A striking provisional issue from Bavaria, this stamp features the portrait of King Ludwig III from the earlier definitive series and carries a bold black “2½” surcharge applied during the transitional postal period following World War I. The overprint was used to meet changing postal rates in the final phase before Bavaria’s postal system was fully absorbed into the German Reich. Surcharge settings and types make this a popular area for specialist study, and well-struck examples like this are sought after for both Bavaria and German States collections. A fine piece of postal-historical transformation.