Semi Postal Stamps Appraisal

1943 Deutsches Reich Armed Forces Day Semi-Postal Stamp (Coastal Artillery Subtitle)

This is a used German Third Reich semi-postal postage stamp issued on March 21, 1943, to commemorate Armed Forces Day (Tag der Wehrmacht). The stamp is printed in a reddish-orange or vermilion ink and features a detailed engraved vignette of soldiers operating a coastal artillery battery, loading a large shell into a coastal gun. The denomination is '8 + 7' Pfennig, indicating a postage value of 8 Pfennig and a surtax of 7 Pfennig for the national labor fund. The bottom margin is inscribed with 'DEUTSCHES REICH'. The stamp exhibits standard perforations along all four edges and shows a partial circular date stamp (CDS) cancellation in the lower right quadrant, which indicates it was postally or commercially used. The cancellation includes a portion of a city name, potentially 'ALLEN...', though it is not fully legible. The paper appears slightly aged with consistent toning. Small text in the very bottom left corner identifies the designer or engraver, characteristic of German stamps from this WWII era. There is no visible evidence of thinning, through-tears, or foxing from this perspective, though the centering is slightly shifted to the top-right. The stamp represents a piece of historical military propaganda from the National Socialist period.