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.
POSTCARD P176, P178, P179 and
REPLYCARD P177
There were three official postcards, P176, P178 (series of 27 cards) and P179 as well as one Official replycard, P177, with this 8Pf Ludwig van Beethoven pre-printed stamp.
P176
(POSTCARD)
Issued: 1927. Postage increase for domestic long-distance traffic from 1st Aug 1927. There re two versions of this postcard: P179-I has straight edges and P179-II has a serrated edge.
A P176 must have the following characteristics:
(1) 8Pf Beethoven pre-printed stamp. And
(2) "Postkarte" directly to the right of the vertical dividing line. And
(3) Dividing line consists of three vertical lines. And
(4) Measures 148 x 105mm.
P176-I
POSTCARD
POSTCARD
P176-II
POSTCARD
POSTCARD
P177
(REPLYCARD)
Issued: 1926. Measures 148 x 105mm. There are two versions of this card: P177-I has straight edges whereas P177-II has a serrated edge.
A P177 must have the following characteristics:
(1) 8Pf Beethoven pre-printed stamp. And
(2) "Postkarte" directly to the right of the vertical dividing line. And
(3) Dividing line consists of three vertical lines. And
(4) Measures 148 x 105mm.
P177
REPLYCARD
REPLYCARD
P178
(POSTCARD)
Issued: 1927. This is a series of 27 postcards, forerunners to the 'Get to Know Germany' series of picture postcards. More details of P178 can be found here.
A P178 must have the following characteristics:
(1) 8Pf Beethoven pre-printed stamp. And
(2) "Postkarte" directly to the right of the vertical dividing line. And
(3) Dividing line consists of three vertical lines. And
(4) Picture of a famous scene within Germnay on the left-hand pane. And
(4) Measures 148 x 105mm.
P178/15
POSTCARD
POSTCARD
P178/19
POSTCARD
POSTCARD
P179
(POSTCARD)
Issued: 1927. Souvenir postcard issued to commemorate 100th Anniversary of the C2 post office in Berlin. The reverse of the card features a multi-coloured picture of a letter bearer from 1827. The inscription "hundertjahrfeier des Briefpostamts | Berlin C2 | 1827 * 1, Dezember * 1927" is inscribed at the top left-hand side of the reverse of the card.
A P179 must have the following characteristics:
(1) 8Pf Beethoven pre-printed stamp. And
(2) "Postkarte" directly to the right of the vertical dividing line. And
(3) Dividing line consists of three vertical lines. And
(4) Measures 148 x 105mm.
P179
POSTCARD
POSTCARD
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
