Member ACCC (Australian Commonwealth Collectors Club of NSW) 30 May 2016 04:30:50am
Even though these stamps are common and worth very little (which is very much the vast majority of Nazi Germany issues), I find the selvage interesting.
These stamps were issued in Poland commemorating Hitler's 55th birthday, 13 months before the official surrender of Germany to the Allied forces on May 7, 1945.
The General Government was a territory in Poland and the Ukraine that was carved out by Adolf Hitler at the onset of World War II after the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
The newly occupied Second Polish Republic was split into three zones: the General Government in its centre, Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany in the west and Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union in the east.
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"Specialised Collector of Australian Pre-Decimal & Decimal Stamps"
A friend of mine was fond of his claim that nothing reveals the national character like the dogs bred in that nation.
The English - the land of women and children first into the lifeboats - bred the sheep dog, which sees the sheep, sees the wolf, and sides with the sheep.
The French bred the poodle. 'Nuff said.
The Germans bred the dobermans - the only breed known (claimed he) to attack its owner in his own home. (Can't say if that''s true, but I want to be true to his tale.)
But wait, there's more ...
The German Shepherd breeders would break the necks of albino pups (recessive gene, popping up now & again, as they do), so as to maintain the purity of the gene pool. Ever thus, eh?
Once breeding began in the USA, the American breeders looked at the little all-white pups and thought: "Cool! A new variety! A new marketing opportunity! Let's sell them, and charge more!"
Hence their name: 'The American Shepherd'.
{/tangential anecdote}
I'd rather live in The Land of Mr Zip.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
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"I collect stamps today precisely the way I collected stamps when I was ten years old."
Of course he had very much bigger problems to worry about by April 1944.
When I was younger German Shepherds were always called "Alsations" here in Britain. I see this name was introduced after World War One to reduce the possible impact of anti-German feelings on the breed.
What did the selvedge above the stamps left and right have? Was it the wing tips and then the rest of the selvedges were blank or did the selvedge have a row of eagles along the top?