In 1948 Germany was in ruins. Destruction caused by the war was nearly total and even three years after the war many Germans were hungry. The United States government put forward the Marshal Plan and the United States pumped the current day equivalent of $500 billion into Europe to rebuild that continent. Republicans and Democrats both coalesced around a plan to “win the peace” and it’s fair to say that without the Marshall Plan the history of the latter half of the last century would have been very different. When the German Posthorn set of definitives was issued in 1951 the face value was a bit more than 4 1/2 marks but even this was more than most struggling German collectors could afford. Most of the sets were sold to Americans and for years this set being sold back to Germany was a staple of the transatlantic philatelic repatriation trade. The set has had an up and down history in terms of price. At its prime, in 1980, during the height of the inflation driven stamp investment craze, and the weak dollar caused by the Iranian hostage crises, we sold sets for as high as $2500. It is still the crown jewel of post war period.
