Content of Michel Catalog Briefe Deutschland 2020/2021:

Cover valuation for the areas Old German States, North German Confederation, German Empire, Local Issues of 1923, Foreign Post Offices, Colonies and Ship Post Abroad, Occupation Issues of World War I, Plebiscite areas, Belgian military mail in Rhineland, Eupen and Malmédy, Gdansk, Memel, Bohemia and Moravia, General Government, Sudetenland, Occupation Issues of World War II, Field Post Stamps

Award Winner Catalog Gross Vermeil 2012 @IPHLA, Gross Vermeil 2014 Rang I

Description:

• New: With an extended introduction to cover evaluations and important additional information on working with the volume
• Besection as in the Germany Specialized with the border in 1945, when postal traffic in Germany was temporarily suspended
• Fully editorially reviewed and updated
• Reopened areas: Belgian military mail in Rhineland, Eupen and Malmédy
• The main areas of work in the first volume of the new edition are the German ship post abroad, occupations of the Second World War and the field post stamps.
• Numerous valuation changes in many areas from old Germany to military post stamps
• Over 5000 illustrations and approx. 30,000 price quotations

The catalog is organized according to collection areas. Cataloging within these sections is chronological, based on issue date. Special stamp types, like official stamps, are located at the end of a collection area section. In order to assist collectors organize their stamps, numerous illustrations are provided, as well as information on similar stamps to help avoid possible mix-ups.

The most noticeable change in the first part of the new MICHEL catalogue owes the 3rd auction to the Erivan Haub collection. An anonymous bidder bought the cover with the famous Stockach Provisorium MiNo. 18 U on June 27, 2020 at the sensational price of € 300,000 plus buyer's premium and other ancillary costs. The letter is not only the only known completely preserved with this imperforate stamp, but also bears witness to an interesting story. At the end of 1867, an entrepreneur from Stockach enclosed an envelope unknowingly franked with this variant when he asked about a defaulting customer. The mayor's office in Waltershofen responded as requested and at the beginning of 1868 produced a document with a Stockach Provisorium that was actually sent not from, but to Stockach. The famous old German rarity is an example of how exciting and surprising dealing with covers can be and why “Social Philately” is delighting a growing following - and this also with the numerous affordable pieces in the new MICHEL volume. Image: Auction Galleries Hamburg

Target Group:

Stamp collectors specialized in stamps of Germany, experts, dealers, thematic collectors, study groups, teachers

Additional Information:

20th Edition, in colour
640 pages
155 mm x 230 mm, Hardcover
On sale: 2 October 2020
Language: German
ISBN: 9783954023219

Press Release:

For the first time the 20th Edition of Michel Catalog Briefe Deutschland is published in two volumes. The contents have been divided by using the same tried-and-true method that has been successfully used for the MICHEL Germany Special for many years now, i.e. based on the different time periods of German history. This first volume therefore contains the period between 1849, the year the first stamp of any German state was issued in Bavaria, and the end of World War II in April/May of 1945 when the German postal service was discontinued for the time being. The second volume, which will feature the time period from the summer of 1945 to now, is projected to be published in autumn of 2021.

Since the first edition of the Michel Catalog Briefe Deutschland was published in 1979, this volume has not only grown in size due to novel stamps but specially also because the various areas have been revised continually. In this edition, which starts with the revised and expanded introduction, continues with the German maritime mail abroad, and culminates in the reintroduction of the collection areas ”Belgian military mail in Rhineland“ as well as ”Eupen and Malmédy“ as a first highlight, followed by the occupations in World War II and field post stamps, you will also find many new features catalogued by us. This has made the information about these areas even more comprehensive.

Revising the appraisals has led to numerous changes – from Old Germany to field post stamps, including one of the most striking increases in value we have ever witnessed. This was noted for the issue Baden MiNo. 18 U, the ”Stockach-Provisorium“. Due to the highest bid of € 300,000, for which the only known Cover was sold by auction in June of 2020, plus the buyer’s premium and other fees, we have raised the appraisal from € 100 000 to € 400 000. That is definitely the most remarkable jump in value recorded in this volume. In addition many other price quotations were adjusted to higher values.

Again many long term as well as new assistants have helped us to update and put together this edition. We want to thank all of you for your valuable help and active support.

Though we listed a true rarity above, most covers are in a price range that is affordable. It is always a great joy to finally acquire a collector’s item you have been after for a long time. And sometimes you have to take a closer look to discover why a certain specimen is an unexpected treasure. We hope that this first volume of 2020/2021 Michel Catalog Briefe Deutschland will be of help to you when you do.

Schwaneberger Publishing House
The Editorial Team

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