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Luxembourg

15th September 1852

Europe 9

Lux1
  Luxembourg #1  

Imperforate, 'W' watermark, recess-printed
Printed by Schmidt-Bruck of Luxembourg

Description Year Issued Scott # S.G. # Mi Y&T
10 centimes grey black
1852
 1 1-2    
1 silbergroschen brown red
1853
 2 3    
1sg rose
1855
 3 4-5    

Mackay notes that the first issues feature the French language, German currency and the portrait of a Dutch monarch, a combination perhaps appropriate for Luxembourg's political and economic status at the time.

Luxembourg was responsible for two major philatelic innovations, the world's first stamp booklet and miniature sheet.

LuxBk1
LuxBk2
The first stamp booklet

The booklet was produced in 1895 (perhaps) and contained 24 Sc73, SG55 6c green stamps.The image is from the GB Stamp Booklets site which notes, "Luxembourg is often cited as the first country to issue booklets in 1895. There is some question about this as the stamps used were the 1895 Grand Duke Adolphe issue, but made up into booklets possibly as late as 1906. Other early booklets include USA and Canada in 1900 and Netherlands in 1902."

LuxMS
The first commemorative sheet

Both Wood [2] and Mackay [1] identify Luxembourg as creating the first miniature sheet, but Mackay was probably wrong in identifying the particular sheet. Wood states that ‘The first souvenir sheet is claimed to be a sheet of 10 stamps issued by Luxembourg in 1906 to commemorate the accession of Grand Duke William IV to the throne.’

The discussion over what is (are) the definition(s) of and distinctions between miniature, commemorative and souvenir sheets is best held elsewhere.

LuxN1

An occupation issue was made during the German occupation in 1940, an overprinted German stamp portraying Hindenburg (ScN1, SG397).

Sources: JM1, JM2[1], KW1[2], NB, ScC, SGP4, SGP7.

Images from David Olson, GB Stamp Booklets and ebay.

FI ref: 44 Page credit: NB

Page created 15 Dec 2015 Page updated 25 Jan 2016