OFFICIAL POSTCARDS
(1938)
This page was last updated
03-Apr-2024 07:47
MICHEL P269
OFFICIAL POSTCARD
SAXONY at WORK
VALIDITY: Valid for use from 11th Jun 1938 until 30th Jun 1939.
BACKGROUND: These two Official postcards P269 and P270 were issued on 11th and 10th Jun 1938 respectively. The postcard was issued to commemorate the "Saxony at Work" Exhibition held in Dresden from 18th Jun to 18th Sep 1938. P269 also commemorates the 125th Anniversary of the Battle of the Nations, Leipzig.
P269 features a pre-printed 5 Rpf stamp which depicts the The Monument to the Battle of the Nations (Völkerschlachtdenkmal), in Leipzig. The monument plays homage to the 1813 Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of the Nations. The monument was paid for mostly by donations and the city of Leipzig, and was completed in 1913 for the 100th anniversary of the battle, at a cost of six million goldmarks.
The card was printed at the Reichsdruckerei in Dresden based on a design by Prof. A. Drescher. The design features an emblem in silver print and advertising text in the same color. The crossed swords are the emblem of the Meissen Works.
This card sold for 12 Rpf from post offices in Gau Saxony and was also available at the collector's window in Berlin W30. As was becoming the norm by 1938, the difference between the 5 Rpf postage and the 12 Rpf selling price was a donation to Hitler's Cultural Fund with a small percentage also going to the Heimatwerk Sachsen.
SPECIAL CANCEL: A special handstamp was used in DRESDEN to commemorate the "Saxony at Work" exhibition inscribed "Heimatwerk Sachsen | Deutsche Sammler-Gem.d.NSG. Kraft durch Freude | Sonderschau "Die Sachsische Briefmarke" used from 17th Jun until 25th Sep 1938. (BOCHMANN Heft Nr 5, Page 232, S 85).
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 11.06.1938
2. With handstamp inscribed "Dresden, Sonderschau Die sächsische. Briefmarke"
3. With handstamp inscribed "Dresden, Ausstellung" with two circles
4. With handstamp inscribed "Leipzig, Werbeschau der DSG Reichsmessestadt"
5. With machine stamp "Leipzig, 125 Jahrfeier! Volkerschlacht bei Leipzig"
6. Sent as a local delivery with 5 Rpf
7. As a domestic long-distance card with 6 Rpf
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 Delivery card
12. As a local delivery Express Delivery card
13. Used as a HAMBURG STRAβENBAHNPOST
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)
18. Postally unused
19. Domestic Bahnpost usage
20. Invalid Usage - either after expiration date or with incorrect postage applied
21. With additional private printing
22. With Special slogan cancels
EXAMPLES FROM MY COLLECTION
POSTALLY UNUSED
CANCELLED on FIRST DAY of ISSUE
Cancelled on the official issue date 11.06.1938
SPECIAL HANDSTAMP
"Dresden, Sonderschau Die sächsische. Briefmarke"
With handstamp inscribed "Dresden, Sonderschau Die sächsische. Briefmarke". This example used in DRESDEN and sent to BORNA near LEIPZIG.
SPECIAL HANDSTAMP
"Dresden, Ausstellung"
With handstamp inscribed "Dresden, Ausstellung", with two circles.
SPECIAL HANDSTAMP
"Leipzig, Werbeschau der DSG Reichsmessestadt"
With handstamp inscribed "Leipzig, Werbeschau der DSG Reichsmessestadt"
SPECIAL MACHINE STAMP
"Leipzig, 125 Jahrfeier! Volkerschlacht bei Leipzig"
With handstamp inscribed "Leipzig, 125 Jahrfeier! Volkerschlacht bei Leipzig"
LOCAL DELIVERY WITH 5 Rpf
DOMESTIC LONG DISTANCE WITH 6 Rpf
1. The following domestically used card was sent from DRESDEN to BRESLAU on 16th Jul 1938. This example features the special handstamp used in DRESDEN.
FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to CSR
FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to HUNGARY
FOREIGN USE WITH 15 Rpf
REGISTERED DELIVERY CARD
1. The next P269 card is a Registered item sent locally in DRESDEN on 5th Jul 1938. The card has 80Rpf postage which was significantly more than was required.
EXPRESS DELIVERY CARD
HAMBURG STRAβENBAHNPOST USAGE
POSTED AS ROHRPOST IN BERLIN
DOMESTIC AIRMAIL
EUROPEAN AIRMAIL
AIRMAIL TO USA FROM LAKE CONSTANCE
GERMAN BAHNPOST
INVALID USAGE
SPECIAL SLOGAN CANCELS
MAIN REFERENCE SOURCES
1. MICHEL GANZSACHEN DEUTSCHLAND 2018. ISBN: 978-3-95402-225-02. 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
