NAZI GERMANY
PRINTED TO PRIVATE ORDER
POSTCARDS
1940
The 1940 postcard page has now been split into four separate pages as it was beginning to get unwieldy. All 1940 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:
PP149-A-1 BLANK CARD, LEIPZIG STAMP SHOW, 5th NATIONAL CLUB DAY, NOT WORTH a PFENNIG, 1st SILESIAN POSTAGE STAMP SHOW, 100 YEARS of POSTAGE STAMPS, FIRST GERMAN RED CROSS POSTAL EXHIBITION, FIRST COLLECTORS' SHOW, WERBESCHAU - BERLIN-FRIEDENAU and WERBESCHAU - HANNOVER
PP149-A-1 BLANK CARD
(6Rpf POSTHORN)
This postcard was issued throughout 1940 until 1945 and exists in several forms and text. The card measures 147 x 104 mm and has a single light green 6Rpf Post horn pre-printed stamp.
Click here for examples from my collection.
PP149-A-1
6Rpf POSTHORN
(light green)
6Rpf POSTHORN
(light green)
LEIPZIG STAMP SHOW
(6Rpf POSTHORN)
(10th Mar 1940)
This series of 4 postcards was a re-issue of the 1936 Olympic Postal Exhibition postcards. They have the same three-line text of the first set ""Olmpia - Postwertzeichen - Ausstellung | Dresden | 1.- 16. August 1936" but this has been crossed out with two diagonal lines and additional text inscribed "Briefmarken Werbeschau | der R.d.P Sammlergruppe Süd Leipzig | den 10. Marz 1940 " has been added.
There were two more of the set re-issued for the same show but this time with large oval shields on the reverse inscribed 'MEIN LEIPZIG LOB ICH MIR!'
Click here for more examples.
LEIPZIG STAMP SHOW
6Rpf POSTHORN
(light green)
6Rpf POSTHORN
(light green)
5th NATIONAL CLUB DAY
(30th/31st Mar 1940)
This postcard was published to commemorate both the 5th National Club Day as well as the 46th German Philatelic Day 1940. There is only one basic design but there are a total of seven possible variations.
Click here for more details.
PP122-C-104/01
3Rpf HINDENBURG
3Rpf HINDENBURG
FROM MY COLLECTION
BERLIN-MARIENFELDE STAMP EXHIBITION
PP126-C-26
This postcard was published to commemorate the Berlin-Marienfelde Postage Stamp Exhibition held in that city on 30th and 31st of Mar 1940. The show was sponsored by collecting employees of Siemens Apparate u. Maschinen GmbH and the card features an image of the pocket battleship 'Admiral Graf Spee' on the left-hand pane, and a 5Rpf Hindenburg Medallion pre-printed stamp on the right-hand pane.
PP126-C-26
3Rpf HINDENBURG
3Rpf HINDENBURG
FROM MY COLLECTION
100 YEARS of POSTAGE STAMPS
PP149-D-1
(20th/21st Apr 1940)
Published on 20th to 21st Apr 1940 to commemorate 100 years of the postage stamp and 70 years of postcards. There were two versions, the first in green and the second in yellow and green. These two cards were valid until the end of the war. The two examples below, both feature the special cancel used during the exhibition in Berlin.
Click here for more postcards from my collection.
(1)
PP149-D-1-01
(Green)
PP149-D-1-01
(Green)
FROM MY COLLECTION
(2)
PP149-D-1-02
(Green/Yellow)
PP149-D-1-02
(Green/Yellow)
FROM MY COLLECTION
NOT WORTH a PFENNIG
(1st May 1940)
Published on 1st May 1940 and featuring either Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill or Joseph Stalin, these propaganda postcards were available at military canteens as well as civilian stationary stores. Their purpose was to deride the British Government (note this was 10 days before the invasion of France on 10th May 1940). They were designed by Heinz Fehling of Bremen and printed by Ferdinand Ashelm of Berlin-Lichterfelde. The two basic cards are shown below but there are other variations.
One variation does not show the printer's details (see the small upward pointing arrow at the foot of the vertical divider), unlike the original. There is another variation which has 'NACHDRUCK. Walter Dungs' printed as part of the vertical divider and this version is believed to be a 1960's re-print.
There is another version of the Churchill postcard from a different printer, this time Ed, Gerst, Bremen (again printed along the vertical divider). There are some slight variations in the cigar Churchill is smoking as well as the quality of the ink used for the pre-printed stamp.
Yet another design shows a re-drawn Churchill where the ship is moved to a more central position on his head as well as the text 'WERT | Kleinen | PFENNIG' being shifted to the left of the stamp. There is another design that is missing the ship and has Churchill wearing a hat instead, this version is very rare.
There are at least six different versions for the word 'Feldpost' as well as its position on the card. The length of the vertical divider and address lines also have variations. Due to wartime shortage the inks used for the stamp can vary widely from pale greenish-blue to rich ultramarine, orange to deep-red. The colour of the card can vary from white to cream to buff.
IMPORTANT NOTE: postcards inscribed 'Feldpostkarte' are considered to be forgeries.
Click here for more information on these cards.
(1)
NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN
NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN
FROM MY COLLECTION
(2)
WINSTON CHURCHILL
WINSTON CHURCHILL
FROM MY COLLECTION
(3)
JOSEPH STALIN
FORGERY
'NACHDRUCK. Walter Dungs'
JOSEPH STALIN
FORGERY
'NACHDRUCK. Walter Dungs'
(4)
FELDPOSTKARTE
FORGERY
FELDPOSTKARTE
FORGERY
1st SILESIAN POSTAGE STAMP SHOW
(22nd May/1st Jun 1940)
Published to commemorate the First Silesian Postage Stamp Show held in Breslau from 22nd May to 1st Jun 1940.
Click here for more cards from my collection.
(1)
PP127-C-48
PP127-C-48
FROM MY COLLECTION
100 YEARS of POSTAGE STAMPS
BOGEN-STRAUBING
(8th/9th Jun 1940)
There were four very similar cards published for the K.d.F to promote the 100th Anniversary of the Postage Stamp Exhibition held in Bogen-Straubing on 8th and 9th Jun 1940. All four cards featured the same image and a 3Rpf pre-printed Hindenburg Medallion stamp but there were differences between them.
Click here for more details.
PP122-C-105
FROM MY COLLECTION
PP122-C-111/01
FROM MY COLLECTION
FIRST POSTAL EXHIBITION
GERMAN RED CROSS
(3rd/4th Aug 1940)
Published to commemorate the 1st Postal Exhibition of the German Red Cross held on 3rd and 4th Aug 1940 in Berlin. There are two postcards with identical designs, the only difference is that one has a 3Rpf (brown) and the other has a 6Rpf (green) pre-printed Hindenburg Medallion stamp. The example below shows the 6Rpf version along with the special cancel that was used in Berlin during the exhibition.
Click here for more details.
PP127-C-49-f-1
German Red Cross Postal Exhibition
German Red Cross Postal Exhibition
FIRST COLLECTORS' SHOW
(26th/27th Oct 1940)
There were four postcards, 3 with the same design but different value pre-printed stamps, published to commemorate the first collectors' show, sponsored by the 'Strength through Joy' collectors' group in Berlin-Schöneberg.
There was also a special cancel inscribed 'BERLIN-SCHÖNEBERG 1 | Sammlerschau der | K.d.F-Ortssammlergruppe Schöneberg'.
Click here for more information on these cards.
PP122-C-107
FIRST COLLECTORS' SHOW
FIRST COLLECTORS' SHOW
PP126-C-27
FIRST COLLECTORS' SHOW
FIRST COLLECTORS' SHOW
FROM MY COLLECTION
BERLIN-FRIEDENAU
STAMP SHOW
(9th/10th Nov 1940)
These two postcards were published to commemorate the Berlin-Friedenau Stamp Show held between 9th and 10th Nov 1939. There was also a special cancel inscribed "BERLIN-FRIEDENAU 1 | Briefmarken-Tausch-kameradschaft.Weltesche im r.d.Ph".
PP126-C-28-01
GREY
5Rpf HINDENBURG
GREY
5Rpf HINDENBURG
FROM MY COLLECTION
PP126-C-28-02
SALMON
5Rpf HINDENBURG
SALMON
5Rpf HINDENBURG
FROM MY COLLECTION
HANNOVER TRADE SHOW
(9th/10th Nov 1940)
This postcard was published for the Hannover fund raising trade show for the K.d.F 'Strength through Joy' organisation. The card also commemorates 300 years of postal services in Hannover as well as the 7th anniversary of the Strength through joy.
There are two variations: one with a 3Rpf (brown) and the other with a 6Rpf (green) Hindenburg Medallion pre-printed stamp. The postcards cost 20Rpf each. The colour of the background varies as does that of the text.
(1)
PP122-C-109
(3Pf)
PP122-C-109
(3Pf)
FROM MY COLLECTION
(2)
PP127-C-51
(6Pf)
PP127-C-51
(6Pf)
FROM MY COLLECTION
BERLIN POSTAL SHOW
(23rd/24th Nov 1940)
There were two other postcards released on 23rd to 24th Nov 1940 that commemorated the 7th Anniversary of the Strength Through Joy organisation as well as the stamp show.
PP122-C-110
3Rpf HINDENBURG
3Rpf HINDENBURG
FROM MY COLLECTION
PP127-C-52
6Rpf HINDENBURG
6Rpf HINDENBURG
FROM MY COLLECTION
K.d.F STAMP SHOW
Published to commemorate the K.d.F Stamp Show
(1)
PP142-D-4
PP142-D-4
FROM MY COLLECTION
