OFFICIAL POSTCARDS
(1938)

This page was last updated
18-Aug-2024 04:20

MICHEL P246
OFFICIAL POSTCARD
K.d.F CONFERENCE

VALIDITY: 10th Jun 1938 until 31st Dec 1939

BACKGROUND: These official postcards (one postcard and one reply card) were requested by the German Collector's Airmail community and were published by the Reich's printing works. They were issued in Jun 1938 to commemorate the K.d.F Strength through Joy conference held in Hamburg.

The cards cost 20 Rpf and were only available for post offices to order until 31st May in an attempt to stop post offices from hoarding stocks.

The cards feature an image of a woman waving a handkerchief and saying goodbye to a cruise ship, the Wilhelm Gustloff. The pre-printed stamp is a 1934 issue, 5 Rpf Airmail stamp, Michel 529. Michel P246 is a regular postcard whereas P247 is a reply card.

SONDERSTEMPEL: A special handstamp was available from 9th to 12th Jun 1938 inscribed "HAMBURG 36 | Hamburg 1938 | Reichstagung "kfraft durch freude"" and featuring an image of the Wilhelm Gustloff. (BOCHMANN Heft Nr 10, Page 355, Nr S 85).

There were two versions of this handstamp in use: Type 1. With third wave under the bow in three parts and without a dot behind '1938' and Type II, third wave under the bow in two parts and '1938' with a dot.



ABOVE LEFT: Type I
ABOVE RIGHT: Type II

POSSIBLE ESSAY or PROMOTIONAL ITEM

I'm not entirely sure what this is, possibly an essay? The item below is a black and white printed image that is exactly the same as the official postcard P246. There is a label attached to the reverse that reads "The Deutsche Reichspost, in conjunction with the collectors' community KdF. to the Reichstag of the NS community “Strength through Joy”, which took place from June 9th to 12th of this year. takes place in Hamburg, the celebratory postcard shown in the picture shows groups in traditional costumes on the way to the holiday ship "Wilhelm Gustloff" and is stamped with an imprinted 5 pfg airmail stamp."

In addition to the label is a violet, circular handstamp that unfortunatley is unreadable. The handstamp is dated 27th May 1938 which is prior to the issue of the official postcard issued in Jun.

VARIANTS TO COLLECT

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

1. Cancelled on first day of issue 10th Jun 1938
2. Cancelled with special handstamp "Hamburg, Reichstagung KdF"
3. Cancelled with special ship's cancel "Kraft Durch Freude MS Wilhelm Gustloff"
4. As a domestic local delivery without any special features
5. As a domestic long distance delivery with 6 Rpf postage
6. As a foreign used card with 10 Rpf to CSR
7. As a foreign used card with 10 Rpf to Hungary
8. As a foreign used card with 15 Rpf
9. As a Registered Delivery card
10. As a local delivery Express Delivery card
11. Used as a Rohrpost (pneumatic) card in BERLIN
12. Used as a Hamburg Straβenbahnpost item
13. Domestic Armail usage
14. European Airmail usage
15. Airmail usage to the USA from Bodensee (Lake Constance)
16. Postally unused
17. Domestic Bahnpost usage
18. Invalid Usage - either after expiration date or with incorrect postage applied
19. With additional private printing
20. With Special slogan cancels

EXAMPLES FROM MY COLLECTION

POSTALLY UNUSED

CANCELLED on FIRST DAY of ISSUE

Cancelled on the official issue date 10th Jun 1938

SPECIAL HANDSTAMP
"HAMBURG, REICHSTAGUNG KDF"

1. Cancelled with special handstamp "Hamburg, Reichstagung KdF"




2. Another card featuring the same special handstamp used on HAMBURG only this time with the Type I handstamp. IT was sent to someone in RATIBOR and the 5 Rpf indicia stamp was sufficient to cover the cost of postage.




3. The next example is a local use in HAMBURG.

SPECIAL SHIP STAMP
"Kraft Durch Freude MS Wilhelm Gustloff"

Cancelled with special ship stamp "Kraft Durch Freude MS Wilhelm Gustloff"

DOMESTIC LOCAL DELIVERY WITHOUT SPECIAL MARKINGS

The following local delivery was posted in NEUSTETTIN on 12th Jul 1938.

DOMESTIC LONG DISTANCE DELIVERY WITH 6 Rpf POSTAGE

1. This first example has the Type II special handstamp tied to the issue of the postcard and was sent to a school in Dresden. An additional 1 Rpf Hindenburg Medallion stamp was added to cover the cost of the 6 Rpf postage rate.




2. Another domestically used P246 card featuring an unrelated special cancellation, this one used in a health and safety campaign. The card was sent from MAINZ to BAD DRIBURG on 30th Oct 1938. The card has been uprated with an additional 1 Rpf stamp for the correct intercity rate of 6 Rpf.




3. Below is another domestically used P246 card featuring the Type 1 special handstamp. This example was cancelled in HAMBURG on 12th Jun 1938 and sent to HEIDELBERG.

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to CSR

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to HUNGARY

FOREIGN USE WITH 15 Rpf

SWITZERLAND

1. The example below was sent to an address in ST. GALLEN, SWITZERLAND on 18th Jun 1938 and has additional 6Rpf and a 5Rpf stamps from the Winterhilfswerk series to cover the overseas postal rate of 15Rpf.




2. Below is another P246 card sent to Switzerland. This example was posted in BERLIN on 15th Jun 1938 and was destined for ZURICH. This example is also correctly franked with 15Rpf.

REGISTERED DELIVERY CARD

EXPRESS DELIVERY CARD

USED AS A HAMBURG STRAβENBAHNPOST ITEM

POSTED AS ROHRPOST IN BERLIN

DOMESTIC AIRMAIL

EUROPEAN AIRMAIL

AIRMAIL TO USA FROM LAKE CONSTANCE

GERMAN BAHNPOST

INVALID USAGE

1. The following P246 card required the recipient to pay an additional 2 Rpf upon delivery. The 5 Rpf pre-printed stamp was insufficient to cover the intercity rate from HAMBURG to DRESDEN, which was 6 Rpf at the time. In most cases an additional fee of 1.5 times the missing postage was levied, however since it was not possible to pay 1.5 Rpf the penalty was increased to 2 Rpf. The large blue '2' and the red "Nachgebühr" - 'Additional fee' stamp, ensured the postman was aware that an additional payment was required.

SPECIAL SLOGAN CANCELS

The following example bears a slogan cancellation used in MEININGEN on 11th Jun 1938




The next example features the same slogan cancellation used in MEININGEN only this time on 12th Jun 1938. The distance from MEININGEN to LEIPZIG is approximately 220 Km so only an additional 1 Rpf stamp was required for the correct postage (perhaps the sender had a spare 5 Rpf Hindenburg Medallion stamp available).

MAIN REFERENCE SOURCES

1. MICHEL GANZSACHEN DEUTSCHLAND 2018. ISBN: 978-3-95402-225-0
2. BOREK GANZSACHEN-SPEZIAL-KATALOG DEUTSCHLAND ab 1933. ISBN: 3-87091-060-7
3. MICHEL BILDPOSTKARTEN- UND MOTIVGANSACHEN KATALOG DEUTSCHLAND 1997. ISBN: 3-87858-631-0
4. GANZSACHEN-HANDBUCH DES "DITTEN REICHES" 1933-1945 by FRECH. ISBN: UNKNOWN