Germany - Allied Occupation - Bizone

Deutschland - Alliierte Besetzung - Amerikanische und Britische Zone (Bizone)

The Bizone was the combination of the American and the British occupation zones in Germany on 1 January 1947. 

The post-war economic crisis in the Allied occupation zones required the implementation of a new German currency. The old Reichsmark was replaced by the new Deutsche Mark, which would eventually become the official currency of West Germany. 

After implementation of the reforms, the Soviet zone overprinted the existing occupation stamps Sowjetische Besatzungs Zone for the occupied territories under their control. These remained denominated in the old German currency, since the Soviets refused to participate in the currency reform. 

In the Bizone, in order to indicate that the postage stamps were now denominated in Deutsche Marks, the existing Allied Occupation general issues were overprinted with two types of control marks: 

Type I - single band of posthorns across the middle of the stamp (Bandaufdruck)

Type II - posthorns distributed in a network pattern across the whole stamp (Netzaufdruck)

The stamps overprinted were from the Allied Control Council sets depicting: numeral in oval (Michel 912 / 936); and occupations (Michel 943-958)

Available here is the stamp shown with Type I overprint.

Michel Catalogue Number: A 49 I