Header Image

GERMAN COLONIES
TOGO
OFFICIAL POSTCARDS

(1st Mar 1888 to 25th Aug 1914)

line Postal stationery of ​the ​German post offices abroad and in the German colonies exists as simple postcards, postcards with reply or answer portions, wrappers and envelopes with pre-printed postage stamps.

Postal stationery was generally officially arranged and produced. However, there are many examples of private orders (for example on postcards). Private Postcards are listed serarately.

The general practise for printing postcards at the turn of the century was on sheets of 25 cards, however the postcards of the colonies were printed individually, so there are variances in the angle of the overprints (from 42 to 58 degrees).

Quick links to various postcard series: Vorlaufer, crown/eagle series, Berlin Edition, Private issues, and Kaiser's Yacht issue.

line

VORLAUFER
(Forerunner)

A Vorlaufer or 'forerunner' refers to postal stationery from the North German Post Office or the German Reichspost, which was used by the German post offices abroad and the colonies without special identification until their own postal stationery was issued for the individual areas. You can only recognize them by their cancellations.

MICHEL VP14 & VP15
(Inscribed PFENNIG)

For VP14 and VP15 the pre-printed stamp is one inscribed 'pfennig'.
image
image
VP14 - 10RPf red
VP15 - 2x 10RPf red. This is a reply card so they are found intact (with both halves still joined) or separated (only 1 half is present)


OTHER VORLAUFERS

VP20, VP24, VP28, VP30, VP32 and VP36 are vorlaufer that have green pre-printed, 5RPf crown / eagle stamps. VP22, VP26 and VP31 are answer cards and have 2x green pre-printed 5RPf crown / eagle stamps. VP21, VP25 and VP35 have carmine, pre-printed 10RPf crown / eagle stamps. VP23 and VP27 are answer cards with 2 carmine pre-printed 10RPf stamps.

image
image
Sample 5RPf crown / eagle Vorlaufer postcard
Sample 10RPf crown / eagle Vorlaufer postcard


line

MICHEL P1 to P8
(CROWN / EAGLE Overprinted 'TOGO')

These postcards measure 140 x 90mm.

MICHEL P1

Issued 1898. Postcard without letters next to the print date and with watermark and a green 5Pf pre-printed crown / eagle stamp.

image
image
Michel P1 - 5RPf green stamp


line

MICHEL P2

Issued 1898. Postcard with letters next to the print date, without watermark but with a carmine pre-printed 10RPf stamp.

image
image
Michel P2 - 10Rpf carmine stamp


line

MICHEL P3

Issued 1898. Answercard with letters next to the print date, without watermark but with two green pre-printed 5RPf stamps.

image
image
Michel P3F - 5Rpf green stamp
Michel P3A
Answercard


line

MICHEL P4

Issued 1898. Answercard with letters next to the print date, without watermark but with two carmine pre-printed 10RPf stamps.

image
image
Michel P4F - 10Rpf carmine stamp
Michel P4A
Answercard


MICHEL P5, P7 & P8
(CROWN / EAGLE Overprinted 'TOGO')

Issued 1899/1900. Without watermark, German Empire Regular Issue Crown / Eagle pre-printed stamp.

MICHEL P5



image
image
Michel P5 - 5RPf green


line

MICHEL P7



image
image
Michel P7
Reply Card
2x 5Pf, green


line

MICHEL P8



image
image
Michel P8F - 1x 10RPf carmine stamp
Michel P8A - Answercard


line

MICHEL P6I and P7I
BERLIN EDITION

MICHEL P6I



image
image
Michel P6I


MICHEL P7I



image
image
Michel P7I


line

MICHEL PP1 and PP2
PRIVATE PRINTING

MICHEL PP1



image
image
Michel PP1 - 5Rpf green


MICHEL PP2



image
image
Michel PP2 - 10Rpf carmine


line

MICHEL P9 to P12
KAISER YACHT ISSUE

P9 to P12 were issued from 1900 and depict the Kaiser's yacht with the inscription 'TOGO' in an arc across the top. The postcards were issued to coincide with the new Togo stamps which have the same design as the pre-printed stamps on these postcards. Unfortunately there are a lot of fake versions of these postcards available on the internet. Not only have the TOGO postcards been forged, but the other colonial issues of these postcards have also been 're-printed'. However the forgeries and the real versions can be differentiated by looking closely at the pre-printed stamps. Below are two close up views of forged postcards (the genuine one is on the left and the forged is on the right) in the Kaiser's yacht series to assist with determining which are fake and which are genuine.

image
image
Genuine
Forged

image
image
Genuine
Forged

The genuine stamp has clearly defined white lines running up the two smoke stacks (chimneys), two parallel lines on each chimney. The fake versions are much less visible and almost disappear on the second smoke stack. The horizontal shading lines each side of the denomination are also much clearer on the genuine stamp. Finally the smoke emitting from the genuine chimneys is much sharper than the blurred smoke of the fake version.

If you are looking to buy any of these postcards on the internet and the image posted is too small for you to make a positive identification, then it should be noted that the fake postcards look much newer and fresher than the genuine items. These postcards are over 100 years old and should not look like they are fresh of the printing press.

MICHEL P9

Printed from 1900. Without control codes.

image
Michel P9
5Rpf, green


MICHEL P10

Printed from 1900. Without control codes but with a border.

image
image
Michel P10
10Rpf, carmine
FAKE
Michel P10
10Rpf, carmine
GENUINE


MICHEL P11

Printed from 1900. Without control codes.

image
image
Michel P11
Reply Card
5Rpf, green


MICHEL P12
REPLY CARD

Printed from 1900. Without control codes but with a border.

image
image
Michel P12
Reply Card
2x 10Rpf, carmine


MICHEL P13
REPLY CARD

Printed 1903. This postcard is the same as P11 but now with the "K" of "Karte" open and the card is more of a cream-color.

image
image
Michel P13
Reply Card
2x 10Rpf, carmine


MICHEL P14

Printed 1907. The same as P9, but now one-line "Postkarte" to the left, but the narrow address lines (shorter on the right).

image
image
Michel P14
5Rpf, green


MICHEL P15
REPLY CARD

Printed 1913. 'Postkarte mit Antworte' on the left and without a border.

image
image
Michel P15
Reply Card
10Rpf, carmine


MICHEL P16

Printed 1908. The same as P14 but address lines only 85 mm long, only printed "PostKarte". With diamond watermark.

image
Michel P16
5Rpf, green


MICHEL P17

P17 was printed in 1912 and has no control data or print date, and only the word 'Postkarte' which is printed to the right of the dividing line. This postcard also has a Diamond watermark. There are a large number of fake postcards for the Imperial Yacht series of postcards, below is the genuine version.

image
Michel P17
5Rpf, green


line

MICHEL PP3 and PP4
PRIVATE ISSUE

MICHEL PP3

Printed 1912, The same as above but now with a divided address.

image
image
Michel PP3
3Pf, brown


MICHEL PP4

Printed 1912, The same as above but now with a divided address.

image
image
Michel PP4
5Pf, brown


line

MICHEL P1 to P4
FRENCH OCCUPATION

MICHEL P1

Printed 1915, Togo postcards with black "Occupation / Franco-Anglaise / Centimes".

image
image
Michel P1
5 Centimes on 5Pf, green


MICHEL P2

Printed 1912, The same as above but now with a divided address.

image
image
Michel P2
10 Centimes on 10Pf, carmine


MICHEL P3

Printed 1915, Togo postcards with black "Occupation / Franco-Anglaise / Centimes".

image
image
Michel P3
Reply Card
2x 5 Centimes on 5Pf, green


MICHEL P4

Printed 1912, The same as above but now with a divided address.

image
image
Michel P4
Reply Card
2x 10 Centimes on 10Pf, carmine


line

MICHEL P1 to P4
BRITISH OCCUPATION

MICHEL P1

Printed 1915, Togo postcards with black "Anglo-French / Occupation.".

image
image
Michel P1
½d on 5Pf, green


MICHEL P2

Printed 1912, The same as above but now with a divided address.

image
image
Michel P2
1d on 10Pf, carmine


MICHEL P3

Printed 1915, Togo postcards with black "Occupation / Franco-Anglaise / Centimes".

image
image
Michel P3
Reply Card
2x ½d on 5Pf, green


MICHEL P4

Printed 1912, The same as above but now with a divided address.

image
image
Michel P4
Reply Card
2x 1d on 10Pf, carmine




line

This page was last updated
04-Aug-2021 06:28