Scarce WWII occupation tobacco bands

During the World War II occupation, tobacco bands were denominated in Reichmarks with ‘LUXEMBURG’ imprinted in the left banner.

‘6 Rm das kilogr.’

Interestingly, Luxembourg’s premier cigarette and smoking tobacco manufacturer imprinted its firm name on some of these labels.

‘8 Rm das kilogr.’

 

The company was founded in 1847 by Jean-Pierre Heintz, husband of Joséphine van Landewyck. He built the family’s first tobacco factory with a shop in the rue de la Porte Neuve, later settling in the Grand-Rue. 50 years later, his son Joseph Heintz established a state-of-the-art factory in Hollerich, on the outskirts of Luxembourg-Ville, next to the train station.Up until today, this venue remains the company’s headquarters.

As a non-smoker, I collect these tobacco-related revenues with trepidation--second-hand smoke kills!

The 1 FRANG documentary stamp error

In 1920, the old 50-centime documentary tax stamp (Timbre de Dimension) was surcharged to 1 FRANC.

1 FRANC

However, in the Luxembourgish language the French word franc is written as frang.  That’s why you often see old Luxembourg currency and coins denominated in frangs.  And that’s also why the typesetter for this surcharge presumably inadvertently spelled FRANC  with a final G -- FRANG -- instead of with a C  for at least one position of the surcharge setting.  Lacking multiples of the surcharged stamps, that’s all I can say.

1 FRANG

The error probably was corrected early in the surcharging process, as this is one of the scarcest Luxembourg revenue stamp errors.

Here’s an example of Luxembourg currency with the denomination shown as “Frang”:

1943 20-frang GD Charlotte bank note

 

ZWANZEG FRANG

Export Certificate Franked with 51 Belgium-Luxembourg General Goods Statistics Revenues

On this export certificate, the exporter has used 51 five-centime Belgium-Luxembourg general goods statistics revenues to pay the applicable charge.  Each stamp bears a serial number. Linen goods were being exported from Liège, Belgium, to Holland.  The cancel is that of the customs office [douane] at Poppel, Belgium, April 13, 1948.

 

An amazing multiple use of the five-centime general goods statistics stamp!

Belgium-Luxembourg Joint License Revenues

Joint License Revenue Stamps

 

Luxembourg revenue philately – little appreciated by most Luxembourg aficionados – remains a fertile ground for original research and new discoveries. Like postage stamps, Luxembourg revenues paid government fees. They are undeserving of the philatelic discrimination they suffer!

For example, here you see the Belgium-Luxembourg joint license revenue stamps, which were used by Belgium and Luxembourg to document payment of import permit charges.

 Type 1

 5F BELGISCH-LUXEMBURGSCHE
COMMISSIE 

Denominated ‘Fr-‘ 

 

Type 2

 
BELGISCH-LUXEMBURGSCHE
COMMISSIE

Denominated ‘Frs B.‘

 
10F BELGISCH-LUXEMBURGSE
COMMISSIE

Denominated ‘Frs B.‘

Cancel:  Office Central des Contingents
 License D'Importation, 17 December 1974. 

Type 3

20F BELGISCH-LUXEMBURGSE
COMMISSIE

 

 

Type 4

 

2.50F BELGISCH-LUXEMBURGSCHE
VERREKEMINGSDIENST BRUSSEL
(OBLC logo design)

Type 5

 

10F Belgisch-Luxemburgsche

Commissie

'Licences' below center ornament

John Barefoot’s Benelux Revenues [2nd ed.], lists only four of the Belgium-Luxembourg Joint License revenues.

• My Type 1 -- 5-franc shown here (denominated simply in francs rather than Belgian francs) is unlisted in Barefoot.
  
• My Type 2 -- 10-franc with spelling LUXEMBURGSCHE is the only denomination Barefoot lists with this spelling.
• Barefoot lists 5F, 10F, and 20F Type 3 denominations with the spelling LUXEMBURGSE.
• My Types 4 and 5 are unlisted.

You can help by sharing your research. I would like to know:

• What stamps were issued? When? In what format?
• Who printed the stamps?
  
• What quantities were printed?
  
• What were the import license tax rates?
• What are the pertinent laws and regulations?
  
• On what documents were the stamps used?
• Why are some denominated in francs; others in Belgian francs?
  
• Has the use of license revenues been discontinued (if so, when)?
  
• What is known about the Commission Belgo-Luxembourgeoise?

You can be the first to do the research and publish your findings, if you like, as a guest blogger on this website! Email me at arsdorf@gmail.com or post a comment on this blog.