COVERS / ENVELOPES
(1938)

This page was last updated
19-Oct-2022 07:35

INTRODUCTION:
This section is devoted to general covers, package labels, envelopes and miscellaneous postal items used during the Third Reich period.

5th ANNIVERSARY OF ASSUMPTION TO POWER
(30th Jan 1938)

1. The following cover features the two special commemorative stamps Michel 660 and Michel 661 issued to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of Hitler's appointment as Chancellor of Germany. Along with the stamps is the special handstamp used to mark the event, this particular one used in FRANKFURT on just the one day.




2. Another very similar cover to the one above only now with the special handstamp used at counter 'm' in BERLIN.

AUSTRIAN PLEBISCITE
(6th Apr 1938)

There were a large number of special postmarks used during the period leading up to, and after, the Austrian Plebiscite on 10th Apr 1938. The following card has one of the roller cancels that were available in Germany and Austria, this one advertising the upcoming vote and used in HAMBURG four days before the vote.

49th BIRTHDAY of ADOLF HITLER
(20th Apr 1938)

1. This cover was printed to commemorate Adolf Hitler's 49th Birthday on 20th Apr 1938. The stamp is a pre-printed version of the Michel 664 offical stamp issued to commemorate the same occasion.




2. Another cover, this one Registered, related to Hitler's birthday, this one featuring the special handstamp used in BERCHTESGADEN only for the one day on the 20th Apr. In the centre is a 1938 Michel 664 birthday issue stamp and this is flanked by four Michel 663 Austrian Plebiscite stamps, two Berlin issue on the left and two Vienna issue on the right.

Just to polish it all off, in the lower left is one of the four stamps from Hitler's 1937 birthday issue Michel Block 7 minisheet.

The reverse side has a regular receiving CDS from ITZEHOE the following day Apr 21st.




Below is a simple cover cancelled with the special handstamp commemorating Hitler's birthday in the Austrian town of LINZ.

TAG DER DEUTSCHEN KUNST
THE DAY OF GERMAN ART
(21st Jun 1938)

The Day of German Art Exhibition held in MUNICH produced a special roller cancel in 1938, and other years, that featured an image of Athena and the date of the exhibition. The following cover has that special roller cancel.

DAS BRAUNE BAND von DEUTSCHLAND
The BROWN RIBBON of GERMANY
(14th/31st Jul 1938)

1. This busy and attractive cover is a philatelic creation from a creative and patient collector. It almost certainly never went through the postal system. During the Brown Ribbon meeting, which took place from 14th to 31st Jul 1938, there were three special handstamps, as well as a slogan cancel. This cover has all three special handstamps as well as the slogan postmark. To get these three special handstamps would have required a visit to the race course on at least three separate occasions.

It also has the commemorative stamp Michel 671 which was issued to mark the occasion. If that wasn't enough there are also two special issue stamps Michel 660 and a Michel 665.

The reverse side also has three handstamps used in Munich, one dated 4th Aug and two on the 5h Aug, as well as a Vignette (poster stamp or Cinderella stamp) advertising the Munich 'FESTSOMMER' or Summer Festival. All in all there is a lot going on with this cover.




2. The following cover was also cancelled at the Brown Ribbon race meeting but this one only has the special handstamp used on 31st Aug (although there are three clear examples of it). Like the example above this one was registered and has three additional stamps.

Firstly a Michel 664 featuring a portrait of Adolf Hilter and issued to commemorate his 49th birthday on 20th Aug. Then there are two stamps Michel 669 and Michel 670 issued to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Ferdinand von Zeppelin.

15. GROSSE DEUTSCHEN RUNDFUNKAUSSTELLUNG
15th GREATER GERMAN RADIO EXHIBITION
(5th/21st Aug 1938)

The following Registered cover has one of the two commemorative stamps issued for the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin, Michel 669 as well as a special handstamp to mark the 15th Greater Germany Radio Exhibition held in BERLIN.

USE LETTERGRAMS
(524th Sep 1938)

The following cover has a regular 12Rpf Hindenburg Medallion stamp and a special slogan cancel inscribed "Fur Brieftelegramme Rortgebuhr 5Rpf" - 'For letter telegrams local fee 5Rpf', a message encouraging the people to use telegrams insead of the regular post for faster delivery at only 5Rpf.

OPENING OF SAARPFALZ THEATRE
(9th Oct 1938)

The following plain cover has the special handstamp used to commemorate the opening of the Saarpfalz Theatre on 9th Oct 1938. The special handstamp is inscribed "SAARBRUCKEN | ERoffnung | des Gautheaters | Saarpfalz".

GRAF ZEPPELIN SUDETENLAND FLIGHT
(1st Dec 1938)

The cover below commemorates the "Sudetenfahrt" or "Sudetendeutsche Freiheitsfahrt" which was a propaganda flight by Zeppelin airship Graf Zeppelin II, LZ130 on 2nd Dec 1938. LZ130 flew from FRANKFURT (MAIN) to REICHENBERG (Liberec), the Sudenten Capital just as Hitler arrived to make a speech to the Sudeten Germans.

The airship transmitted music and Nazi propaganda, dropped leaflets and small parachutes, as a lead up to the 4th Dec vote. The flight was cut short and the airship returned to Germany due to worsening weather. All 663Kg of mail carried on this flight was stamped with the red cachet seen on the cover below and was dropped off in RICHENBERG.

The stamps on this example are three 1934 issue airmail stamps Michel 529, 530 and 536 as well as a single 1938 Austian plebiscite Michel 663 Vienna printing of the offical commemorative stamp.




Below is another cover carried on the same flight, with the special red cachet, FRANKFURT-MAIN cancels and 4th Dec vote slogan. This sender has used a large number of smaller denomination stamps to achieve the required postal fee.

OFFICIAL MAIL

The official cover below was sent by "Der Oberfinanzprasident Leipzig Devisenstelle" or 'The Chief Finance President of the Leipzig foreign exchange office' in LEIPZIG on 30th Jun 1938. There is no stamp because the postage was free, due to the "Frei durch Ablösung Reich!" - 'Free postage by Redemption', note on the bottom lefthand side. The cancellation is a common one advertising the use of airmail and is inscribed "Luftpost Befördert briefe-zeitungen-pakete"- 'Airmail Carries letters-newspaper-parcels'.

MISCELLANEOUS MAIL

The plain cover below has a DOSSENHEIM CDS cancellation dated 21st Apr 1938 and was destined for PARIS, FRANCE.




Another plain cover, this one sent from OSNABRUCK to HOBOKEN, USA on 14th Dec 1938. The stamps are three examples from the 1938 Michel 675-683, Winterhilfswerk Ostmark issue.




The next card was unsuccessfully sent from GOSLAR on 21st Feb 1938 to a local address. The stamp is a regular issue 12Rpf Hindenburg Medallion stamp.