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.
P211
(POSTCARD)
Issued: 7th Jan 1931. Published to commemorate the 100th birthday of State Secretary Dr. von Stephan. The design of the card is very similar to that of P5, but the stamp does not have the imperial crown. The left-hand pane features a portrait of Dr. Stephen with a laurel wreath, his signature and the years 1831 and 1931 inscribed below. This card was valid until 31st Dec 1931.
There were two different editions of this postcard. The 1st issue comprised approximately 1.5 million cards and can be identified by the harder shadows and lighter background to the leaves. This issue also has examples of a damaged "S" in the signature as well as distorted dot of the "i" of "in".
The 2nd issue also ran to around 1.5 million cards and are effectively retouched versions of the ist edition only now with softer lines.
A P211 must have the following characteristics:
(1) 8Pf black, number in circle pre-printed stamp.
P211 1st Edition
POSTCARD
POSTCARD
P211 2nd Edition
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
