Heligoland
Heligoland Cut Square
This cut square carries the design of the 1875 definitive stamp.
Notice the dual British and German currency denominations.
Britain obtained control of the island of Heligoland in the North Sea just off the German coast as a result of the Napoleonic wars. The population was German speaking and the postal service was administered by Hamburg and subsequently the North German Confederation and the German Empire. The first stamps issued specifically for use in Heligoland were issued in 1867. In 1890, Britain ceded the island to Germany in exchange for German interests in Zanzibar.