Saar

For post-World War II issues, see: Saarland

Saar, Saargebiete, (or later Saarland), was a region on the border of France and Germany created at the end of World War I. It was adminstered by France under a League of Nations mandate. In 1935, a plebiscite was held and Saar voted to rejoin Germany.

 File:Saar first issue.jpg|1920 5 pfennig overprint File:Saar on Bavaria.jpg|1920 overprint on 20pf bavarian stamp File:Saar saargebiet ovpt.jpg|1920 5pf "SAARGEBIET" overprint 
 * In 1920. contemporary German stamps were overprinted Sarre with "Deutsches Reich" covered with a bar. Three overprint types have been reported.
 * The same year, Bavarian stamps were overprinted Sarre or SARRE (5 mark and 10 m values) with several lines blocking out "BAYERN". Three types of overprint bars/lines have been reported.
 * Also in 1920, German stamps were also overprinted SAARGEBIET in sans-serif type. Several new colors or values were similarly overprinted.
 * In 1921, three surcharges on "SAARGEBIET" stamps were issued.
 * Later in 1921, a series of pictorial definitives were issued.
 * The previous series was then surcharged in French currency ("cent" and "FRANKEN").

 File:Saar mine.jpg|1921 20pf value File:Saar semi.jpg|From the 1931 welfare semipostal set. 
 * In 1922, a new series of pictorals was issued, now denominated in French currency ("cent" or "fr"). Four new values/colors were added in 1923.
 * In 1925, two Madonna designs were issued.
 * Also in 1926, the first of the annual Volkshilfe semipostal sets was issued.
 * In 1926, new larger pictorial definitives were issued in photogravure. New values were issued in 1930 and 1932 plus surcharged values in 1930 and 1934
 * In 1928, the first airmail was issued, inscribed "LUFT / POST". New values were issued in 1932.
 * In 1934, definitives and the 10f Madonna were overprinted VOLKSABSTIMMUNG / 1935 for the plebiscite. Volkshilfe semipostals and airmails were also overprinted.
 * In 1935, Saar rejoined Germany.

Official issues
 File:Saar official.jpg|1924 1f value, "normal" overprint  [[Category:S]]
 * In 1922, definitives were overprinted DIENSTMARKE in two types, heavy (1922) and "normal" (1924). New overprinted v alues were aded in 1923-24.
 * In 1927, then-current definitives were overprinted "DIENSTMARKE" diagonally in thin letters. These are the 32° steep overprints.
 * In 1929-34, then-current defintives were similarly overprinted except at a 23°-25° angle.