GERMAN EMPIRE
OFFICIAL POSTCARDS
Please note the following for this website. Official Postcards are defined as:
1. Postcards of the German Empire issued by the Official German postal Authority, from 1873 until 1945.
2. Postcards that were generally available throughout the entire country and have a pre-printed (Indicia) stamp to cover the cost of postage.
The vast majority of official postcards have no printing on the reverse side so no image of the reverse side is provided, except in the few instances where there was something printed on the reverse of the card.
P5, P6 and P7
5Pf VIOLET
"PFENNIGE"
Note: only P5, P6 and P7 have this version of pre-printed stamp. This pre-printed stamp is very similar to the later issue P10 to P13 and P16 to P18 where the word "PFENNIG" on the left and right sides of the stamp does not have a letter 'E' at the end (it has a small number '5').
P5 is a postcard and P6, P7 are reply cards. All three have a 5Pf, violet pre-printed stamp with the value in an ellipse with crown above it. Note on each side of the stamp there is a letter 'E' at the end of the word "PFENNIGE".
The "PFENNIGE" postcards were valid for use until 31st Jan 1891 when the revised "PFENNIG" cards were issued (late 1880).
P5
(POSTCARD)
Issued 1st Jan 1875 and measuring 140 x 90mm. P5 is the ONLY Official card with this particular stamp (P6 and P7 are reply cards). Therefore it is easy to determine if you have a P5 card, if it has the stamp as described above, then you have a P5. However, there are two major variations of the P5; P5-I and P5-II. In addition there are two versions of the P5-I; P5-I/01 and P5-I/02.
P5-I/01: This variation has gap(s) in the 3rd dotted address line.
P5-I/02: This variant has gap(s) in the 4th dotted address line.
P5-II: This variant does not have any gaps in either the 3rd or 4th dotted address lines.
P5-I/01
Gaps in 3rd dotted address line
Gaps in 3rd dotted address line
P5-I/02
Gap in 4th dotted address line
gap position left 3
Gap in 4th dotted address line
gap position left 3
P5-II
No gaps in 3rd or 4th address lines
No gaps in 3rd or 4th address lines
Variations: P5-I/01: Gap in the third address line. Gaps can be located at the following positions: left 2, 3, 24 or 2+3 and right 8, 10, 7+8 or 5+10.
P5-I/02: Gap in the 4th dotted address line. Gaps can be located at the following positions: The normal positions are left 3, right 3 or left and right 3. Variations include left 2, 4, 6, 7, 2+3, 3+4, 3+5, 4+5, 5+6, 6+7, 2+3+4, 3+4+5, 4+5+6, or right 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 2+3, 3+4, 4+5, 5+6, 6+7, 7+8, 2+3+4, 4+5+6, and others. In the example above the gap is at the third left dot.
P5-II: No gaps in either the 3rd or 4th dotted address lines.
P6
(REPLY CARD)
Issued 1st Jan 1875. There is only one variant of this reply card and there are no gaps in the dotted address lines. Measures 145 x 90mm. Inscription reads "Rückantworte" as opposed to P7 below which reads "Antworte".
P6 - REPLY CARD
P7
(REPLY CARD)
Issued 1876. Measures 145 x 90mm. Change of design, reply inscription now reads "Antworte". Initially released without gaps in the 4th dotted address line, later with gaps.
There are two variants of the P7 card: P7-I, with gaps in the dotted address lines and P7-II, without gaps in the dotted address lines. For P7-I there are two sub-varieties: P7-I/01 has gaps in the dotted address lines but only on the question (F) side and P7-I/02 has gaps on the question (F) and answer (A) sides.
P7-I/01
gaps only on (F) side
gaps only on (F) side
P7-I/02
gaps on (F) and (A) side
gaps on (F) and (A) side
P7-II
no gaps on dotted address lines
no gaps on dotted address lines
Variations:
Type P7-I/01: Point gaps only on the question side of the card, left 3, right 3.
Type P7-I/02: Point gaps on both the question and reply sides of the cards: a) normal - left 3, right 3. b) Variants: left 2, 4, 2 + 3, 3 + 4, right 2, 4, 2 + 3, 3 + 4. Point gaps on both cards left: 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 right 5.
Type P7-II: No gaps in dotted address lines
P7 exists with a plate flaw: P7/02 PF I has a dark fleck in the right-hand side ribbon, 45 degrees to the right of the '5' on the value stamp.
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
