German Empire Coat of Arms, 1/2 Groschen Orange

German Empire · 1872 · 1/2 Groschen

This stamp features the small coat of arms of the German Empire, a crowned imperial eagle with a shield of the House of Hohenzollern on its breast. The design is embossed within an oval frame, with the denomination '1/2 GROSCHEN' inscribed below and 'DEUTSCHE REICHS-POST' above. The vibrant orange color makes it a distinctive issue from this early period.

Issued shortly after the unification of Germany in 1871, this stamp was part of the first definitive series for the entire German Empire, replacing the various stamps of the individual German states. It symbolizes the new centralized postal authority under the Reichspost.