Bavaria – Scott # 140, used

Description

Bavaria Scott #140 (1919) — Used

This 15 Pfennig red overprinted definitive from Bavaria (Scott #140) was issued in 1919, following the collapse of the monarchy and the creation of the People’s State of Bavaria (Volksstaat Bayern). The striking black Gothic overprint “Volksstaat Bayern”—translated People’s State of Bavaria—was applied to leftover stamps bearing the portrait of King Ludwig III, symbolizing the revolutionary rejection of royal authority.

Issued amid the social and political upheaval that followed World War I, these overprints circulated during the brief, unstable republican period that gave way to the Bavarian Soviet Republic later that same year. While not a product of the Soviet regime, these stamps are a tangible link to that turbulent transition between monarchy, socialism, and the early Weimar Republic.

This example is postally used, featuring a legible cancel that preserves both the bold overprint and the king’s portrait beneath.

Condition: Used; clear cancel; fine centering; strong black overprint and fresh red color.
Issued: 1919
Color: Red with black overprint
Denomination: 15 Pfennig
Series: Overprinted King Ludwig III Definitives — “Volksstaat Bayern”
Subject: King Ludwig III portrait with People’s State of Bavaria overprint