OFFICIAL POSTCARDS
(1939)

This page was last updated
21-Feb-2025 07:14

SONDERPOSTKARTE fur das WINTERHILFSWERK
P285 / 04
FRIEDRICH DER GROSSE

VALIDITY: 27th Oct 1939 until 30th Jun 1940 (a mere 8 months)

BACKGROUND: Issued in stages from 27th Oct 1939, this was the first of a 6 postcard series released to raise funds for the 1939 War Winterhilfswerk charity drive. The 1939 P285-04 card should not be confused with the P286/04 which features the same designs and was issued to commemorate the 6th WHW Street collection. The 1939 cards lack the K.d.F symbol and additional text printed to the right of each of the portraits that is found on the 1940 cards.

The six cards are as follows:

P285/01: HEINRICH I
P285/02: MARTIN LUTHER
P285/03: ULRICH V. HUTTEN
P285/04: FRIEDRICH DER GROSSE
P285/05: V. BISMARCK
P285/06: CARL PETERS



ABOVE LEFT: 1939 P285 version
ABOVE RIGHT: 1940 P286 version with additional text and K.d.F logo

The card was designed by artist Hann Trier of Cologne, printed by the Reichsdruckerei, and features a 6 + 4 Rpf indicia stamp.

The left-hand side of the card features an image of Friedrich der Grosse, his signature as well as the text:

"Das volk, das ich liebe, ist der einzige Gott dem ich diene". "geb. 24.1.1712, gest, 17.8.1786". "Schöpfer des xxxxxx Preuβen"

"The people I love is the only God I serve." "born. 24th Jan 1712, died, 17th Aug 1786". "Creator of xxxxxx Prussia"

As well as the official card, several of the cards can be found with additional private printing.

P285/04
FRIEDRICH DER GROSSE

VARIANTS TO COLLECT

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

1. Cancelled on official day of issue 27th Oct 1939
2. Cancelled with "WHW" handstamp
3. Cancelled with "WHW" machine stamp
4. As a domestic long-distance card without any special features
5. As a foreign used card with 10 Rpf to CSR
6. As a foreign used card with 10 Rpf to Hungary
7. As a foreign used card with 15 Rpf
8. As a Registered Delivery card
9. As a local delivery Express Delivery card
10. Cancelled as a Hamburg Straβenbahnpost
11. Used as a Rohrpost (pneumatic) card in BERLIN
12. Domestic Airmail usage
13. European Airmail usage
14. Airmail usage to the USA
15. As a Zeppelin post card
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

POSTALLY UNUSED

CANCELLED on FIRST DAY of ISSUE

Cancelled on the official issue date 27th Oct 1939

CANCELLED WITH "WHW" HANDSTAMP

CANCELLED WITH "WHW Ein Volk hilft sich selbst" MACHINE STAMP

DOMESTIC LONG DISTANCE WITHOUT SPECIAL MARKINGS

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to CSR

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to HUNGARY

FOREIGN USE WITH 15 Rpf

SWITZERLAND

1. The following P285/04 postcard was sent from BERLIN to ZURICH on 23rd Nov 1939. A self-adhesive 12Rpf stamp has been added to cover the additional postage fee.




2. The next P285/04 postcard was redirected to BIEL-BIENNE in SWITZERLAND from WIEN on 10th Mar 1940. The postage was overpaid by 3Rpf (the correct postage should have been 15Rpf). The card has been cancelled with one of the special handstamps (counter 'c') used to commemorate the 1940 Vienna Spring Fair.

ITALY

1. Below is another P285/04 card posted internationally, this time to MORENO in Italy. Again a 12Rpf stamp has been addded to cover the additional postage.

SWEDEN

1. The following P285/04 postcard was sent from COBURG to HALMSTAD, SWEDEN on 7th Nov 1939.

REGISTERED DELIVERY CARD

EXPRESS DELIVERY CARD

HAMBURG STRAβENBAHNPOST

Cancelled as a Hamburg Straβenbahnpost

POSTED AS ROHRPOST IN BERLIN

DOMESTIC AIRMAIL

EUROPEAN AIRMAIL

AIRMAIL TO USA

ZEPPELIN POST

GERMAN BAHNPOST

INVALID USAGE

SPECIAL SLOGAN CANCELS

1. The following P285/04 postcard was sent from BERLIN to RADEBEUL on 22nd Dec 1939. This example has one of the slogan cancels related to the issue inscribed "WHW | Ein Volk | hilft sich selbst" - 'A people helps itself'. This particular slogan was used in 31 towns and cities from 27.11.37 and in 1938, 1939 and 1940 and exists in several formats (BOCHMANN Heft 25, page 828, Nr 269).




2. The following card was a local cancel in KARLSRUHE (BADEN) and has the special handstamp used to commemorate the Day of Offering on 24th Feb 1940.




3. Another card destined for KARLSRUHE, this one sent from STUTTGART on 7th Mar 1940.

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