OFFICIAL POSTCARDS
(1934)

This page was last updated
17-Mar-2024 03:33

MICHEL P253
OFFICIAL POSTCARD
FOR THE BENEFIT OF GERMAN EMERGENCY AID
6 Rpf

Officially Issued on 5th Nov 1934 but available from 16th Oct and valid until 30th Jun 1935.

This plain postcard features a pre-printed, green, 6 Rpf stamp with 4 Rpf surcharge being a donation to the Welfare Fund for a total cost of 10 Rpf. The stamp shows an SA member with a large black eagle and swastika in the background.

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. Used before the official issue date [ie used before 5th Nov 1934
2. Cancelled on first day of issue 5th Nov 1934
3. With machine SST "Kauf Wohlfahrts-Briefmarken für die Winterhilfe"
4. With machine SST "Verwende Wohlfahrtsbriefmarken"
5. With machine SST "Gebt zur Winterhilfe! Helft!"
6. With machine SST "Kauf mit gegen Hunger und Kalte"
7. As a domestic long-distance card without any special features
8. As a foreign used card with 10 Rpf to CSR
9. As a foreign used card with 10 Rpf to Hungary
10. As a foreign used card with 15 Rpf
11. As a Registered card
12. As a local delivery Express card
13. Posted at the Hamburg tram post office
14. USed as a Rohrpost (pneumatic) card in BERLIN
15. Domestic Armail usage
16. European Airmail usage
17. Airmail usage to the USA from Bodensee (Lake Constance)


I would also add the following items:
1. Postally unused
2. Domestic Bahnpost usage
3. Invalid Usage - either after expiration date or with incorrect postage applied
4. With additional private printing
5. Special slogan cancels

EXAMPLES FROM MY COLLECTION

POSTALLY UNUSED

USED BEFORE 5th Nov 1934

Used before the official issue date [ie used before 5th Nov 1934]

CANCELLED on FIRST DAY of ISSUE

Cancelled on the official issue date 5th Nov 1934

WITH MACHINE SST
"Kauf Wohlfahrts-Briefmarken für die Winterhilfe"

WITH MACHINE SST
"Verwende Wohlfahrtsbriefmarken"

WITH MACHINE SST
"Gebt zur Winterhilfe! Helft!"

WITH MACHINE SST
"Kauf mit gegen Hunger und Kalte"

DOMESTIC LONG DISTANCE WITH ADDITIONAL SPECIAL FEATURES

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf TO CSR

1. This card was posted around the 28th Feb 1935 and was destined for the town of KARLSBAD (KARLOVÝ VARÝ), in Czechoslovakia.

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf TO HUNGARY

FOREIGN USE WITH 15 Rpf

SWITZERLAND

1. Posted in May 1935 this card arrived at its destination in ZURICH, SWITZERLAND on 8th May 1935. The sender underpaid the 15Rpf postage (only 12Rpf of stamps was applied) and so a SWISS stamp has been added to cover the shortfall. A nice example of mixed franking.




2. Another example sent to SWITZERLAND, this time correctly franked at 15Rpf. The card was posted on 3rd Feb 1935.

The UNITED STATES of AMERICA

1. This next P253 card was sent from BREMEN to NEW YORK on 14th Feb 1935 aboard German passenger ship the "SS EUROPA".

REGISTERED CARD

EXPRESS DELIVERY CARD

HAMBURG TRAM POST OFFICE

Posted at the Hamburg tram post office

POSTED AS ROHRPOST IN BERLIN

DOMESTIC AIRMAIL

EUROPEAN AIRMAIL

AIRMAIL TO USE FROM LAKE CONSTANCE

GERMAN BAHNPOST

INVALID USAGE

SPECIAL SLOGAN CANCELS

1. This used P253 was cancelled in LEIPZIG on 12th Dec 1934 and as well as the CDS cancel, there is also a special slogan cancel inscribed "Saar | Abstimmung | 13. Januar 1935" - 'Saar | Vote | January 13, 1935' which was a special cancel used in 65 different places from 22nd Sep 1934 until the day of the vote on 13th Jan 1935.




2. This domestically used P253 postcard was posted in GOTTINGEN on 13th Jan 1936 and was destined for OBERLIND, Thuringia. In addition to the CDS cancel there is a special cancel inscribed "Göttingen | Universitäts=u.Gartenstadt".




3. Below is another intercity, domestically used P253 postcard, this time from BERLIN to STUTTGART on New Years' Eve, 31st Dec 1934. The message on the reverse side ends with the common "Heil Hitler!" greeting.




4. Cancelled in FRANKFURT (MAIN) on 5th Feb 1935 this following example was a local delivery. The SST on this example reads "VERMEIDET RUNDFUNKSTÖRUNGEN!" - 'AVOID BROADCAST INTERFERENCE!'. This slogan exists in multiple formats and was used every year from 1931 until 1954 in 106 different towns and cities




5. Cancelled in ALTONA and destined for DRESDEN this card was sent by a company named LINGNER-WERKE. The Lingner-Werke was a drug company owned by Karl August Lingner in Dresden. Well-known products were Odol, Pitralon and Sepso tincture.

The message on the reverse translates roughly as "Dear Irma. As you know today is not a holiday here, but still I write a quick card to you. We have a lot to do since our chauffeur, Meyer, is out as his wife gave birth yesterday and he left early today. We are doing very well and I hope to hear the same from you on Sunday. Dr. Ludwig has approved the wedding ceremony at the Collegiate Church. I will report in more detail on Monday. Thank you very much for the card from Glahütte. I was very happy that you were there with us."

REFERENCES

1. MICHEL GANZSACHEN DEUTSCHLAND 2021/2022. 23 Auflage ISBN 978-95402-374-5
2. KATALOG der DEUTSCHEN GELEGENHEITSSTEMPEL by JULIUS BOCHMANN.
3. GANZSACHEN-HANDBUCH DES "DRITTEN REICHES" by Hans Peter Frech. 2014 Edition