OTEPÄÄ
A charity issue by the town council of Otepää in Values
of 20 + 20 and 30 + 30 kop.
Design by August Valdmaa. A shield design with the
national colors of Estonia (blue, black and white).
Paper: White, horizontally ribbed paper (0.06 - 0.07
mm). The paper had already been cut into small sheets (111 x 177.5
mm).
Gum: White, dull and even or brownish, sometimes
shiny and uneven. The stamps w/o gum were never sold over the counter.
Print: Typographed by the Otepää Printing
Works in sheets of 20. Each stamp was printed individually with the
blue part first. This easily explains both the presence of many printing
irregularities and also the unnatural pairs that are in existence.
Two cliches were needed - one for the blue of the shield and for the
dotted blue background, the second one for the black print. The latter
consisted of types, metal lines and a linoleum shield. The original
shield was soon damaged and repaired. After a while it became completely
unusable and was replaced by a metal shield with a round bottom. Based
on the appearance of the shield, four different types can be distingushed
with this issue:
Type I - with pointed symmetrical shield. Used for
the 30 + 30 value only and issued perforated. Most of the imperforate
stamps known of this printing never were sold over the counter. The
existing items are either proofs or stem from the imperforate sheets
(with or w/o gum) which were handed over to some participants as keepsakes,
as an imperforate issue of these stamps was not scheduled.
There is one exception. In 30 of the imperforate sheets of type II
one 30 + 30 denomination of type I was printed in the upper right
corner of the sheet and thus reached the counter sale. These 30 can
be distinguished by a break in the shield (at right).
Type II - with round shield. Used for both denominations
and appears both perforated and imperforate. In a few sheets of the
30 + 30 value one stamp of the 20 + 20 clemination was printed in
the upper left corner of the printed sheet. 7 such sheets reached
the counter. Three imperforate or partly imperforate sheets of the
20 + 20 value are know as "direct sales" to collectors.
Type III - with unsymmetrical pointed shield. The
shield has a distinct bulge at the right, which originates from the
repair of the shield. Only imperforate stamps of this type reached
the counter. In about 100 sheets of the imperforate 30 + 30 value
of type II, three stamps of type III were printed in the upper left
corner (vertically under each other). All type III stamps stem from
these so called "Mixed sheets". Horizontal or vertical pairs
(type II + type III) are known. A few perforated stamps and pairs
of type III are known, but were never sold over the counter (produced
and sold by the printers directly to collectors).
Type IV - round shield with heavy border. Used for
both denominations. The date of this printing is not known but we
can assume that it took place rather close to or even during the time
when the stamps of the Tartu Issue had been distributed. This means
that there was no postal need for an additional printing of Otepää
stamps. Furthermore, at that time the additional printing had been
prohibited by the German authorities. It has been confirmed that at
least some of the perforated stamps of this printing actually were
sold over the counter. The imperforate stamps of the same printing
never reached the counter and were sold from the printing shop directly
to collectors. Therefore one cannot accept the imperforate stamps
of last printing as a bonafide part of the issue. Consequently the
so called "printing errors" and incomplete stamps (blue
or black print missing), with or w/o gum, which frequently are offered
from this printing are considered to be printers waste. Items of this
printing often can found with the so called "private perforation"
of Mr. Hinno (11 1/2 x 11 1/2).
In this handbook the stamps of the Otepää Issue will be
presented in two groups:
1) The stamps admittedly sold over the counter
2) The stamps (including varieties) which did not reach the counter
but were sold to collectors directly from the printing shop. Only
the group 1) will be priced.
Perforation: imperforate or comb perforation 10 3/4.
It was the intention to issue all the stamps perforated. As a few
sheets of the first printing unintentionally reached the counter,
it was decided to continue with the issue of imperforate stamps also.
The known perforation varieties are discussed under various types
ot this issue.
Cancellation: the "OTEPÄÄ EESTI",
A and B cancellers were used for the cancellation of this issue. Cancellations
from a few neighbouring P-O.s are known (Puka, Tartu).
Proofs are known.
Forgeries: Various forgeries are known, including
as well the abovementioned genuine stamps privately perforated by
Mr. Hinno in Rakvere, as the so called "reprint" by the
Otepää Printing Works. Click
here to read more about forgeries.
Valid: The first 30 + 30 stamp was issued July 22,
1941. The dates of issue of other stamps and printings are not known.
The issue was invalidated from August 15, 1941.
Literature:
Julius Bleyer: "Kohaliku ja ülemaalise tahtsusega ajutised
postimaksuvahendid, mis 1941.a. postiliikluses olid tarvitusel".
(Local and official provisional postage stamps used in Estonia in
1941). Tallinn 1941/44. (In Estonian).
Votele Org: "Frimärksutgivningen i det ockuperade Estland
under Andra Världskriget" (The issues of Postage Stamps
in the Occupied Estonia during the Second World War). Frimärks-Bladet
No 3, Stockholm 1948. (ln Swedish).
"Eesti Post ja Postmargid 1940-42" (Estonian post and postage
Stamps in 1940-42). Stockholm 1959 (In Estonian).
Eo Vaher: "The Otepää Puzzle", Eesti Filatelist
No 18/19, 1976. (In English).
30
+ 30 kop.
Issued:
Type I perforated - 2.101
Type I imperforate - 40
Type II perforated - 1.240
Type II imperforate - 1.444
Type III imperforate - 240
Type IV perforated
- unknown |
| |
 |
 |
 |
| Type
I: Symmetric pointed linoleum shield, perforated |
70:- |
80:- |
175:- |
| |
Block
of four |
5x |
5x |
|
| A:2 |
One
side imperforate |
+25:- |
+25:- |
|
| A:5 |
Three
sides imperforate |
+30:- |
+30:- |
|
| E:2 |
Shifted
blue print |
+15:- |
+15:- |
|
| Type
I: Imperforate |
900:- |
900:- |
1.000:- |
| A:4 |
Horiz.
pair, Type II + Type I |
-- |
-- |
|
| E:1 |
Vert.
pair, Type I + Type II |
-- |
-- |
|
| E:2 |
Shifted
blue print |
+15:- |
+15:- |
|
| Type
II: Round metal shield, perforated |
110:- |
125:- |
300:- |
| |
Block
of four |
5x |
5x |
|
| A:2 |
One
side imperforate |
+25:- |
+25:- |
|
| A:5 |
Three
sides imperforate |
+30:- |
+30:- |
|
| E:2 |
Shifted
blue print |
+15:- |
+15:- |
|
| E:4 |
Blue
bar through value tablet |
+10:- |
+10:- |
|
| Type
II: Imperforate |
90:- |
140:- |
200:- |
| |
Block
of four |
5x |
5x |
|
| |
Horiz.
pair, 20 + 30 |
-- |
-- |
|
| |
Vert.
pair, 20 + 30 |
-- |
-- |
|
| E:2 |
Shifted
blue print |
+15:- |
+15:- |
|
| Type
III: Unsymmetric pointed linoleum shield, imperforate |
300:- |
400:- |
500:- |
| |
Horiz.
pair, Type III + Type II |
-- |
-- |
|
| |
Vert.
pair, Type III + Type II |
-- |
-- |
|
| Type
IV: Round metal shield with heavy border, perforated |
110:- |
125:- |
300:- |
| |
Block
of four |
5x |
5x |
|
“Varieties”
recorded, not sold over the counter:
| |
20+20
Type II perforated
Pair 20 + 30
Pair 30 + 20
Type II imperforate
Pair 30 + 20
W/o blue print
Type IV perforated
Black double printed
W/o blue print
Ditto, imperforate at left
Stamp imperforate
Ditto, black double printed
Ditto, w/o blue print
Pair 20 + 30
Pair 30 + 20
|
30+30
Type I
Imperforate stamp
Black double printed
Wlo blue print
Horiz. pair with gutter
Blue print only together with normal stamp
Type II perforated
Horiz. pair, together with 20 + 20
Horiz. pair, Type III + Type II
Vert. pair, Type III + Type II
30 + 30 printed on 20 + 20 stamp (double print)
W/o blue print
Type II imperforate
W/o blue print
Ditto, together with normal stamp of type I
Blue print only
Black double printed
Blue double printed
Type III imperforate
Perforated stamp
Type IV perforated
W/o blue print
Ditto, imperf. at left
Type IV
Imperforate stamp
W/o blue print
Ditto, together with normal stamp
Black double printed
Blue double printed
|
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.
