Inverted Dendermonde
Encyclopedia
The Inverted Dendermonde is a Belgian postage stamp
, issued in 1920.
Its catalogue number is:
(French : Termonde) was issued on 5 August 1920.
It was a completion of a definitive series of stamps printed between 1915 and 1919 which depicted on the lower nominations - 1 cent up to 25 cent - King Albert I
and the higher nominations - 35 cent up to 10 Francs - various subjects.
Originally, the stamp was to have a denomination of 20 cents. By the time the commission was given, the postage rates had changed and there was a need for a stamp of 65 cents for express rate post.
A run of 10 million stamps was ordered. The stamp was designed, engraved and printed by the Dutch company Joh. Enschedé
in Haarlem
, the Netherlands and exists in two versions: a first run was printed in sheets of 25 (5 by 5), a second run was printed in sheets of 100 (10 by 10). This was because of a shortage of paper.
The two runs can be identified by the dimensions of the image. The first run has an image of 26,25 by 22,5 mm, whereas the second run's dimensions are 27 by 22 mm. Perforation
measurement is 11½. End of use date was 1 May 1931.
Most likely the cause of this error was similar to the one of the Inverted Jenny
, since the Belgian stamp has also two colours.
The first sheet was partially sold in the Post Office of Ghent. After this discovery was made, the management of the Belgian Post went to Enschedé to find out if there were more. A second sheet was discovered, transported to Brussels and destroyed.
One pane of the second run was also inverted. 50 copies of these were discovered in January 1921 in Leuven
. They were confiscated by the Post Office before they could be sold to the general public. The remaining 50 were still in Holland and were cut, this being witnessed by Dutch and Belgian officials. The 50 already in Belgium were destroyed by burning them on 21 January 1921.
(Fr. Gand) on 13 August 1920. When the discovery was made, only 7 copies remained.
At the moment there are 17 known copies: 15 unused and 2 used. The only known cancellation is "Gand 13/8/1920".
In 1942 a stampdealer from Brussels
, who had two copies of the stamp, was murdered. The murderer and the two stamps were never found.
In 2004, the stamp was the subject of a children's book De omgekeerde Dendermonde (The inverted Dendermonde) by author Henry Van Daele.
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
, issued in 1920.
Its catalogue number is:
- 182A-Dr (Officiële Postzegelcatalogus van België)
- 182A (Yvert-catalog)
- 124F (MichelMichel-Fictional characters:* Deutscher Michel, personification of the German nation, usually depicted wearing a nightcap and nightgown* Michel Gerard, a character from American TV series Gilmore Girls* Michel Vaillant, a French comic book character...
-catalog).
Background
The 65 cent stamp, depicting the townhall of DendermondeDendermonde
Dendermonde is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek. The municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde proper and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, Mespelare, Oudegem, Schoonaarde, and Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde...
(French : Termonde) was issued on 5 August 1920.
It was a completion of a definitive series of stamps printed between 1915 and 1919 which depicted on the lower nominations - 1 cent up to 25 cent - King Albert I
Albert I of Belgium
Albert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
and the higher nominations - 35 cent up to 10 Francs - various subjects.
Originally, the stamp was to have a denomination of 20 cents. By the time the commission was given, the postage rates had changed and there was a need for a stamp of 65 cents for express rate post.
A run of 10 million stamps was ordered. The stamp was designed, engraved and printed by the Dutch company Joh. Enschedé
Joh. Enschedé
Royal Joh. Enschedé is a printer of security documents, stamps and banknotes based in Haarlem, Netherlands. Joh. Enschedé specialises in print, media & security. The company hosts the Museum Enschedé and has branches in Amsterdam, Brussels and Haarlem....
in Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
, the Netherlands and exists in two versions: a first run was printed in sheets of 25 (5 by 5), a second run was printed in sheets of 100 (10 by 10). This was because of a shortage of paper.
The two runs can be identified by the dimensions of the image. The first run has an image of 26,25 by 22,5 mm, whereas the second run's dimensions are 27 by 22 mm. Perforation
Perforation
A perforation is a small hole in a thin material or web. There is usually more than one perforation in an organized fashion, where all of the holes are called a perforation...
measurement is 11½. End of use date was 1 May 1931.
Inversion
Two sheet of the first run had its centre inverted, so that the depicted town hall is upside down.Most likely the cause of this error was similar to the one of the Inverted Jenny
Inverted Jenny
The Inverted Jenny is a United States postage stamp first issued on May 10, 1918 in which the image of the Curtiss JN-4 airplane in the center of the design was accidentally printed upside-down; it is probably the most famous error in American philately...
, since the Belgian stamp has also two colours.
The first sheet was partially sold in the Post Office of Ghent. After this discovery was made, the management of the Belgian Post went to Enschedé to find out if there were more. A second sheet was discovered, transported to Brussels and destroyed.
One pane of the second run was also inverted. 50 copies of these were discovered in January 1921 in Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
. They were confiscated by the Post Office before they could be sold to the general public. The remaining 50 were still in Holland and were cut, this being witnessed by Dutch and Belgian officials. The 50 already in Belgium were destroyed by burning them on 21 January 1921.
Known stamps
18 of the 25 stamps were sold at the Post Office of GentGhent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
(Fr. Gand) on 13 August 1920. When the discovery was made, only 7 copies remained.
At the moment there are 17 known copies: 15 unused and 2 used. The only known cancellation is "Gand 13/8/1920".
In 1942 a stampdealer from Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, who had two copies of the stamp, was murdered. The murderer and the two stamps were never found.
Value
The cancelled stamp is valued at € 75,000 and is one of the most expensive Belgian stamps.Popular culture
In 2003 the stamp was the subject of the comic book Het mysterie van de omgekeerde zegel (The mystery of the inverted stamp) in the serie Stam en Pilou.In 2004, the stamp was the subject of a children's book De omgekeerde Dendermonde (The inverted Dendermonde) by author Henry Van Daele.