TARTU ISSUE

The Post Office in Tartu was re-opened on July 26, 1941. In the beginning all mail was to be handed over personally and the postage was paid in cash. A special canceller "POSTIMAKS TASUTUD" was used. As the volume of mail was rapidly increasing it was decided for practical reasons and with the approval of the German authorities to issue a set of stamps. Originally the issue was sold over the counter in Tartu only but within a very short time the stamps were made available in other Post Offices. Eventually the stamps were available throughout the country.

Design by Viktor Krass. A numerical design together with the Coat of Arms of Estonia and the swastika.

Paper: For the first printing a thick, greyish chalksurfaced paper was used. The second printing was done on wove paper. Only seldom a vertical watermark can be found.

Gum: The first printing has a yellowish, thick and uneven gum. For the second printing a white slightly shiny gum was used.

Print: Typographed by the "Ilutrükk" in Tartu. Printing sheet = counterpane of 100 stamps.

  1st Issue 2nd Issue Imperforate
  Aug. 7, 1941 Aug. 12, 1941 Sept. 11, 1941
15      100.000 200.000 3.500
20      250.000 250.000 3.500
30      250.000 250.000 3.500

Perforation: Line perforation 11 1/4. Perforation errors are known. On the orders of the German official directly responsible for the printing, Mr. KöhIer, 3.500 sets of the second printing were issued imperforate. 500 sets were sold over the counter in Tartu, the rest was handed over to Mr. Köhler. In the beginning one set per person was sold over the counter, later only single stamps. No larger pieces were sold. The very limited number of pairs and blocks of four in existence must originate from Mr. KöhIer's stock. It is probable that most of the remainders have disappeared.
The imperforate issue was later officially repudiated by the GPO. However, the counter sale of the stamps is a fact and genuine covers exist.

Proofs are known.

Forgeries are not known.

Valid until April 30, 1942. In the beginning of December 1941 the Deutsche Dienstpost Ostland took over all postal activities and all Estonian stamps were recalled. At the same time the German Postal Tariffs were introduced - Postcard 6 Pf. = 60 kop. and letter 12 Pf. = 120 kop.
Mixed frankings with German and Ostland stamps are known.

Reference to various catalogue numbers:

   15 20 30
Thick paper Thin paper Thick paper Thin paper Thick paper Thin paper
H/O 1 1I 2 2I 3 3I
Ei 1 4 2 5 3 6
Mi 1x 1y 2x 2y 3x 3y
Zu 1x 1y 2x 2y 3x 3y
SG 3A 3B 4A 4B 5A 5B
YT 1 1 2 2 3 3
Sc N3 N3 N4 N4 N5 N5

 

 

1

 15 kop. Dark brown, thick paper 12:- 15:-  

SI
MU
MI

     40:-
30:-
30:-
  Block of four 5x 6x  
A:2 One side imperforate +25:- +25:-  
A:5

Horizontal or vertical double perforation

 +20:- +20:-  
A:6 Diamond perforation +15:- +15:-  
A:7 Strongly shifted perforation (cutting design) +3:- +3:-  
B:1 Brown +8:- +10:-  
B:2 Reddish brown +25:- +30:-  
G:1 Brown, newsprint with Russian text, printed on both sides 15:-    
G:2 Brown, business form paper with parallel Estonian and Russian text on both sides 15:-    
G:3 Brown, thin green paper with Russian text on one or both sides 15:-    
G:4 Brown, greyish white paper with Russian text on both sides 15:-    
G:5 Brown, thin paper, print on both sides 15:-    
G:6 Ditto, thick paper 15:-    
G:7 Brown with brown OPT of network 18:-    
G:8 Brown, thick paper 20:-    
1I 15 kop. Dark brown, thin paper 12:- 15:-  
SI
MU
MI		     40:-
30:-
30:-
  Block of four 5x 6x  
A:1 Imperforate 40:- 50:- 75:-
  Block of four 6x 6x  
A:2 One side imperforate +25:- +25:-  
A:3 Horizontally imperforate +30:- +30:-  
A:5 Double perforation +20:- +20:-  
A:6 Diamond perforation +15:- +15:-  
A:7 Strongly shifted perforation (cutting design) +3:- +3:-  
A:8 Wide stamp +4:- +4:-  
B:1 Dark reddish brown +15:- +15:-  
C:1 Vertical WM-line +15:- +15:-  
E:1 White spot over LA +2:- +2:-  
E:2 ST not joined +2:- +2:-  
E:3 Damaged frame +2:- +2:-  
E:4 LA Joined +2:- +2:-  

 

 

2

 20 kop. Light emerald green, thick paper 9:- 10:-  

SI
MU
MI

     30:-
30:-
25:-
  Block of four 5x 6x  
A:2 One side imperforate +25:- +25:-  
A:3

Two sides imperforate

+20:- +20:-  
A:4 Pair, imperf. in between +15:- +15:-  
A:5 Double perforation +3:- +3:-  
A:6 Diamond perforation      
A:7 Strongly shifted perforation (cutting design)      
B:1 Emerald green +8:- +10:-  
B:2 Dull emerald green +25:- +30:-  
E:1 Damaged A      
E:2 LA joined      
E:3 ST joined      
E:4 Colored spot in white circle      
G:1 Green, thin paper with Russian text on one or both sides 15:-    
G:2 Green, cigarette paper with printed Estonian alphabet in script 15:-    
G:3 Dark green, thin paper 15:-    
G:4 Ditto, double print 15:-    
G:5 Green, brown OPT of network 15:-    
G:6 Green, thick paper 15:-    
2I 20 kop. Dull emerald green, thin paper 9:- 10:-  
SI
MU
MI		     30:-
30:-
25:-
  Block of four 5x 6x  
A:1 Imperforate 40:- 50:- 75:-
  Block of four 6x 6x  
A:2 One side imperforate +25:- +25:-  
A:3 Horizontally imperforate +30:- +30:-  
A:5 Double perforation +20:- +20:-  
A:6 Diamond perforation +15:- +15:-  
A:7 Strongly misplaced perforation +15:- +15:-  
A:8 Short stamp +3:- +3:-  
B:1 Emerald green +5:- +5:-  
C:1 Vertical WM-line +15:- +15:-  
E:1 Damaged N +2:- +2:-  
E:2 ST joined +2:- +2:-  
E:3 White spot +2:- +2:-  


E:3

 

3

 30 kop. Indigo, thick paper 9:- 10:-  

SI
MU
MI

     25:-
35:-
25:-
  Block of four 5x 6x  
A:2 One side imperforate +25:- +25:-  
A:3

Two sides imperforate

+30:- +30:-  
B:1 Dull indigo +5:- +5:-  
B:2 Dark indigo +25:- +25:-  
E:1 Damaged A +2:- +2:-  
E:2 Vertical double line in stamp +3:- +3:-  
E:3 Set-off +5:- +5:-  
G:1 Indigo, white smooth paper with grey back 15:-    
G:2 Indigo, brown OPT of network 18:-    
G:3 Indigo, thick paper 20:-    
3I 30 kop. Indigo, thin paper 9:- 10:-  
SI
MU
MI		     25:-
30:-
25:-
  Block of four 5x 6x  
A:1 Imperforate 40:- 50:- 75:-
  Block of four 6x 6x  
A:2 One side imperforate +25:- +25:-  
A:7 Strongly misplaced perforation +15:- +15:-  
A:9 One hole missing in perforation +4:- +4:-  
B:1 Dark indigo +9:- +9:-  
B:2 Light indigo +40:- +40:-  
B:3 Vertical 10-strip, color from light to dark +125:-    
C:1 Vertical WM-line +15:- +15:-  
E:1 Broken (L)A +2:- +2:-  
E:2 Damaged L +2:- +2:-  
E:3 Damaged D +2:- +2:-  
E:4 Damaged swastika +2:- +2:-  
E:5 White spot in stamp +2:- +2:-  
E:6 White streaks in stamp +2:- +2:-  
E:7 Colored spot in stamp +2:- +2:-  

Please note that all prices are estimates in USD, based on the average retail market of 1985, when the original catalogue/handbook was written. The prices are considerably higher today.