GERMAN EMPIRE
OFFICIAL
POSTCARDS
1878
All 1878 Official postcards are now on this page. Official postcards are cards that were issued by the Reich’s post office, had pre-printed (indicia) stamps and were widely available throughout German towns and cities.
Secondly Printed to Private Order postcards are postcards that were generally issued by entities that were advertising an event or commemorating an anniversary, and also had pre-printed stamps, but were not widely available throughout Germany (most were only available at the event they were commemorating).
Thirdly Other postcards are postcards that fall into the same general category as printed to private order however they do not have pre-printed stamps.
Finally, Miscellaneous postcards is where you will find postcards that do not fit into the first three categories (i.e. they are not official, they do not have pre-printed stamps, and they do not commemorate an event).
Quick Links:
OFFICIAL POSTCARDS:
P8 and P9
Postcard P8 and replycard P9 have a border which extands all around the edges of the card. The cards are inscribed "WELTPOSTVEREIN. (UNION POSTAL UNIVERSELLE) | POSTKARTE AUS DEUTSCHLAND. | (ALLEMAGNE)"
There are two types of these cards: Type 'a' where the end of the design in the decoration points outwards in the top right-hand corner and Type 'b' where the decoration points inwards.
Type a
Type b
MICHEL P8
OFFICIAL POSTCARD
10 PFENNIG
P8 was Issued on 1st Oct 1878 and features a 10Pf red 'Small Eagle in Ellipse' pre-printed stamp inscribed 'PFENNIG' (without the trailing 'E'). This card measures 140 x 90mm. P8 occurs occasionally with a value stamp that glows red under UV light.
There are three variations of P8 as follows:
P8 I: Type 'b' decoration and a gap in the 4th dotted address line.
P8 II/01: Type 'a' decoration and no gap in the 4th dotted address line.
P8 II/02: Type 'b' decoration and no gap in the 4th dotted address line.
Click here for more details.
P8
Type II/01
10Pf PFENNIG, RED
MICHEL P9
OFFICIAL REPLYCARD
10 PFENNIG
P9 was Issued on 15th Sep 1878 and features a 10Pf red 'Small Eagle in Ellipse' pre-printed stamp inscribed 'PFENNIG' (without the trailing 'E'). P9 only occurs with type b/b decoration and most often has a value stamp that glows red under UV light.
Click here for more details.
P9
REPLYCARD
10Pf PFENNIG
This page was last updated
08-Sep-2021 10:15
P8
Type II/01
10Pf PFENNIG, RED
Type II/01
10Pf PFENNIG, RED
OFFICIAL REPLYCARD
10 PFENNIG P9 was Issued on 15th Sep 1878 and features a 10Pf red 'Small Eagle in Ellipse' pre-printed stamp inscribed 'PFENNIG' (without the trailing 'E'). P9 only occurs with type b/b decoration and most often has a value stamp that glows red under UV light.
Click here for more details.
P9
REPLYCARD
10Pf PFENNIG
REPLYCARD
10Pf PFENNIG