<![CDATA[Kingston Stamp Club Community Forum - Europe]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/ Wed, 08 Apr 2026 01:30:43 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[France: World War I]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=312 Mon, 02 Feb 2026 06:10:33 +0000 Hugh]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=312
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As near as I can make out, this one is addressed as follows ...

Correspondance des prisonniers de Guerre [Correspondence for Prisonniers of War]
au Soldat de Neuil Henri [To Solider Henri de Neuil]
sapeur du 3ème Génie, Cie 4/4 [Sapper, 3rd Engainer Corps, Company 4/4]
Interné au Camp de [Interned at the Camp at]
Friedrichsfeld, Baraque 5 [Friedrichsfeld, Barrack 5]
Wesel, N° 2208 [Wesel, No. 2208]
(Prusse Rhénane) via Pontarlier [Rhenish Prussie, via Pontarlier]

There is a lot to unpack here. A woman named Catherine is writing to Henri, her younger brother, a French soldier who is interned at Friedrichsfeld POW camp in Germany during World War I.  She writes,

Mareesquelt, le 8 août 1915
Cher petit frère,
Sommes heureux d’avoir reçu ta carte de bonne santé.
C’est nous souhaitons qu’elle te trouve de même.
Je t'envoie un mandat ce Mardi.
Notre frère Charles et
notre Grand père, grand’mère, tantes, les cousins ainsi
que ta sœur Marcelle t’embrassent.
Je termine en t’embrassant bien fort.
Ta sœur qui pense à toi,
Catherine

[Maresquel, August 8, 1915
Dear little brother,
We were happy to receive your card letting us know you're in good health.
We hope this one finds you in the same condition.
I’m sending you a money order this Tuesday.
Our brother Charles, our grandfather, grandmother, aunts, cousins, and your sister Marcelle all send their love.
I’ll close now, embracing you warmly.
Your sister who is always thinking of you,
Catherine]

Maresquel was about 25 kilometers from where the card was postmarked.

The letter is being sent to the German POW camp via Switerzland. As can be seen, it is being routed to the French town of Pontarlier. From there, it will be moved accross to the border to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Switzerland (ICRC) who as a neutral party will facilitate the POW mail exchange between France and Germany. In August 1914, the ICRC established l'Agence Internationale des Prisonniers de Guerre [International Agency for Prisoners of War] in Geneva. Each side maintained the right to inspect and censor mail.

On the cover, we can see on the lower right a blue hand-stamp. This is a censor mark from the authorities at the Friedrichsfeld Camp. I can make out part of the printed text (Friedrichsfeld) confirming it was applied to the card at the camp.

Kriegsgefangenenlager Friedrichsfeld was a significant German POW camp during WW1. It was one of the larger camps and was located near the town of Wesel, in the Rhineland region (then known as Prussian Rhineland or "Prusse Rhénane"), close to the Rhine River. This area is in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

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The picture side of the card shows a photo titled: MARCHEVILLE (Somme). — Entrée de Marcheville sur Danvast.

The Publisher appears to be Lèon Cueillez of Marcheville.

That was a lot of fun for fifty cents.]]>
.jpeg Image 1.jpeg Size: 477.16 KB  Downloads: 1


As near as I can make out, this one is addressed as follows ...

Correspondance des prisonniers de Guerre [Correspondence for Prisonniers of War]
au Soldat de Neuil Henri [To Solider Henri de Neuil]
sapeur du 3ème Génie, Cie 4/4 [Sapper, 3rd Engainer Corps, Company 4/4]
Interné au Camp de [Interned at the Camp at]
Friedrichsfeld, Baraque 5 [Friedrichsfeld, Barrack 5]
Wesel, N° 2208 [Wesel, No. 2208]
(Prusse Rhénane) via Pontarlier [Rhenish Prussie, via Pontarlier]

There is a lot to unpack here. A woman named Catherine is writing to Henri, her younger brother, a French soldier who is interned at Friedrichsfeld POW camp in Germany during World War I.  She writes,

Mareesquelt, le 8 août 1915
Cher petit frère,
Sommes heureux d’avoir reçu ta carte de bonne santé.
C’est nous souhaitons qu’elle te trouve de même.
Je t'envoie un mandat ce Mardi.
Notre frère Charles et
notre Grand père, grand’mère, tantes, les cousins ainsi
que ta sœur Marcelle t’embrassent.
Je termine en t’embrassant bien fort.
Ta sœur qui pense à toi,
Catherine

[Maresquel, August 8, 1915
Dear little brother,
We were happy to receive your card letting us know you're in good health.
We hope this one finds you in the same condition.
I’m sending you a money order this Tuesday.
Our brother Charles, our grandfather, grandmother, aunts, cousins, and your sister Marcelle all send their love.
I’ll close now, embracing you warmly.
Your sister who is always thinking of you,
Catherine]

Maresquel was about 25 kilometers from where the card was postmarked.

The letter is being sent to the German POW camp via Switerzland. As can be seen, it is being routed to the French town of Pontarlier. From there, it will be moved accross to the border to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Switzerland (ICRC) who as a neutral party will facilitate the POW mail exchange between France and Germany. In August 1914, the ICRC established l'Agence Internationale des Prisonniers de Guerre [International Agency for Prisoners of War] in Geneva. Each side maintained the right to inspect and censor mail.

On the cover, we can see on the lower right a blue hand-stamp. This is a censor mark from the authorities at the Friedrichsfeld Camp. I can make out part of the printed text (Friedrichsfeld) confirming it was applied to the card at the camp.

Kriegsgefangenenlager Friedrichsfeld was a significant German POW camp during WW1. It was one of the larger camps and was located near the town of Wesel, in the Rhineland region (then known as Prussian Rhineland or "Prusse Rhénane"), close to the Rhine River. This area is in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

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The picture side of the card shows a photo titled: MARCHEVILLE (Somme). — Entrée de Marcheville sur Danvast.

The Publisher appears to be Lèon Cueillez of Marcheville.

That was a lot of fun for fifty cents.]]> <![CDATA[Germany: Postage Meters During Occupation]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=307 Sat, 24 Jan 2026 16:51:55 +0000 Hugh]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=307
Over ten thousand machines were in use for commercial and bulk mailings by early 1932. In 1934, the new regime ordered all new meter dies to carry state symbols. Initially this was a small swastika but it was quickly replaced with a larger eagle and swastika by the end of the year. By 1939, there were 25,000 such machines in use.

The operator fed the mail through a lever operated printing head and, in one motion, the dater and value frank was struck. Values were selected by a hand-wheel and counter-wheels reduced the prepaid credit.

Here is an example of a FRANCOTYP meter franking on a cover (actually a folded advertising reply card) from August 7, 1939. The metered postage of 3Pf (for printed matter) was applied with red ink (the UPU standard for such mail). This commercial cover was sent by Förster & Borries courting distributors for its 1940 “Föbo” line of calendars.

The single ring dater die reads, around the inside rim, ZWICKAU (SACHS) / II. The II suggests the firm had two machines. In the centre is the date ... 7 . 8 . 39 / 19‑20. [Evening, August 7, 1939]

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Here is an example of a metered cover, using the same type of machine, during the occupation after the war.

It's the same basic die but Deutsches Reich and the swastika have been ground off. Allied directive No. 30, on May 13, 1945, ordered the removal of all emblems of the Third Reich. Francotyp meter dies were literally milled away and, as with adhesive stamps, become examples of local or provisional franking. The ink colour is no longer a red but a violet or brown ink which was common toward the end of the war and during the occupation (until late 1946) when aniline red ink was scarce. The UPU still required red ink, but the violet/brown ink was tolerated until red became available. The printed matter postage rate is now 6Pf. The Allied Control Commission increased the Drucksache [printed matter] rate on March 1, 1946. The 1946 dater die is a double ring with bar.

These are catalogued as aptiert [altered] dies. The term describes any cancel, meter die, or printing plate whose design was physically excised or re‑engraved.

The cover is a commercial cover. That is, a folded flyer from Erwin M. Meine, a Berlin stamp wholesaler / dealer. The meter reads, BERLIN SW 11 / am and 11.9.46. -16 [September 11, 1946] Berlin 11 would have been postal district Kreuzberg in the American Zone.

Later in the year, new replacement dies with the more neutral DEUTSCHE POST began to appear across all four occupation zones.

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One other interesting change, I suppose, is in the area of language used in correspondence. It changed too. The text of the 1939 marketing material included a phrase at the end of the copy ... Mit Deutschem Gruß [With German Greetings]. In 1933, Interior Minister Wilhelm Frick ordered this phrase be used for traditional sign-offs on all government correspondence. In other words, it become a compulsory closing to a letter. Over time it also become common in commercial correspondence and was added to contemporary 'style manuals'. The copy of the 1946 flyer doesn't use this expression. The phrase was banned by the Allied Control Commission. It was classified as verfassungsfeindliche Kennzeichen [an unconstitutional sign].

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As for the stamp dealer .. his product offering is quite interesting. On the surface he is simply promoting the few German issues he is allowed to trade. Yet, he seems to be doing a good job of positioning the local and occupation stamps aa a patriotic tokens of Germany's physical and economic reconstruction.

He writes, "These lots contain only officially recognized issues in splendid assortments, and the material sells quickly. ... The print‑runs of these issues are almost universally far smaller and therefore full of future promise!"

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I got both covers from one of Roy's approval boxes. With apologies to Forrest Gump, you never know what you're going to find.

Cheers, Hugh]]>
Over ten thousand machines were in use for commercial and bulk mailings by early 1932. In 1934, the new regime ordered all new meter dies to carry state symbols. Initially this was a small swastika but it was quickly replaced with a larger eagle and swastika by the end of the year. By 1939, there were 25,000 such machines in use.

The operator fed the mail through a lever operated printing head and, in one motion, the dater and value frank was struck. Values were selected by a hand-wheel and counter-wheels reduced the prepaid credit.

Here is an example of a FRANCOTYP meter franking on a cover (actually a folded advertising reply card) from August 7, 1939. The metered postage of 3Pf (for printed matter) was applied with red ink (the UPU standard for such mail). This commercial cover was sent by Förster & Borries courting distributors for its 1940 “Föbo” line of calendars.

The single ring dater die reads, around the inside rim, ZWICKAU (SACHS) / II. The II suggests the firm had two machines. In the centre is the date ... 7 . 8 . 39 / 19‑20. [Evening, August 7, 1939]

.jpeg Image 2.jpeg Size: 323.13 KB  Downloads: 0


Here is an example of a metered cover, using the same type of machine, during the occupation after the war.

It's the same basic die but Deutsches Reich and the swastika have been ground off. Allied directive No. 30, on May 13, 1945, ordered the removal of all emblems of the Third Reich. Francotyp meter dies were literally milled away and, as with adhesive stamps, become examples of local or provisional franking. The ink colour is no longer a red but a violet or brown ink which was common toward the end of the war and during the occupation (until late 1946) when aniline red ink was scarce. The UPU still required red ink, but the violet/brown ink was tolerated until red became available. The printed matter postage rate is now 6Pf. The Allied Control Commission increased the Drucksache [printed matter] rate on March 1, 1946. The 1946 dater die is a double ring with bar.

These are catalogued as aptiert [altered] dies. The term describes any cancel, meter die, or printing plate whose design was physically excised or re‑engraved.

The cover is a commercial cover. That is, a folded flyer from Erwin M. Meine, a Berlin stamp wholesaler / dealer. The meter reads, BERLIN SW 11 / am and 11.9.46. -16 [September 11, 1946] Berlin 11 would have been postal district Kreuzberg in the American Zone.

Later in the year, new replacement dies with the more neutral DEUTSCHE POST began to appear across all four occupation zones.

.jpeg Image 3.jpeg Size: 304.51 KB  Downloads: 0


One other interesting change, I suppose, is in the area of language used in correspondence. It changed too. The text of the 1939 marketing material included a phrase at the end of the copy ... Mit Deutschem Gruß [With German Greetings]. In 1933, Interior Minister Wilhelm Frick ordered this phrase be used for traditional sign-offs on all government correspondence. In other words, it become a compulsory closing to a letter. Over time it also become common in commercial correspondence and was added to contemporary 'style manuals'. The copy of the 1946 flyer doesn't use this expression. The phrase was banned by the Allied Control Commission. It was classified as verfassungsfeindliche Kennzeichen [an unconstitutional sign].

.jpeg Image 4.jpeg Size: 72.64 KB  Downloads: 0


As for the stamp dealer .. his product offering is quite interesting. On the surface he is simply promoting the few German issues he is allowed to trade. Yet, he seems to be doing a good job of positioning the local and occupation stamps aa a patriotic tokens of Germany's physical and economic reconstruction.

He writes, "These lots contain only officially recognized issues in splendid assortments, and the material sells quickly. ... The print‑runs of these issues are almost universally far smaller and therefore full of future promise!"

.jpeg Image 5.jpeg Size: 519.59 KB  Downloads: 0


I got both covers from one of Roy's approval boxes. With apologies to Forrest Gump, you never know what you're going to find.

Cheers, Hugh]]> <![CDATA[Germany: Interesting Find in a Box of Roy’s Covers]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=302 Wed, 14 Jan 2026 03:10:50 +0000 Janet MacD]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=302
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This item is a sponsorship certificate issued by the (west) German Sports Aid Foundation in 1979. It has four semi-postal stamps featuring historical aircraft and a first day of issue postmark. I believe the stamps were part of the “Jungenmarke” or youth stamp series of semi-postals sold to fund youth activities. This will be a lovely addition to my German album, and it will be a wonderful slide next time I do a presentation on semi-postal stamps.

I can’t believe this is only fifty cents!]]>
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This item is a sponsorship certificate issued by the (west) German Sports Aid Foundation in 1979. It has four semi-postal stamps featuring historical aircraft and a first day of issue postmark. I believe the stamps were part of the “Jungenmarke” or youth stamp series of semi-postals sold to fund youth activities. This will be a lovely addition to my German album, and it will be a wonderful slide next time I do a presentation on semi-postal stamps.

I can’t believe this is only fifty cents!]]> <![CDATA[Spanish Civil War]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=271 Fri, 07 Nov 2025 12:51:33 +0000 Hugh]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=271
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On the front of the cover, we can see that the original postage stamp is missing. It was roughly torn off ... removing both the stamp and the original CDS. To a stamp collector that is a tragedy. For a postal historian, it is part of the fun. Let's see if we can reason it out ... what stamp used to be on this cover? Where did it the cover originate? Where was it going? When? What would the postal rate have been?

The large violet boxed hand-stamp CENSURA MILITAR / PONTEVEDRA suggests that the origin was the Nationalist zone of Spain, specifically the province of Pontevedra (Galicia). This is further suggested by one of the cinderellas on the back - also from Ponteverda.

The typed address Diego José Pazos Feijóo, Rivadavia 1235, Casa Mignaquy y Compañía – with BUENOS AIRES added in black at the bottom gives us the destination: REPÚBLICA ARGENTINA - which is also typed and underlined at the top of the cover.

There is no airmail etiquette, no indication of registration or other kind of special handling. So, it would appear to have travelled by surface mail. In 1937 Spain joined the Unión Postal de las Américas y España (UPAE). Outbound letters from the Nationalist Zone to UPAE countries would have been sent at the same rate as domestic mail. After March 17, 1937 that rate would have been 30 céntimos. Assuming there was only one stamp on the original cover (suggested by the size of the torn corner, IMO) we are, therefore, looking for a 30 cts stamp which would have been used in Pontevedra under Nationalist control. The date window of the cinderella stamps on the back suggest that it was mailed in 1937 or possibly 1938.

So, based on those assumptions, and given that someone thought the stamp was interesting enough to remove from the cover, it might be one of the following:

Pontevedra SG 36 (issued July 18, 1937). This was a local overprint of ¡ARRIBA ESPAÑA! / PONTEVEDRA / 18 Julio 1937 / II Another Triunfal on a 30 cts carmine SG755.

Spain SG 866 (issued September 1936) of Xavier Castle. Used throughout Nationalist Spain, the stamps in this series included the text Junta de Defensa Nacional.

There are also a number of hand-stamps on the front of the cover. 

A Franco portrait cachet (bottom left) a purple hand-stamp with Franco’s head and the legend Saludo a Franco – ¡ARRIBA ESPAÑA!.
It is a propaganda cachet from the Nationalist side; not postal, but it loudly advertises the sender’s political allegiance and was commonly used on patriotic mail and fundraising correspondence.

A diagonal ¡VIVA ESPAÑA! (top right)
Another purple slogan hand-stamp reinforcing the Nationalist tone of the cover.

A CENSURA MILITAR / PONTEVEDRA boxed hand-stamp, in purple. 
This is a Spanish military censor marking applied in the Nationalist-held city of Pontevedra. It would seem to confirm that the cover was examined by a military censor at that city which, in the absence of the CDS suggests the origin of the letter.

On the back of the cover are a number of Nationalist cinderella stamps. 

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Pontevedra (1937)

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Frentes y hospitales (1936-39)

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Auxilio de invierno (1936)

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Santiago (St James Apostle -- patron of Spain and Galicia) La Coruña (1936-37)

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In short, this appears to be a cover sent in or about 1937 during the Spanish Civil War by surface mail, using a security envelope, from a Nationalist sender in Pontevedra (Galicia) to a correspond in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Before dispatch, a number of Nationalist cachets / hand-stamps, and cinderellas were appliled. It then passed through military censorship at Pontevedra.

That was fun! If you have a different opinion about the missing stamp, corrections and comments are welcome. 

Cheers, Hugh]]>
.jpeg Image 1.jpeg Size: 384.14 KB  Downloads: 0


On the front of the cover, we can see that the original postage stamp is missing. It was roughly torn off ... removing both the stamp and the original CDS. To a stamp collector that is a tragedy. For a postal historian, it is part of the fun. Let's see if we can reason it out ... what stamp used to be on this cover? Where did it the cover originate? Where was it going? When? What would the postal rate have been?

The large violet boxed hand-stamp CENSURA MILITAR / PONTEVEDRA suggests that the origin was the Nationalist zone of Spain, specifically the province of Pontevedra (Galicia). This is further suggested by one of the cinderellas on the back - also from Ponteverda.

The typed address Diego José Pazos Feijóo, Rivadavia 1235, Casa Mignaquy y Compañía – with BUENOS AIRES added in black at the bottom gives us the destination: REPÚBLICA ARGENTINA - which is also typed and underlined at the top of the cover.

There is no airmail etiquette, no indication of registration or other kind of special handling. So, it would appear to have travelled by surface mail. In 1937 Spain joined the Unión Postal de las Américas y España (UPAE). Outbound letters from the Nationalist Zone to UPAE countries would have been sent at the same rate as domestic mail. After March 17, 1937 that rate would have been 30 céntimos. Assuming there was only one stamp on the original cover (suggested by the size of the torn corner, IMO) we are, therefore, looking for a 30 cts stamp which would have been used in Pontevedra under Nationalist control. The date window of the cinderella stamps on the back suggest that it was mailed in 1937 or possibly 1938.

So, based on those assumptions, and given that someone thought the stamp was interesting enough to remove from the cover, it might be one of the following:

Pontevedra SG 36 (issued July 18, 1937). This was a local overprint of ¡ARRIBA ESPAÑA! / PONTEVEDRA / 18 Julio 1937 / II Another Triunfal on a 30 cts carmine SG755.

Spain SG 866 (issued September 1936) of Xavier Castle. Used throughout Nationalist Spain, the stamps in this series included the text Junta de Defensa Nacional.

There are also a number of hand-stamps on the front of the cover. 

A Franco portrait cachet (bottom left) a purple hand-stamp with Franco’s head and the legend Saludo a Franco – ¡ARRIBA ESPAÑA!.
It is a propaganda cachet from the Nationalist side; not postal, but it loudly advertises the sender’s political allegiance and was commonly used on patriotic mail and fundraising correspondence.

A diagonal ¡VIVA ESPAÑA! (top right)
Another purple slogan hand-stamp reinforcing the Nationalist tone of the cover.

A CENSURA MILITAR / PONTEVEDRA boxed hand-stamp, in purple. 
This is a Spanish military censor marking applied in the Nationalist-held city of Pontevedra. It would seem to confirm that the cover was examined by a military censor at that city which, in the absence of the CDS suggests the origin of the letter.

On the back of the cover are a number of Nationalist cinderella stamps. 

.jpeg Image 2.jpeg Size: 324.65 KB  Downloads: 0


Pontevedra (1937)

.jpeg Image 3.jpeg Size: 265.31 KB  Downloads: 0


Frentes y hospitales (1936-39)

.jpeg Image 4.jpeg Size: 178.87 KB  Downloads: 0


Auxilio de invierno (1936)

.jpeg Image 5.jpeg Size: 224.55 KB  Downloads: 0


Santiago (St James Apostle -- patron of Spain and Galicia) La Coruña (1936-37)

.jpeg Image 6.jpeg Size: 257.86 KB  Downloads: 0


In short, this appears to be a cover sent in or about 1937 during the Spanish Civil War by surface mail, using a security envelope, from a Nationalist sender in Pontevedra (Galicia) to a correspond in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Before dispatch, a number of Nationalist cachets / hand-stamps, and cinderellas were appliled. It then passed through military censorship at Pontevedra.

That was fun! If you have a different opinion about the missing stamp, corrections and comments are welcome. 

Cheers, Hugh]]> <![CDATA[Iraq Shell Oil Card]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=261 Sat, 01 Nov 2025 03:06:11 +0000 RICHARD]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=261
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]]> <![CDATA[Germany: WW1 Feldpost Covers]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=228 Fri, 17 Oct 2025 03:39:54 +0000 Hugh]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=228
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It appears to be addressed to:

Fräulein
Kätha Krieg
Frankf. a/M. Preungesheim
Kreuz-Stras. 11

It was sent by a solider named Christian Weil. As far as I can tell, he wrote:

Aus dem Felde d. 6.3.16
Werter Fräulein Krieg!
Ihre Karte mit
besten Dank erhalten.
Mir geht es zur Zeit noch gut,
was ich auch bei Ihnen hoffe.
Die besten Grüße sendet
Christian Weil

That is,

From the field, March 6, 1916
Dear Miss Krieg,
I received your card with many thanks.
I am still doing well at the moment,
and I hope the same is true for you.
Best regards,
Christian Weil

Based on the feldpost CDS, the card was mailed at the FPO for the 21st Reserve Division. In March 1916 this division occupied the Massiges Sector a location in the Champagne-Marne region of France. The purple S.B. hand-stamp [soldatenbrief] suggests that he Christian was a member of the division's medical company (e.g. aid posts, stretcher parties, triage / evacuations).

Cancel
Double-ring Feldpost CDS
K.D.Feldpostexped./ der /21 Reserve Div.
-7.3.16. 4-5N

Hand-stamp, purple ink
S.B. / RES.SAN.Kp. [Reserve-Sanitäts-Kompanie]

Over and to the right of the CDS are two red hand-stamps. The first, is a largely obscured triangular hand-stamp with a sunburst (partially visible) and an eagle (only visible in theory) It would appear to be a control cachet of a Postüberwachungsstelle [military censorship office]. Given the destination of the car, it was probably applied at the military censor office in Frankfurt am Main before the card was given to the civil mail system for delivery. The other stamp, with the  IIA (with two horizontal lines under the 'A') is probably the section or desk code. 

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The feldpost card is a repurposed picture post card. The hand-tinted image on the other side shows a young woman reading a letter. The text reads:

Ein deutscher Gruß / A German Greeting
In der Heimat, in der Heimat, Giebt’s ein Wiedersehn  / In the homeland, in the homeland, there’ll be a reunion, we’ll meet again]

The second line comes from the refrain of a popular soldiers' song.

The diamond shaped logo or monogram on the lower left reads PFB. This is the mark of the postcard publishing firm of Paul Finkenrath, Berlin. On the lower right is the number 358616, the serial number of the card.

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Cheers, Hugh]]>
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It appears to be addressed to:

Fräulein
Kätha Krieg
Frankf. a/M. Preungesheim
Kreuz-Stras. 11

It was sent by a solider named Christian Weil. As far as I can tell, he wrote:

Aus dem Felde d. 6.3.16
Werter Fräulein Krieg!
Ihre Karte mit
besten Dank erhalten.
Mir geht es zur Zeit noch gut,
was ich auch bei Ihnen hoffe.
Die besten Grüße sendet
Christian Weil

That is,

From the field, March 6, 1916
Dear Miss Krieg,
I received your card with many thanks.
I am still doing well at the moment,
and I hope the same is true for you.
Best regards,
Christian Weil

Based on the feldpost CDS, the card was mailed at the FPO for the 21st Reserve Division. In March 1916 this division occupied the Massiges Sector a location in the Champagne-Marne region of France. The purple S.B. hand-stamp [soldatenbrief] suggests that he Christian was a member of the division's medical company (e.g. aid posts, stretcher parties, triage / evacuations).

Cancel
Double-ring Feldpost CDS
K.D.Feldpostexped./ der /21 Reserve Div.
-7.3.16. 4-5N

Hand-stamp, purple ink
S.B. / RES.SAN.Kp. [Reserve-Sanitäts-Kompanie]

Over and to the right of the CDS are two red hand-stamps. The first, is a largely obscured triangular hand-stamp with a sunburst (partially visible) and an eagle (only visible in theory) It would appear to be a control cachet of a Postüberwachungsstelle [military censorship office]. Given the destination of the car, it was probably applied at the military censor office in Frankfurt am Main before the card was given to the civil mail system for delivery. The other stamp, with the  IIA (with two horizontal lines under the 'A') is probably the section or desk code. 

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The feldpost card is a repurposed picture post card. The hand-tinted image on the other side shows a young woman reading a letter. The text reads:

Ein deutscher Gruß / A German Greeting
In der Heimat, in der Heimat, Giebt’s ein Wiedersehn  / In the homeland, in the homeland, there’ll be a reunion, we’ll meet again]

The second line comes from the refrain of a popular soldiers' song.

The diamond shaped logo or monogram on the lower left reads PFB. This is the mark of the postcard publishing firm of Paul Finkenrath, Berlin. On the lower right is the number 358616, the serial number of the card.

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Cheers, Hugh]]> <![CDATA[Germany: Occupation of the Sudetenland]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=209 Mon, 13 Oct 2025 04:32:26 +0000 Hugh]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=209
It's an express cover sent on October 12, 1938 from the 'new' German post office in Schlag, in the district of Gablonz, [formerly in Czechoslovakia] to Halle (Saale) in Germany.  This was four days after the German Occupation (Annexation) of the Sudetenland following the Munich Agreement.

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It has a rather unusual provisional, roughly set, rubber hand-stamp, BAD SCHLAG / 12.X.1938 in black ink.  It's actually two hand-stamps, one for the town and one for the date. The word BAD was added by the local authorities who were perhaps eager to position the town as a spa town for German tourists. 

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As well,  there is a 34mm purple hand-stamp commemorating the occupation of Gablonz four days earlier.

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The arrival cancel on the back is dated the next day ... and is from HALLE (SAALE) / FERNSPRECHAMT. [Fernsprechamt = Telephone / telegraph office]. 

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There is a German delivery / route number 21 on the back next to the arrival stamp. The arrival CDS and this route stamp would seem to confirm postal use and delivery. 

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It's been franked with 57Pf in Hindenburg stamps cancelled with the date stamp and provisional rubber hand-stamp. There is a manuscript Durch Eilboten [By Express Messenger] in blue crayon in the upper left corner. There is also a manuscript 826 on the front, presumably it has to do with the brown etiquette reading EXPRÈS. It is, I assume, a Czech stock label still being used during this early period.

The routing appears plausible for next morning delivery. Over-franked perhaps but it was sent express and it would have bee a confusing period. No contents.

It was addressed, in a German cursive script known as Schreibschrift, to:

Herrn Robert Schuler
Halle (Saale)
Cansteinstrasse 14

I haven't yet found any information about Robert Schuler but the street address is a private residential building. It still exists. 

.jpeg Image 5.jpeg Size: 780.02 KB  Downloads: 0

Source: Wikimedia

The town and the postmark is listed in Die Not-und Befreiungsstempel in den sudetendeutschen Gebieten 1938/39 (The Emergency and Liberation Postmarks in the Sudeten German Territories 1938/39). Another monograph confirms it was assigned to the German Postal Region of Dresden. 

In short, a postally-used philatelic souvenir created in the days following the occupation. The provisional hand-stamps were replaced within weeks.

Today, Bad Schlag is known as Jablonecké Paseky and is part of Jablonec nad Nisou (formerly Gablonz) in the Czech Republic.

Cheers, Hugh]]>
It's an express cover sent on October 12, 1938 from the 'new' German post office in Schlag, in the district of Gablonz, [formerly in Czechoslovakia] to Halle (Saale) in Germany.  This was four days after the German Occupation (Annexation) of the Sudetenland following the Munich Agreement.

.jpeg Image 6.jpeg Size: 411.53 KB  Downloads: 0


It has a rather unusual provisional, roughly set, rubber hand-stamp, BAD SCHLAG / 12.X.1938 in black ink.  It's actually two hand-stamps, one for the town and one for the date. The word BAD was added by the local authorities who were perhaps eager to position the town as a spa town for German tourists. 

.jpeg Image 7.jpeg Size: 71.71 KB  Downloads: 2


As well,  there is a 34mm purple hand-stamp commemorating the occupation of Gablonz four days earlier.

.jpeg Image 8.jpeg Size: 145.47 KB  Downloads: 0


The arrival cancel on the back is dated the next day ... and is from HALLE (SAALE) / FERNSPRECHAMT. [Fernsprechamt = Telephone / telegraph office]. 

.jpeg Image 9.jpeg Size: 118.13 KB  Downloads: 0


There is a German delivery / route number 21 on the back next to the arrival stamp. The arrival CDS and this route stamp would seem to confirm postal use and delivery. 

.jpeg Image 10.jpeg Size: 30.29 KB  Downloads: 19


It's been franked with 57Pf in Hindenburg stamps cancelled with the date stamp and provisional rubber hand-stamp. There is a manuscript Durch Eilboten [By Express Messenger] in blue crayon in the upper left corner. There is also a manuscript 826 on the front, presumably it has to do with the brown etiquette reading EXPRÈS. It is, I assume, a Czech stock label still being used during this early period.

The routing appears plausible for next morning delivery. Over-franked perhaps but it was sent express and it would have bee a confusing period. No contents.

It was addressed, in a German cursive script known as Schreibschrift, to:

Herrn Robert Schuler
Halle (Saale)
Cansteinstrasse 14

I haven't yet found any information about Robert Schuler but the street address is a private residential building. It still exists. 

.jpeg Image 5.jpeg Size: 780.02 KB  Downloads: 0

Source: Wikimedia

The town and the postmark is listed in Die Not-und Befreiungsstempel in den sudetendeutschen Gebieten 1938/39 (The Emergency and Liberation Postmarks in the Sudeten German Territories 1938/39). Another monograph confirms it was assigned to the German Postal Region of Dresden. 

In short, a postally-used philatelic souvenir created in the days following the occupation. The provisional hand-stamps were replaced within weeks.

Today, Bad Schlag is known as Jablonecké Paseky and is part of Jablonec nad Nisou (formerly Gablonz) in the Czech Republic.

Cheers, Hugh]]> <![CDATA[France]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=196 Sat, 11 Oct 2025 02:29:48 +0000 RICHARD]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=196
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]]>
.jpg Handwritten_2025-10-10_192956.jpg Size: 695.55 KB  Downloads: 6

.jpg Handwritten_2025-10-10_192821.jpg Size: 99.92 KB  Downloads: 7
]]> <![CDATA[USSR: Stamps and Covers]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=136 Thu, 02 Oct 2025 23:14:28 +0000 Hugh]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=136 Kim Philby ... A British intelligence officer and a double agent for the former Soviet Union. In 1963 it was revealed he was a member of the Cambridge Five -- a spy ring during WW2 and in the early years of the Cold War. Philby lived in Moscow until his death in 1988.

He was featured on a stamp issued by the USSR in 1990.

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Stamp:
USSR - Soviet Agents Series
Kim Philby (1912-1988)
Issued on November 29, 1990
5k
Sc. 5948]]> Kim Philby ... A British intelligence officer and a double agent for the former Soviet Union. In 1963 it was revealed he was a member of the Cambridge Five -- a spy ring during WW2 and in the early years of the Cold War. Philby lived in Moscow until his death in 1988.

He was featured on a stamp issued by the USSR in 1990.

.jpeg Image 5.jpeg Size: 488.01 KB  Downloads: 0


Stamp:
USSR - Soviet Agents Series
Kim Philby (1912-1988)
Issued on November 29, 1990
5k
Sc. 5948]]> <![CDATA[Postkrieg / Postal War]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=113 Sun, 28 Sep 2025 16:23:58 +0000 Hugh]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=113
.jpeg Image 6.jpeg Size: 12.72 KB  Downloads: 31


It commemorates the 40th anniversary of the integration of German expellees, also known as Heimatvertriebene (German citizens who were displaced from Eastern Europe after World War II). The design is minimalistic, featuring stylized, interlocking shapes in the colors of the German flag (black, red, and gold), symbolizing unity and integration.

The text "40 Jahre Eingliederung heimatvertriebener Deutscher" [40 Years of Integration of Displaced Germans] and was meant to highlight the social and political effort to assimilate these individuals into West German society after the war. The integration of millions of displaced Germans was a significant aspect of postwar German history, as it required extensive economic, social, and political resources.

This is not the first stamp to do this ... there were stamps earlier in the Cold War on the same theme.

What is interesting about all of the stamps with this theme is that they were sometimes in the middle of a Postkrieg [Postal War] when covers using the stamps were either not accepted or the stamps were blacked out by the East German postal authority.

The topic of German expellees was a sensitive issue, as it touched on the postwar displacement of ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe, areas that were then part of Poland, Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet Union. From the Eastern Bloc perspective, this subject was politically charged and, in some cases, viewed as a challenge to postwar borders and territorial settlements.

Returning or defacing the stamp to indicate disapproval was part of a broader strategy by Eastern Bloc countries to control the narrative surrounding postwar history and German territories, and to reject any Western narrative that could be interpreted as irredentist or revisionist. As a result, mail bearing this stamp could encounter issues when sent to or through East Germany and other Warsaw Pact nations, reflecting the ongoing political and ideological tensions between East and West Germany during the Cold War.

For example, here is a cover in my collection, with your stamp, that was refused delivery. 

.jpeg Image 7.jpeg Size: 322.87 KB  Downloads: 0
]]>
.jpeg Image 6.jpeg Size: 12.72 KB  Downloads: 31


It commemorates the 40th anniversary of the integration of German expellees, also known as Heimatvertriebene (German citizens who were displaced from Eastern Europe after World War II). The design is minimalistic, featuring stylized, interlocking shapes in the colors of the German flag (black, red, and gold), symbolizing unity and integration.

The text "40 Jahre Eingliederung heimatvertriebener Deutscher" [40 Years of Integration of Displaced Germans] and was meant to highlight the social and political effort to assimilate these individuals into West German society after the war. The integration of millions of displaced Germans was a significant aspect of postwar German history, as it required extensive economic, social, and political resources.

This is not the first stamp to do this ... there were stamps earlier in the Cold War on the same theme.

What is interesting about all of the stamps with this theme is that they were sometimes in the middle of a Postkrieg [Postal War] when covers using the stamps were either not accepted or the stamps were blacked out by the East German postal authority.

The topic of German expellees was a sensitive issue, as it touched on the postwar displacement of ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe, areas that were then part of Poland, Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet Union. From the Eastern Bloc perspective, this subject was politically charged and, in some cases, viewed as a challenge to postwar borders and territorial settlements.

Returning or defacing the stamp to indicate disapproval was part of a broader strategy by Eastern Bloc countries to control the narrative surrounding postwar history and German territories, and to reject any Western narrative that could be interpreted as irredentist or revisionist. As a result, mail bearing this stamp could encounter issues when sent to or through East Germany and other Warsaw Pact nations, reflecting the ongoing political and ideological tensions between East and West Germany during the Cold War.

For example, here is a cover in my collection, with your stamp, that was refused delivery. 

.jpeg Image 7.jpeg Size: 322.87 KB  Downloads: 0
]]> <![CDATA[France: Covers from the Era of Napoleon]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=95 Fri, 19 Sep 2025 14:08:21 +0000 Hugh]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=95
...

Here's a commercial cover from October 29, 1813.

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It is addressed to:

Monsieur
Monsieur p re
Castres St Martin
Par Limoux
A Chalabre

That would appear to be Father [père] Castres St. Marin. And, it would also appear that the cover was sent to Chalabre a small town near Limoux. In 1806, Limoux had a population of 5,723. Both are in the Languedoc Region in southern France

The linear hand-stamp on the cover indicates that it was mailed from Prades in Département 65. This is supported by the letter inside which indicates that it was written by a gentleman named Mulló in Jujols (near Prades) on October 29, 1813.

Chalabre is just over 100km north of Jujols which would explain the manuscript 4 on the cover. The postage in 1813 would have been 4 décimes for a single letter weighing less than 6g traveling between 100 and 200km.

As far as I can tell, M. Mulló writes in a French with a non-standard orthography and, perhaps, a bit of Occitan influence thrown in.

Jajols Le 29. 8bre 1813
Monsieur p.re Castres jaj Reseu da l’atre
Du 21. Courant mois, et je vous Dire pour
Seffinir; De faire Venir a checher ma laine
de plus prait posible que l’ous pouvrai, par le
Voiturier, quil vous plairà, en portant une d’aitre
de Votre nom; Et celà ma bien instruiti
pour une otre foi Soit qui Se Soit
je Vous Salüe
Mulló

There is also a margin note on the left side that reads:

Montant
de pois. á
laine,
a ppe [ = à apposer]
6 . q.t [ = 6 quintats]

Which is to say, “Father Castres, I have received the letter of the 21st of this month, and I write to tell you, so as to settle the matter, to have my wool collected as soon as possible, by whichever carrier you think best, presenting my letter in your name. And this has taught me well for another time, whoever it may concern. I salute you, Mulló”

And, the margin note is “Amount of weight to be entered: 6 quintals [~ 600 kg]. Which is a lot of wool!

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It was written on good quality laid paper and has a watermark. It looks like an L and M with a papermaker mallet in between. I'm still working on identifying it. I'm assuming it's a local paper.

.jpeg Image 11.jpeg Size: 937.97 KB  Downloads: 0


Cheers, Hugh

PS: Meanwhile, following the debacle in Russia, Napoleon is struggling in his war with the Sixth Coalition.]]>
...

Here's a commercial cover from October 29, 1813.

.jpeg Image 9.jpeg Size: 241.48 KB  Downloads: 0


It is addressed to:

Monsieur
Monsieur p re
Castres St Martin
Par Limoux
A Chalabre

That would appear to be Father [père] Castres St. Marin. And, it would also appear that the cover was sent to Chalabre a small town near Limoux. In 1806, Limoux had a population of 5,723. Both are in the Languedoc Region in southern France

The linear hand-stamp on the cover indicates that it was mailed from Prades in Département 65. This is supported by the letter inside which indicates that it was written by a gentleman named Mulló in Jujols (near Prades) on October 29, 1813.

Chalabre is just over 100km north of Jujols which would explain the manuscript 4 on the cover. The postage in 1813 would have been 4 décimes for a single letter weighing less than 6g traveling between 100 and 200km.

As far as I can tell, M. Mulló writes in a French with a non-standard orthography and, perhaps, a bit of Occitan influence thrown in.

Jajols Le 29. 8bre 1813
Monsieur p.re Castres jaj Reseu da l’atre
Du 21. Courant mois, et je vous Dire pour
Seffinir; De faire Venir a checher ma laine
de plus prait posible que l’ous pouvrai, par le
Voiturier, quil vous plairà, en portant une d’aitre
de Votre nom; Et celà ma bien instruiti
pour une otre foi Soit qui Se Soit
je Vous Salüe
Mulló

There is also a margin note on the left side that reads:

Montant
de pois. á
laine,
a ppe [ = à apposer]
6 . q.t [ = 6 quintats]

Which is to say, “Father Castres, I have received the letter of the 21st of this month, and I write to tell you, so as to settle the matter, to have my wool collected as soon as possible, by whichever carrier you think best, presenting my letter in your name. And this has taught me well for another time, whoever it may concern. I salute you, Mulló”

And, the margin note is “Amount of weight to be entered: 6 quintals [~ 600 kg]. Which is a lot of wool!

.jpeg Image 10.jpeg Size: 193.18 KB  Downloads: 0


It was written on good quality laid paper and has a watermark. It looks like an L and M with a papermaker mallet in between. I'm still working on identifying it. I'm assuming it's a local paper.

.jpeg Image 11.jpeg Size: 937.97 KB  Downloads: 0


Cheers, Hugh

PS: Meanwhile, following the debacle in Russia, Napoleon is struggling in his war with the Sixth Coalition.]]> <![CDATA[Germany: FFC / Returned to Sender]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=94 Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:49:42 +0000 Hugh]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=94 Here is an interesting commercial First Flight cover prepared for Lufthansa's inaugural service on April 11, 1974 of LH656 'Frankfurt-Hamburg-Anchorage-Tokio'. Note the privately printed orange Torii Gate cachet printed on the left side of the cover and the blue box hand-stamp on the right. 

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There is a pictorial CDS, in black, tied to a 40Pf Deutsche Bundespost 'Environmental Protection' 1973 stamp (Mi.Nr. 776) and a 1972 Berlin 10Pf 'Grunewaldsee' (Mi.Nr. 423).

It was addressed to Hermann E. Sieger, Anchorage (Alaska) / U.S.A. / Airport poste restante.

Their return address, in Lorch (Germany)  is printed on the back flap of the envelope. 

Auxiliary marking included Air Mail Luftpost Par Avion and Drucksache both printed in black ink on the top of the cover.

The Drucksache (Printed Matter) foreign airmail rate in 1974 would have been 50Pf ... 30Pf was the standard printed matter rate and 20Pf would have been the airmail surcharge. This cover has mixed franking ... FRG and Berlin. My understanding is that this was allowed only if the item was mailed in West Berlin. Based on the CDS, this FFC was mailed in Frankfurt-am-Main. In West Germany, Berlin stamps had no postal validity. They were tolerated as a decorative mixed-franking but postal clerks were supposed to ensure that the rate was covered by the non-Berlin stamps.

So, in theory, this item was under-franked. 

As well, the cover was addressed poste restante, to Anchorage (Airport). This was, I understand, a common 'trick' to try to get an arrival or transit marking at an intermediate stop before the piece was returned. 

In this case, it didn't seem to work. 

What makes the cover interesting is the purple hand-stamp, in English, that was applied when the cover reached Anchorage. 

RETURN TO SENDER
PHILATELIC SERVICE
NOT AUTHORIZED

This is a U.S. postal message used when an airport or station does not provide philatelic holding services [poste restante / general delivery] for souvenir covers. In other words: the Anchorage airport postal unit wasn’t going to hold, back-stamp, or hand-back collectors’ mail. 

Therefore, they used the above hand-stamp and returned the item to Sieger at the return address on the back flap.

Producing large runs of souvenirs covers was a big part of their business. (Sieger was also the firm famous for the Apollo 15 'Sieger Covers'). So, while they didn't get the Anchorage transit cancel they wanted, they did get this NOT AUTHORIZED hand-stamp. Probably a lot of them (smile).

Maybe even a better deal. 

Cheers, Hugh
]]> Here is an interesting commercial First Flight cover prepared for Lufthansa's inaugural service on April 11, 1974 of LH656 'Frankfurt-Hamburg-Anchorage-Tokio'. Note the privately printed orange Torii Gate cachet printed on the left side of the cover and the blue box hand-stamp on the right. 

.jpeg Image.jpeg Size: 311.3 KB  Downloads: 0


There is a pictorial CDS, in black, tied to a 40Pf Deutsche Bundespost 'Environmental Protection' 1973 stamp (Mi.Nr. 776) and a 1972 Berlin 10Pf 'Grunewaldsee' (Mi.Nr. 423).

It was addressed to Hermann E. Sieger, Anchorage (Alaska) / U.S.A. / Airport poste restante.

Their return address, in Lorch (Germany)  is printed on the back flap of the envelope. 

Auxiliary marking included Air Mail Luftpost Par Avion and Drucksache both printed in black ink on the top of the cover.

The Drucksache (Printed Matter) foreign airmail rate in 1974 would have been 50Pf ... 30Pf was the standard printed matter rate and 20Pf would have been the airmail surcharge. This cover has mixed franking ... FRG and Berlin. My understanding is that this was allowed only if the item was mailed in West Berlin. Based on the CDS, this FFC was mailed in Frankfurt-am-Main. In West Germany, Berlin stamps had no postal validity. They were tolerated as a decorative mixed-franking but postal clerks were supposed to ensure that the rate was covered by the non-Berlin stamps.

So, in theory, this item was under-franked. 

As well, the cover was addressed poste restante, to Anchorage (Airport). This was, I understand, a common 'trick' to try to get an arrival or transit marking at an intermediate stop before the piece was returned. 

In this case, it didn't seem to work. 

What makes the cover interesting is the purple hand-stamp, in English, that was applied when the cover reached Anchorage. 

RETURN TO SENDER
PHILATELIC SERVICE
NOT AUTHORIZED

This is a U.S. postal message used when an airport or station does not provide philatelic holding services [poste restante / general delivery] for souvenir covers. In other words: the Anchorage airport postal unit wasn’t going to hold, back-stamp, or hand-back collectors’ mail. 

Therefore, they used the above hand-stamp and returned the item to Sieger at the return address on the back flap.

Producing large runs of souvenirs covers was a big part of their business. (Sieger was also the firm famous for the Apollo 15 'Sieger Covers'). So, while they didn't get the Anchorage transit cancel they wanted, they did get this NOT AUTHORIZED hand-stamp. Probably a lot of them (smile).

Maybe even a better deal. 

Cheers, Hugh
]]> <![CDATA[Occupation of Germany: Post WW2]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=75 Thu, 14 Aug 2025 20:52:15 +0000 Hugh]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=75
Why interesting? They were printed on very thin paper ... Michel refers to it as "so-called 'cigarette paper'" So thin it is almost transparent.

Stamps:
Province of Saxony under Soviet Occupation
Series: Land Reform in the Province of Saxony - Farmer Plowing
Issued on February 21, 1946

6Pf, dark opal green, "cigarette paper"
Mi.Nr. 90
12Pf, red, "cigarette paper"
Mi.Nr. 91

Here are the stamps scanned against a white background.

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.jpeg Image 12.jpeg Size: 279.91 KB  Downloads: 0


And, here are the same stamps as they appear on a light table. I photographed the 12pf stamp from the back just to illustrate how transparent they are. The image is as clear from the back as it is from the front. (The item on top of the 6pf stamp is just the end of my stamp tongs. The stamps have a tendency to curl so it is holding it down).

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As Michel says "The watermark is barely visible". Very true ... I've just about given up. There's something there but none of my devices are able to resolve it into a clear image.

The perfs look good ... K 13x13.25.]]>
Why interesting? They were printed on very thin paper ... Michel refers to it as "so-called 'cigarette paper'" So thin it is almost transparent.

Stamps:
Province of Saxony under Soviet Occupation
Series: Land Reform in the Province of Saxony - Farmer Plowing
Issued on February 21, 1946

6Pf, dark opal green, "cigarette paper"
Mi.Nr. 90
12Pf, red, "cigarette paper"
Mi.Nr. 91

Here are the stamps scanned against a white background.

.jpeg Image 11.jpeg Size: 284.19 KB  Downloads: 1


.jpeg Image 12.jpeg Size: 279.91 KB  Downloads: 0


And, here are the same stamps as they appear on a light table. I photographed the 12pf stamp from the back just to illustrate how transparent they are. The image is as clear from the back as it is from the front. (The item on top of the 6pf stamp is just the end of my stamp tongs. The stamps have a tendency to curl so it is holding it down).

.jpeg Image 13.jpeg Size: 305.02 KB  Downloads: 0


As Michel says "The watermark is barely visible". Very true ... I've just about given up. There's something there but none of my devices are able to resolve it into a clear image.

The perfs look good ... K 13x13.25.]]> <![CDATA[Anti-forgery Measures on Stamps]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=68 Thu, 14 Aug 2025 20:07:13 +0000 Hugh]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=68
1932 Hindenburg Series

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1936/7 Hindenburg Series

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A used example. 

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]]>
1932 Hindenburg Series

.jpeg Image.jpeg Size: 268.38 KB  Downloads: 1


1936/7 Hindenburg Series

.jpeg Image 1.jpeg Size: 268.28 KB  Downloads: 0


A used example. 

.jpeg Image 2.jpeg Size: 190.91 KB  Downloads: 0
]]> <![CDATA[German East Africa Postal Stationery Card]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=57 Fri, 08 Aug 2025 01:22:29 +0000 Hugh]]> https://kingstonstampclub.ca/forum/showthread.php?tid=57
It's an Imperial German postal stationery card used in East Africa. It has an 1894 cancel from Tanga on a 5Pf numerical indicium with a local overprint changing the currency and value to 3 Pesa.

It was addressed to Herrn Dr. Kremser, Tanga, R.P.D. Bundesrath. R.P.D. is the abbreviation for a Reichspost‑dampfer (Imperial mail‑steamer). SS Bundesrath was one of the East‑Africa Line mailboats that shuttled between Hamburg, Tanga and Dar‑es‑Salaam; she happened to be in port, so the card was delivered Herr Doctor aboard.

As far as I can tell, the message reads:

Tanga d. 23 August  94.

Mein lieber Dr.

Werden hiermit freundlichst einge-
laden zum Skat und Süßbier.
Heute Abend 8h.

Mit Gruß
Kaphingst.

[Tanga, 23  August  1894 / My dear Doctor, / Please accept this cordial invitation to join me for Skat and a sweet-beer this evening at 8 o’clock. / Kind regards, / Kaphingst]

Sounds like a local businessman or government worker on shore is making plans to enjoy a card game and German sweet-beer with someone he knows on the steamer -- a passenger or the ship's doctor perhaps.

I spent the morning pouring over my Michel catalogs. I was concerned this was too good to be true for a couple of bucks. However, so far it looks good.

Postal Stationary
German East Africa
Provisional Overprint [Due to Currency Change on July 1, 1893] on Mi.Nr. Germany P36]
Issued on July 1, 1893
Overprint, in black 3 PESA 3 on German P36
3 PESA on 5Pf, Green
Mi.Nr. P1ii

This was a provisional fix, a local press added the 3 PESA 3 overprint to the existing stock of 5Pf cards, first the P30s, then the P36s while waiting for rupee-currency stamps and stationary from Europe.

That it is type ii (OP on P36 vs P30) is indicated by: 194g imprint in lower right corner - P30 cards have no print datum; P36 cards show three numerals + one lower case letter; thick continuous line printed between the 3rd and 4th dotted address lines, only on cards P32 to 36; The word An is 93mm from the left edge of the indicium stamp frame, on P30 it would have been 79mm.
Source: Michel Granzsachen-Katalog Deutschland

I understand that 12,000 of these cards were printed on P30 and 8-10,000 on the P36.

Cancel
Single ring CDS, in black
Inside the ring * TANGA *
Centre: 2[4] 8 / 94

It would appear that the invitation was written on the 23td but that the CDS was not applied until the 24th. Herr Doctor may have missed his card game and beer. Hopefully they got together the next day. 

Cheers, Hugh

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It's an Imperial German postal stationery card used in East Africa. It has an 1894 cancel from Tanga on a 5Pf numerical indicium with a local overprint changing the currency and value to 3 Pesa.

It was addressed to Herrn Dr. Kremser, Tanga, R.P.D. Bundesrath. R.P.D. is the abbreviation for a Reichspost‑dampfer (Imperial mail‑steamer). SS Bundesrath was one of the East‑Africa Line mailboats that shuttled between Hamburg, Tanga and Dar‑es‑Salaam; she happened to be in port, so the card was delivered Herr Doctor aboard.

As far as I can tell, the message reads:

Tanga d. 23 August  94.

Mein lieber Dr.

Werden hiermit freundlichst einge-
laden zum Skat und Süßbier.
Heute Abend 8h.

Mit Gruß
Kaphingst.

[Tanga, 23  August  1894 / My dear Doctor, / Please accept this cordial invitation to join me for Skat and a sweet-beer this evening at 8 o’clock. / Kind regards, / Kaphingst]

Sounds like a local businessman or government worker on shore is making plans to enjoy a card game and German sweet-beer with someone he knows on the steamer -- a passenger or the ship's doctor perhaps.

I spent the morning pouring over my Michel catalogs. I was concerned this was too good to be true for a couple of bucks. However, so far it looks good.

Postal Stationary
German East Africa
Provisional Overprint [Due to Currency Change on July 1, 1893] on Mi.Nr. Germany P36]
Issued on July 1, 1893
Overprint, in black 3 PESA 3 on German P36
3 PESA on 5Pf, Green
Mi.Nr. P1ii

This was a provisional fix, a local press added the 3 PESA 3 overprint to the existing stock of 5Pf cards, first the P30s, then the P36s while waiting for rupee-currency stamps and stationary from Europe.

That it is type ii (OP on P36 vs P30) is indicated by: 194g imprint in lower right corner - P30 cards have no print datum; P36 cards show three numerals + one lower case letter; thick continuous line printed between the 3rd and 4th dotted address lines, only on cards P32 to 36; The word An is 93mm from the left edge of the indicium stamp frame, on P30 it would have been 79mm.
Source: Michel Granzsachen-Katalog Deutschland

I understand that 12,000 of these cards were printed on P30 and 8-10,000 on the P36.

Cancel
Single ring CDS, in black
Inside the ring * TANGA *
Centre: 2[4] 8 / 94

It would appear that the invitation was written on the 23td but that the CDS was not applied until the 24th. Herr Doctor may have missed his card game and beer. Hopefully they got together the next day. 

Cheers, Hugh

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.jpeg Image 9.jpeg Size: 254.13 KB  Downloads: 0
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