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German occupation of Poland 80 Groschen on 75 Groschen stamp issued for the Generalgouvernement on 8 March 1940.
The issue was created by applying a large black occupation overprint to an existing Polish postage stamp. The overprint incorporates the German state eagle, the new 80 Groschen denomination and the inscription “General-Gouvernement.”
The underlying Polish 75 Groschen stamp was originally issued in 1938 for the 20th Anniversary of Polish Independence. Its design depicts three important figures from Polish military history: Jan Henryk Dąbrowski, Tadeusz Kościuszko and Józef Poniatowski.
Following the German occupation of Poland in 1939, stocks of existing Polish stamps were overprinted for temporary use by the new postal administration. These provisional issues therefore combine the imagery of pre-war Poland with the occupation overprint, making them particularly distinctive artifacts of wartime postal history.
Mint hinged condition with strong dark-green color, attractive centering and generally good perforations. Original gum remains, with a substantial hinge/remnant area, gum disturbance and some age discoloration on the reverse.
Michel 26 / Scott N42 / Stanley Gibbons 388
80 Groschen on 75 Groschen
Dark green with black overprint
Issued 8 March 1940
Unwatermarked
A better value from the 1940 Generalgouvernement provisional overprint series, featuring three major figures of Polish military history.
