued on a restricted basis.
See the note in Scott following DDR, Scott #240.
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Thanks Michael###s.
I read the note (wish that Scotts would highlight them better!) and now see the italics. Very useful reference.
As I'm tediously putting my (substantial number of) DDR stamps on to my Steiner Pages, I see that about 3/4 of the sets are missing those key values. It will be interesting to look for them when I'm ready to start buying (hopefully in a month or so).
Dave.
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I kind of tried to follow the story back to its beginnings. Things changed somewhat over the years. Initially (in the mid-1950s) these so-called "Sperrwerte" had only print runs of 750,000, and the restricted value was the 5 Pf stamp which was in high demand (for printed matters and as a make-up value). There were lengthy criticisms of this practice printed in the stamp journals of the day. Still, making the 10 Pf value the Sperrwert was not much better. Perhaps this was realised when the stamps for international postcards or letters became the usual suspects for restricted values.
Later the print runs of the restricted values were increased to 1,500,000 and in the 1970s to 2,100,000 according to the catalogs. Compared to, say, 8,000,000 for "ordinary commemoratives" the Sperrwert was not really rare any more, and it was more of a way to let the state-controlled philatelic export have first dibs on the business with the new issues. Card-carrying collectors could buy them from day one anyway, and remainders were sold freely after a fortnight.
In the twilight years of the GDR it seems that Sperrwerte weren't issued as such any more (although this needs confirmation), but instead stamps with odd, high denominations for rarely used fee combinations (85 Pf, 1.15 M) took over.
-jmh
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As I've been spending time on organizing my DDR stamps on to my Steiner Pages, but I am befuddled with the CVs. Sometimes in a series of six from 5pf - 35pf it is the higher value (i.e. 35) and other times it is a mid-value (e.g. 15).
Since almost all Used seem to be CTO, it can't be (I suppose) an issue of less purchased because of postal relevance. So I'm thinking there must have been a restricted number printed/issued.
Thoughts?
Thanks, Dave.
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re: The reasoning behind DDR CVs - any insights?
I don't know if it applies, but it's likely to be rarity
the Czechs issued many CTO sets, and it wasn't always the high value that had a considerably lower print run.
Login to Like
this post
re: The reasoning behind DDR CVs - any insights?
I believe that one stamp from each set was withheld, or issued in tiny numbers. From memory, it was someting to do with the state not wanting citizens to be in a position to sell full sets to collectors overseas.
I can't recall the source of this info though!
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this post
10:59:42pm
re: The reasoning behind DDR CVs - any insights?
The commemorative stamps issued from 1955 on with catalog values in italics were issued on a restricted basis.
See the note in Scott following DDR, Scott #240.
Login to Like
this post
re: The reasoning behind DDR CVs - any insights?
Thanks Michael###s.
I read the note (wish that Scotts would highlight them better!) and now see the italics. Very useful reference.
As I'm tediously putting my (substantial number of) DDR stamps on to my Steiner Pages, I see that about 3/4 of the sets are missing those key values. It will be interesting to look for them when I'm ready to start buying (hopefully in a month or so).
Dave.
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this post
02:33:46am
re: The reasoning behind DDR CVs - any insights?
I kind of tried to follow the story back to its beginnings. Things changed somewhat over the years. Initially (in the mid-1950s) these so-called "Sperrwerte" had only print runs of 750,000, and the restricted value was the 5 Pf stamp which was in high demand (for printed matters and as a make-up value). There were lengthy criticisms of this practice printed in the stamp journals of the day. Still, making the 10 Pf value the Sperrwert was not much better. Perhaps this was realised when the stamps for international postcards or letters became the usual suspects for restricted values.
Later the print runs of the restricted values were increased to 1,500,000 and in the 1970s to 2,100,000 according to the catalogs. Compared to, say, 8,000,000 for "ordinary commemoratives" the Sperrwert was not really rare any more, and it was more of a way to let the state-controlled philatelic export have first dibs on the business with the new issues. Card-carrying collectors could buy them from day one anyway, and remainders were sold freely after a fortnight.
In the twilight years of the GDR it seems that Sperrwerte weren't issued as such any more (although this needs confirmation), but instead stamps with odd, high denominations for rarely used fee combinations (85 Pf, 1.15 M) took over.
-jmh
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