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Tax Stamp - Notopfer 2 Berlin
| Issuer | West Berlin Tax Authority |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 21.6 x 12.5 mm |
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| Obverse description | Dark navy blue rectangular letterpress vignette on tan paper stock, with all-capital sans-serif legends in tan reserve. The numeral "2" appears at left-centre, with "BERLIN" at right in large bold type; "NOTOPFER" spans the top and "STEUERMARKE" is set in a ruled panel at the base. The stamp is issued with a perforated edge on all four sides. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Entirely unprinted, showing plain tan paper stock with a lightly textured surface. No inscriptions, vignettes, or markings of any kind are present. The perforated edges are visible on all sides. |
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| Comments |
The Notopfer Berlin — literally "emergency sacrifice Berlin" — was a compulsory surcharge levied on all West German mail and telecommunications from 1948 onward, ostensibly to fund West Berlin during the Soviet blockade and its aftermath. These small adhesive stamps were not postage; they were a fiscal levy, affixed as proof of payment on letters, parcels, and telephone bills. Refusal to pay was technically an infraction, though enforcement was inconsistent.
The 2 Pfennig denomination is the lowest in the series. The program ran until 1956, when the Federal Constitutional Court ruled the levy unconstitutional.