OFFICIAL POSTCARDS
(1931)

This page was last updated
22-Sep-2024 01:18

MICHEL P211
OFFICIAL POSTCARD
8 Rpf

BACKGROUND: Issued 7th Jan 1931 and valid for use until 31st Dec 1931.

Commemorative postcard to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Dr, von Stephan. Form and value stamp like 1875 Michel P5 but without imperial crown. Left half-length portrait of Stephen in a laurel wreath with his name and the years 1831 and 1931, gray-black form.

There are two versions of this postcard.




ABOVE LEFT: Type I with darker shadow behind von Stephan.
ABOVE RIGHT: Type I with lighter shadow behind von Stephan.

Approximately 1.5 million of each version were issued for an estimated 3 million cards.

As well as the official card there were several official cards with additional private printing.

VARIANTS TO COLLECT

The following are suggested variants that might make good additions to a collection:

1. Cancelled on first day of issue 7th Jan 1931
2. Cancelled at a rural or land post office
3. As a domestic long-distance card without any special features
4. As a foreign used card with 10 Rpf to CSR
5. As a foreign used card with 10 Rpf to Hungary
6. As a foreign used card with 15 Rpf
7. As a Registered Delivery card
8. As a local delivery Express Delivery card
9. Used as a Rohrpost (pneumatic) card in BERLIN
10. Domestic Armail usage
11. European Airmail usage
12. Airmail usage to the USA from Bodensee (Lake Constance)
13. Postally unused
14. Domestic Bahnpost usage
15. Invalid Usage - either after expiration date or with incorrect postage applied
16. With additional private printing
17. With Special slogan cancels

EXAMPLES FROM MY COLLECTION

POSTALLY UNUSED

CANCELLED on FIRST DAY of ISSUE
7th Jan 1931

1. This P211 (I) card was cancelled on the first day of issue, 7th Jan 1931. It was posted in DRESDEN and was sent to STRALAÜ in BERLIN.




2. This next P211 (I) first day of issue example was a local delivery in AURICH on 7th Jan 1931.




3. This following card is a P211 (II) first day of issue and it was a local delivery in the city of MANNHEIM.

CANCELLED AT A RURAL or LAND POST OFFICE

1. This P211 (I) card was favour cancelled at the OBERNDORF near HERMSDORF (THÜRINGIA) rural post office on the first day of issue, 7th Jan 1931.

DOMESTIC LONG DISTANCE WITHOUT SPECIAL MARKINGS

1. This used, Type II P211 postcard, was cancelled in SOLINGEN on 9th Mar 1931 and was sent from a sports equipment provider.

The message on the reverse translates as:

'I have recently reminded you of two expired items for 34.95 Mk and 77.80 Mk. I will probably transfer the first amount to you on Monday next week. But I have to ask you to defer the amount of 77.80 for a third week. The incoming payments are extremely bad for us and for you. In anticipation of your approval, Respectfully.




2. The following card is a Type I P211 that was used locally in KÖLN on 20th Feb 1934.




3. Posted in FÜRSTENAU on 12th Jan 1931.

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to C.S.R

1. The following foreign used Type I P211 postcard was sent from BRESLAU to TEPLITZ-SCHÖNAU, C.S.R on 6th Feb 1931.

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to HUNGARY

FOREIGN USE WITH 15 Rpf

FRANCE

1. Posted in DÜSSELDORF on 21st Mar 1931 this card was sent to the town of METZ in FRANCE and was correctly franked at 15 Rpf.

ITALY

1. The following foreign used Type II P211 postcard was sent from ZITTAU to MILAN, ITALY on 2nd Apr 1931.

SWITZERLAND

1. This first foreign used Type II P211 postcard was sent to BERNE in SWITZERLAND on 15th Feb 1931. To cover the overseas postage rate of 15Rpf an extra 8Rpf self-adhesive samp has been added for a total of 16Rpf.

UNITED STATES of AMERICA

1. The following foreign used Type II P211 postcard was sent from WILLERSHAUSEN to MONTCLAIRE, NEW JERSEY, USA on 27th Jan 1931.




2. The following foreign used Type II P211 postcard was sent from NEUHALDENSTADT to OHIO, USA on 30th Apr 1931.




3. P211 Type I. This example was sent from BERLIN to an American collector in New Jersey, U.S.A on 7th Jan 1931.




4. P211 Type I. The following example was sent from HERFORD to BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, U.S.A on 2nd Mar 1931.

REGISTERED DELIVERY CARD

EXPRESS DELIVERY CARD

1. The following P211 (II) postcard was sent from GOODELAU to HEIDELBURG on 9th Jan 1931. The card was accepted at 7 to 8am and was received in HEIDELBURG at 12 to 1pm the same day.

POSTED AS ROHRPOST IN BERLIN

DOMESTIC AIRMAIL

1. This airmail example was posted in HAMBURG in Aug 1931 and was destined for FLENSBURG. There is a special "MOPHILA LUFTPOST" cancellation dated 23rd Aug 1931.




2. Another domestic airmail example sent on 11th Jun 1936 to HERNSDORF. The sender's address is not clear (More research required).




3. The following domestic airmail usage was posted in GIEβEN on 4th May 1931 and was destined for FRANKFURT am MAIN. This example also features the red two-line stamp "Mit Luftpost Befördert | Frankfurt (Main) 2 Flughafen"




4. Domestic Airmail card from FRANKFURT to STUTTGART on 6th Jun 1931

EUROPEAN AIRMAIL

LATVIA

1. This following registered foreign AIRMAIL example, is a Type II P211 postcard that was sent from BERLIN to RIGA, LATVIA on 24th Jan 1931.

SWEDEN

1. This foreign AIRMAIL used Type I P211 postcard was sent to BLÖTBERGET in SWEDEN on 13th Feb 1931. To card was sent via MALMO and has been franked with 36Rpf worth of stamps.

AIRMAIL TO USA FROM LAKE CONSTANCE

GERMAN BAHNPOST

1. Posted at the HALLE (SALLE) Railway station this card was send to BERLIN-CHARLOTTENBURG and was cancelled on 31st Jan 1931




2. Another Bahnpost usage on train Z.1411 on the KONSTANZ train on 3rd Mar 1931,




3. The following bahnpost example was cancelled on train No. 616 on the MAGDEBURG-ERFURT line and was destined for WEIMAR.

INVALID USAGE

1. P211 Type I. This example is interesting because it was posted after the war, almost 25 years after it was issued, in 1955. The 8Rpf pre-printed stamp was obviously invalid at the time so the sender has affixed two stamps of the correct validity to cover the cost of postage.




2. P211 Type I. This another interesting example that was posted after the war, in this case 21 years after it was issued, in 1952.




3. The P211 (I) postcard below is another example of invalid usage. The pre-printed stamp was no longer valid from 1st Jan 1932 and this example was cancelled on 13th Apr 1932. The card was sent from BERLIN SW to VIENNA.




3. Below is another example of an invalid usage of a P211 (I) card. The pre-printed stamp was invalid after 31st Dec 1931 but the example below ws cancelled on 20th Jan 1932. The recipient was required to pay 9 Rpf to receive it (6 Rpf x 1.5).

SPECIAL SLOGAN CANCELS

1. The postcard below was cancelled in HANNOVER and sent to BERLIN on 3rd Feb 1931. The slogan reads "BENUTZT DIE KRAFTPOST | SICHER-SCHNELL-BEQUEM" - 'USE KRAFTPOST | SAFE-FAST-CONVENIENT'.




2. The next card was posted on 22nd Jan 1931 and has a slogan inscfribed "In JEDES | POSTPAKET EIN | DOPPEL DER | ANSCHRIFT | EINLEGEN".

REFERENCES

1. MICHEL GANZSACHEN DEUTSCHLAND 2021/2022. 23 Auflage ISBN 978-95402-374-5
2. KATALOG der DEUTSCHEN GELEGENHEITSSTEMPEL by JULIUS BOCHMANN.