Thursday 25 May 2017

Germany - Bonn - Sonderstempelstelle (Beethoven)

Germany has two special centres where postmark collectors can send their request for special postmarks to: Berlin and Weiden. Each centre carries its own permanent postmark. There used to be a fully functioning Sonderstempelstelle in Bonn (the former capital of West Germany) but that now only functions as a counter where collectors can go to for first day of issue postmarks. For each new German stamp there are two different first day postmarks, from Bonn and Berlin.

Bonn is still considered a Sonderstempelstelle so it has its own pictorial postmarks. While Berlin and Weiden have only one, Bonn has two. One with the Post Tower, the Deutsche Post Headquarters building, and one with the famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The Sonderstempelstelle Bonn also has a special datestamp.

This envelope shows the special postmark with composer Ludwig van Beethoven postmarking a letter, something he probably never did during his lifetime. It can be obtained by collectors by sending an stamped self-addressed envelope to the Sonderstempelstelle in Weiden.

For this postmark I used the normal 90 cent definitive from the flower series.

Date sent: 20 April 2017
Date postmark: 11 May 2017
Date received: 13 May 2017
Number of days: 23
Envelope in collection: 42



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