OFFICIAL POSTCARDS
(1938)

This page was last updated
23-Feb-2025 02:14

MICHEL P271
OFFICIAL POSTCARD
S.A. COMPETITIONS

VALIDITY: 12th Jul 1938 until 31st Dec 1939, however examples are known with cancellation dates from 8th Jul 1938. A total of 231,000 cards were printed.

BACKGROUND: Official postcard issued 12th Jul 1938 to advertise the Reich competitions of the SA held in Berlin from 15th to 17th Jul 1938. The pre-printed 6 Rpf stamp features an SA man (head shot). The picture on the left shows a map of greater Germany with the 'SA' symbol and a sword and swastika surrounded by an oak leaves laurel. The card was designed by Berlin based graphic artist von Axter-Heudtlaβ and was available from post offices throughout Germany and from the SA from 12th Jul.

The card sold for 15 Rpf with the balance of 9 Rpf being mostly donated to Hitler's Cultural Fund with a smaller amount going to the Hauptamt für Kampfspiele (The Main Office for Fighting Games).

SPECIAL CANCEL:

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 before the official day of issue 12th Jul 1938
2. Cancelled on first day of issue 12th Jul 1938
3. With handstamp "BERLIN-Reichssportfeld, Reichswettkämpfe der SA"
4. With machine stamp "SA-Reichswettkämpfe"
5. As a domestic long-distance card without any special features
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. With German- Austrian mixed franking
10. As a Registered Delivery card
11. As a local delivery Express Delivery card
12. Cancelled with HAMBURG Straβenbahnpost stamp
13. Used as a Rohrpost (pneumatic) card in BERLIN
14. Domestic Armail usage
15. European Airmail usage
16. Airmail usage to the USA from Bodensee (Lake Constance)
17. Postally unused
18. Domestic Bahnpost usage
19. Invalid Usage - either after expiration date or with incorrect postage applied
20. With additional private printing
21. With Special slogan cancels

EXAMPLES FROM MY COLLECTION

POSTALLY UNUSED

CANCELLED BEFORE the OFFICIAL DAY of ISSUE

Cancelled before the official issue date of 12th Jul 1938

CANCELLED on FIRST DAY of ISSUE

Cancelled on the official issue date 12th Jul 1938

"BERLIN-REICHSSPORTFELD, REICHSWETTKÄMPFE DER SA"
HANDSTAMP

With handstamp "BERLIN-Reichssportfeld, Reichswettkämpfe der SA 1938 | 15.-17.Juli". This handstamp was used only from 15th to 17th Jul 1938 and was available from counters 'a' through 'd'. The 'd' counter was only for use on Rohrpost items and has additional minute and hour information.
[BOCHMANN: Heft: 3, Page: 118 No.: S275]

1. This domestically used card was probably sent to a collector in KIRN, NAHE in the RHINELAND-PFALZ region from the SA Competition venue in BERLIN on the opening day of the event.

"SA-REICHSWETTKÄMPFE"
MACHINE STAMP

With machine stamp inscribed "SA-Reichswettkämpfe". This machine stamp was used in at least eleven cities including Berlin, Bielefeld, Braunschweig, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt (Main), Görlitz, Hamburg, Kassel, Magdeburg and Nürnburg.

DOMESTIC LONG DISTANCE WITHOUT SPECIAL MARKINGS

1. The following example was sent from TROSSINGEN on 19th Aug 1938 to STUTTGART.




2. The following card was an inter-city domestic delivery from WITTEN to WOLFSBUTTEL on 20th Jul 1938.

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to CSR

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to HUNGARY

FOREIGN USE WITH 15 Rpf

SWITZERLAND

1. This first example of a foreign usage of this card was sent from PIRMASENS on 19th Jul 1938 to SWITZERLAND.




2. Another example of a foreign usage. This card was sent from STUTTGART on 16th Jul 1938 to ZURICH in SWITZERLAND. The postage paid was excessive with an additional 16 Rpf more than was required.

UNITED STATED of AMERICA

1. This example was cancelled on the FRANKFURT-BASEL train on 30th Jul 1938 to SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, USA.

WITH GERMAN-AUSTRIAN MIXED FRANKING

REGISTERED DELIVERY CARD

EXPRESS DELIVERY CARD

1. The card below was sent domestically from BRESLAU on 23rd Jul 1938. This card has an addiitonal 50 Rpf self-adhesive Airmail stamp added to cover the cost of the "GILBOTE EXPRÈS" - 'EXPRESS DELIVERY".

WITH HAMBURG STRAβENBAHNPOST CANCEL

POSTED AS ROHRPOST IN BERLIN

DOMESTIC AIRMAIL

1. The next card was a domestic Airmail delivery from BUSUM on 27th Jul 1938. This card has an addiitonal 25 Rpf self-adhesive Airmail stamp added to cover the additional cost of the Airmail delivery.

EUROPEAN AIRMAIL

AIRMAIL TO USA FROM LAKE CONSTANCE

GERMAN BAHNPOST

INVALID USAGE

1. The following card wasn't strictly speaking invalid. The 6 Rpf stamp was only valid for use until 31st Dec 1938 so the sender of this card added a 50 Heller Czechoslovakian stamp and sent the item from PRAGUE to HEIDENAU-KLEINSEDLITZ on 18th Mar 1939.

SPECIAL SLOGAN CANCELS

1. The special slogan on this card advertises the ESSEN Garden Show held from Apr to Oct 1938. The inscription reads "ESSEN | April-Okt | Reichs- | Gartenschau". The slogan exists in three flavours, all from ESSEN 1, two type A and a Type Bd. The type A versions have counters 'l' and 'st', whereas the Type Bd has counter 'uu'. The two Type A city stamps are different; in one they show the location at the top and the distinguishing symbols at the bottom, but in the other they show the location at the bottom and the distinguishing symbols at the top.
[BOCHMANN: Heft: 6, Page: 266, No.: 30]




2. The following postally used P271 postcard was cancelled in GRAZ, AUSTRIA on 25th Jul 1938 with a special purple cancellation inscribed "GRAZ | DIE STADT DER VOLKSERHEBUNG" - 'GRAZ | THE CITY OF THE RISE OF THE PEOPLE'.




3. This next example was posted in KÖSLIN in POMERANIA (now known as Koszalin and located in POLAND) on 8th Sep 1938. The special cancellation on this card was used at the annual Reichsparteitag.

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