OFFICIAL POSTCARDS
(1939)
This page was last updated
21-Feb-2025 07:14
SONDERPOSTKARTE fur das WINTERHILFSWERK
P285 / 05
V. BISMARCK
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 P285-05 card should not be confused with the P286/05 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 Otto von Bismarck, his signature as well as the text:
"Eine feige politik hat nach immer Unglück gebracht". "geb. 1.4.1815, gest. 30.7.1898". "Der eiserne kanzler"
“A cowardly policy has always brought misfortune.” "born 1st Apr 1815, died 30th Jul 1898". "The Iron Chancellor"
As well as the official card, several of the cards can be found with additional private printing.
P285/05
OTTO Von BISMARCK
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
1. Posted in KARLSRUHE on 7th Dec 1939, this card was a domestic long-distance delivery sent to GRABEN
FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to CSR
FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to HUNGARY
FOREIGN USE WITH 15 Rpf
SWITZERLAND
1. The following P285/05 postcard was sent from MÜNSTER to ROGGWIL in SWITZERLAND on 23rd Dec 1939. Two self-adhesive stamps have been added to cover the additional postage for a total of 16Rpf.
2. Another example sent to SWITZERLAND, this time from PFORZHEIM on 25th Feb 1940.
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 P285/05 postcard has been favour cancelled using one of the "Tag der Briefmarke" special cancels used in BERLIN in Jan 1940.
2. The following postcard was sent from MUNICH to MANNHEIM on 18th Jun 1940 and features the special handstamp used to commemorate one of Mussolini's visits to Germany.
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
