Some trade fairs still attract large audiences. Philatelia Munich proved this on its opening day. Visitor numbers only began to decline slightly around 3 p.m., which is normal. While this success could not be repeated on Sunday, professional philatelists' reactions indicate that Philatelia performed above average. The organisers of the APHV, led by Wolfgang Lang and Stefan Lutter, deserve credit for this.

The exhibition team from our working group had some interesting conversations with visitors and colleagues from other groups. Considering the size of countries with populations similar to those of Munich, Hamburg and Berlin, it is astonishing how many philatelists have an interest in the Baltic states. We sold the last copy of the railway post book presented by Oliver Hanschmidt, as well as some of the remaining stock of stamps ordered privately for the association's anniversary. Our exhibition team this time consisted of Friedhelm Doell, Reinhard Heinrich, Olaf Hoffmann, Thomas Löbbering and Torsten Berndt.

We also exchanged ideas among ourselves and strengthened our connections, particularly with active collectors in the Munich area. We also spoke with representatives of the trade press, as well as professional philatelists whose offerings provided all participants with one or two gems for their collections. Visiting trade fairs, especially Philatelia Munich, is always worthwhile.

Addition to the image on the right: This special catalogue from the Köhler auction house presents the "Mare Baltikum" collection, which will soon be put up for sale. We sent it to ArGe members who had requested it to supplement their literature collection.

Friedhelm Doell and Olaf Hoffmann posed for the photographer on behalf of the exhibition team.

The articles about value letters from Estonia and Latvia in BALTIKUM No. 20 / 2025 encouraged Michael Wieneke to look for value letters from Lithuania in his collections. And lo and behold, he found what he was looking for:

Here is an example: Registered letter from September 1939 to the Netherlands, weight 17 g, value: 7,500 litas = 3,750 gold francs.

The letter is franked with 14.45 litas. For a letter in the first weight category, the postage is 0.60 litas for the letter + 0.60 litas for registered mail. For the insured value of 7,500 litas, the insurance fee and any postage costs for the sealing wax and sealing cannot be verified due to a lack of reference information.

The website of the late fellow collector Sijtze Reurich from the Netherlands is offline; ArGe Baltikum will endeavour to obtain the information on postage rates collected there.

To continue Wolfgang Strobel's stamp numbering system for displaced persons mail from the British Zone, Friedhelm Doell was recommended to define his own numbering system (with reference to Strobel's numbering system).

Olaf Hoffmann showed some special new acquisitions, including West Army overprints and documents relating to the German occupation of Latvia during the Second World War. A postal stationery item with 1,000 kopecks = 10 handstamp value impressions of 100 roubles each, unfortunately forged to the detriment of the postal service, but genuinely sent (see the OCR code, the yellow KB and the pink A9 on the reverse), dated January 19, 1991, for an international letter to the USA, shows the rapidly rising postal charges in Latvia after regaining independence and before the introduction of its own currency.

Our monthly video chat, where anyone with an interest in Baltic philately is welcome, usually takes place on every first Saturday of the month at 17 h CET more technical information on this here).

Next date: exceptionally postponed to the second Saturday of the month, March 14, 2025 at 17 h CET, due to Philatelia Munich.

Special theme: among other things, Olaf Hoffmann will report on the World Stamp Show in Dubai (February 4–6, 2026).

Join the Zoom meeting with:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85338222428?pwd=WGpZRXJTZVpnSnB6eHg4Ukx2aFVHdz09

After a pleasant New Year's chat, Olaf Hoffmann showed us some of his new acquisitions. In addition to a document from a place with a direct family connection (which will be published in the future), a letter from the Swiss Consulate General in Riga to Switzerland was of particular interest. According to official sources, there was a consulate in Riga until 1940 (but no consulate general). However, the stamp on the back proves that there was one.

Letter typed at the Swiss Consulate General in Riga on November 3, 1938, with the sender's stamp on the back.

Friedhelm Doell showed some bank letters from Estonia. The Estonian state bank, Eesti Pank, had the privilege of free postage within the country, as did other state authorities, but had to keep a list of the letters, whose numbers had to be written in the bottom left-hand corner of the front of the envelope. However, every letter sent abroad by Eesti Pank had to be stamped.

Unlike Eesti Pank, other banks had to pay postage for every letter, even domestic ones.

Letter from Eesti Pank dated August 21, 1928, following the currency conversion from mark and penni to kroon and senti, to the Federal Reserve, the US central bank, and specifically to the library of the Board of Governors, the seven-member executive committee. This is located in Washington D.C.; despite the incorrect spelling of the place name (with a "German-style sch") and the missing country name, the letter arrived safely.

The stock market prices quoted in Tallinn were regularly sent to other national banks and documented there. As these prices were sent out frequently, they were printed, as evidenced by their dispatch as printed matter ("Trükitöö").

Our monthly video chat, where anyone with an interest in Baltic philately is welcome, takes place on every first Saturday of the month at 17 h CET more technical information on this here).

Next date: February 7, 2026

Special theme: none so far

Join the Zoom meeting with:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85338222428?pwd=WGpZRXJTZVpnSnB6eHg4Ukx2aFVHdz09