Description: This is an authentic definitive postage stamp issued by the German Democratic Republic (DDR) under the 1954 Five-Year Plan surcharge series. The underlying magenta-violet base stamp is the 48 Pfennig issue celebrating the reconstruction of the Dresden Zwinger palace's magnificent Crown Gate (Kronentor).To conform to changing administrative postal tariffs, a separate black typographic overprint layer was applied to the sheet. A prominent, blocky "X" completely voids the original "48" denomination text in the upper-right corner. Concurrently, a large, bold numeral "40" is stamped directly over the lower center of the architectural vignette. A heavy, dark postmark cancellation mark trails across the upper and left margins.
Circa: 1954 - 1962
Condition: Used
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