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Society
Photo: DPA

Collectors dub new stamp 'ugliest ever'

Published: 4 Jan 13 14:18 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20130104-47137.html

Disgusted German stamp collectors have slammed the new three cent stamp released this week by Deutsche Post, calling the nondescript design the "worst stamp ever made" on online forums.


A white square with a light grey "3" printed on it. Not exactly the most thrilling design to ever grace a German envelope - and according to some collectors, the ugliest ever to have been put on an envelope.

The new stamp - dubbed the Weißer Dreier, or white three-er - was never going to be popular. It was released January 1st solely to make up the awkward three cent price rise in sending a standard letter weighing up to 20 grams from 55 cents to 58 cents.

Together with the supplementary stamp, customers will be able to use up their old 55 cent stamps.

But for stamp enthusiasts on the www.philaseiten.de website the new release is not just inconvenient, but ugly, with an uncreative and lazy design.

"For me it's the worst stamp that's ever been made," one forum user wrote.

"With this design Deutsche Post has surely secured the award for the ugliest stamp in the world," wrote another disappointed philatelist.

"It's absolute crap," Josef Kratzer, head of the Young Stamp Collectors Association in Eckersdorf told the regional Soester Anzeiger news website on Thursday.

Yet some hope that despite the small face value of the stamps and the derision their design has attracted, they might be worth more in the future.

One dealer hoping the 'ugly stamp' market may hot up has already put five strips up on Ebay for €20.

The Local/jlb

What do you think? Leave your comment below.


Your comments about this article:

15:06 January 4, 2013 by rmsbl4
This is probably not going to be a long lasting stamp as the second paragraph states its use is to help people use up their 55ct stamps. The 3ct stamp will go the way of the dodo bird.

Why waste time and money for a fancy stamp that may have a life span of 6 months.
15:14 January 4, 2013 by lucksi
They shouldn't have brought out a new stamp at all.

I doubt printing and selling the stamps will bring in more money than just delivering the letters regardless what stamp is on them (the 55 or 58)
15:46 January 4, 2013 by ErnestPayne
Well it looks like the ugliest German stamp but it has a long way to go to being the ugliest postage stamp ever. Some of the Australian States and New Zealand stamps of the late 19th century would win that contest hands down. As for a 3c value? There is always a need for lower value stamps to "make up" the increased rate. Remember the husband of the sheriff in Fargo? His design for a postage stamp did not go on the first class rate stamp but on a lower value "make up" rate stamp.
16:43 January 4, 2013 by auniquecorn
Yeah, it's ugly. But people are over looking the effort they put into the design of the stamp.
18:11 January 4, 2013 by Englishted
Could be worse it could of had you know who's head on it .
10:05 January 5, 2013 by www.emungus.net
@ Englishted

Dear Sir, could you rephrase your sentence, please? Dull-minded ones often mess up …
17:38 January 5, 2013 by Englishted
@www.emungus.net

If you are too slow witted to understand the comment ,please come back when you have finished your education.
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