The stamp is a myth. It is the first german postage stamp ever. And a man from forchheim is in possession of this valuable piece from 1849 – the black cruiser from bavaria.
"The model for the first stamp in germany was the penny stamp from england", tells the 50-year-old stamp collector, who does not correspond at all to the stereotype of the stamp collector. He looks athletic, and he's not a civil servant either.
But he does have a little bit of fear for his good piece. His "black one" is finally in storage not in the bank vault, but in his closet at home, he says. Good stamp collections quickly give long ears to thieves, fears the proud owner. And on sunday, 26. August, he wants to exhibit the first stamp from german lands publicly as well. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the philatelic association forchheim the stamp friends show their treasures.
A few rough bills
And how valuable is the "black one"? Now? The stamp lover grins up to both ears. Stamp collectors do not like to talk about money. "I have already had to fork over a few large bills", reveals the passionate collector, who works as a skilled worker in his normal life. At an auction he bought the black one three years ago for several thousand euros. "I just had to have them. Finally, I collect mainly stamps of the first generation from 1849 to 1862. And I wanted to have the first stamp from 1849 by all means", he tells.
In the old days, letters were still sent without stamps. So you had to put cash on the table at the post office," the collector continues. The introduction of the stamp in the british isles has made postal accounting much easier. "The bavarians have simply taken an example from england." And by the way, the printing of the first stamp on 1. November 1849, a new passion was born in germany as well: stamp collecting. And why was the first stamp in postal history named the "black cruiser"??
High on the yellow wagon
"The kreuzer was the truth back then. A worker earned in the middle of the 19th century. The stamp cost about seven kreuzer a day in the first half of the twentieth century, the connoisseur continues. And the black color? "There were first three stamps. The one-crosser in black, the three-crosser in blue and a six-crosser in brown", he explains. "The one for local traffic, the three for local traffic and the six for long-distance traffic. At that time the mail was still transported by horse-drawn carriage." And where was sent his stamp? The collector points to the postmark and says: "it clearly says augsburg". And below it says. So the letter – probably a business letter – was sent only a few straights through augsburg."
Why he bought the stamp with a letter? "The stamp is much more valuable on an original letter."
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