GERMAN FOREIGN POST OFFICES
TURKEY
My STAMPS
1900
Forerunners are stamps of the German Empire that were in circulation in foreign countries and the colonies without any special identification (i.e. not overprinted "Turkey"), until issue of their own stamps. 'Proper' forerunners were officially delivered to post offices and were sold from postal counters, stamps that were not used or not officially issued are non-proper forerunners (e.g. Michel V39 and V43). All forerunners and interim stamps can only be recognised by the cancellation and as such there is no such thing as an unused forerunner.
The first German Post Office in Turkey was opened in Constantinople on 1st Mar 1870. The stamps of the North German Confederation were the first to be used in Turkey. The Constantinople Office was opened as the "North German Postal Agency" and was renamed the "German Empire Post Office" on 6th May 1871 and served the so-called European Quarter of the city. A second branch post office was opened in the city district of Stambul in the Turkish Quarter.
Michel 12 to 23
(Type I)
Regular Issue Germania
Issued 10th Oct 1900. Regular issues German Empire stamps Germania and representative illustrations. Inscribed "REICHSPOST" with horizontal black overprint. Type I has Versal "font" 'A' in "PARA" and "PIASTER" without top serifs. The Type I stamps were issued in 1901 and 1902.
Michel 12 II to 14 II, 20 II, 21 II and 23 II
(Type II)
Regular Issue Germania
Issued 1903/1904. Regular issues German Empire stamps Germania and representative illustrations. Inscribed "REICHSPOST" with horizontal black overprint. Type II has a "font" where the 'A' in "PARA" and "PIASTER" have top serifs. The Type II stamps were issued in 1902 through 1904.
Michel 12 to 23
SPECIMEN OVERPRINT