Germania definitive series

The Germania definitive series comprises regular postage stamps issued by the German Empire and the Weimar Republic between 1900 and 1922. Introduced on 1 January 1900 to replace stamps depicting numbers and eagles, it represents the longest-running series in German philately. Rather than displaying the reigning monarch, the stamps depicted the allegorical figure of Germania to serve as a unifying motif across the empire, avoiding friction with local royal houses and the distinct postal authorities of Bavaria and Württemberg. Emperor Wilhelm II personally chose the Art Nouveau design, engraved by Paul Eduard Waldraff using the actress Anna Führing as a model. Germania is shown wearing an octagonal imperial crown whilst holding a sword and an olive branch.

The series underwent several modifications during its lifespan. The inaugural 1900 issue carried the inscription "Reichspost" and was unwatermarked, excluding Bavaria and Württemberg from distribution. From 1 April 1902, the inscription changed to "Deutsches Reich", Württemberg was included, and all subsequent printings were produced on watermarked paper. Modifications continued through wartime printings between 1915 and 1917, issues from 1916 to 1919 with backgrounds lacking engraving lines, and post-war Weimar Republic releases. These later issues included a 1919 semipostal with a surcharge for war veterans, overprinted values in 1921, and a final release of stamps in March 1922.

Germania stamps were also widely modified with overprints for use outside standard imperial distribution. Prior to the First World War, overprinted stamps were issued by German post offices in China, Morocco, and Turkey, though colonies utilised a different issue. During the war, overprints appeared in occupied territories across Belgium, France, Romania, and eastern postal districts. In the post-war era, overprinted stamps were used in the Saar, Memelland, Danzig, Polish postal services, and plebiscite zones such as Allenstein and Marienwerder. The design was also imprinted on official postal stationery, most notably postcards.

Different printings are distinguished by checking whether the inscription reads "Reichspost" or "Deutsches Reich", checking for the presence of watermarks introduced after 1902, and examining any local or territorial overprints.