Hitler Skull Propaganda Forgery
United States · 1944 · 12 + 38 Reichspfennig
The stamp depicts a skull-like caricature of Adolf Hitler, mimicking the design of a contemporary German semi-postal stamp. It features the denomination '12 + 38 Reichspfennig' and the words 'Deutsches Reich'.
This is a famous World War II propaganda forgery created by the United States Office of Strategic Services (OSS) to undermine morale in Nazi Germany. It was intended to be distributed secretly within Germany to demoralize the population by portraying Hitler as a harbinger of death.
Printing Method
Lithography
Image: left stamp: Deutsche Reichspost 1941, right stamp: produced 1944 by US Government as a propaganda counterfeit in Second World War, according to data at <i>Michel Deutschland-Spezialkatalog 1989</i>, S. 584 · License: Public domain
Estimated Values by Condition
Perfectly centered, fresh, no faults
Well centered, fresh colors
Nicely centered, minor flaws
Average centering, acceptable
Off-center or visible wear
Prices are approximate market estimates for educational purposes. Actual values depend on specific factors including cancel type, margins, and provenance.
