OFFICIAL POSTCARDS
(1938)
This page was last updated
16-Sep-2026 06:36
P274 / 05
FEBRUAR
VALIDITY: 1st Feb 1939 to 30th Jun 1939
BACKGROUND: The following series of 6 postcards was issued at various stages from 14th Oct 1983 through to 21st Feb 1939 with a valid date up until 30th Jun 1939. 4 Rpf of the proceeds from the sale of each card went towards the Winter Relief Fund.
The cards are labelled from Oct to Mar, with each card representing a different month. Each of the cards depicts a tradesperson going about their work. The official theme of the cards was "flowers from the Ostmarke" and the designs were from prolific artist von Axtler-Heudlass. The design of the cards closely matches the design of the door plaques that were being used during this period.
The pre-printed value stamp features two Eidelweiss flowers and 6 Rpf was for postage whilst the remaining 4 Rpf was donated to the WHW.
Similar sets of six cards with a different theme were also issued in 1939 and again in 1940.
The six cards are as follows:
P274/01: October - Issued 14th Oct 1938
P274/02: November - Issued 18th Nov 1938
P274/03: December - Issued 1st Dec 1938
P274/04: January - Issued 29h Dec 1938
P274/05: February - Issued 1st Feb 1939
P274/06: March - Issued 21st Feb 1939
In addition to the offical cards there were also several examples of privately printed cards as below
VARIANTS TO COLLECT
The following are suggested variants that might make good additions to a collection:1. Cancelled on first day of issue 14th Oct 1938
2. Cancelled with "WHW" handstamp
3. Cancelled with "WHW Ein Volk hilft sich selbst" machine stamp
4. As a land or rural cancellation
5. As a domestic long-distance card without any special features
6. As a foreign used card with 10 Rpf to CSR
7. As a foreign used card with 10 Rpf to Hungary
8. As a foreign used card with 15 Rpf
9. As a Registered Delivery card
10. As a local delivery Express Delivery card
11. Cancelled as a Hamburg Straßenbahnpost
12. Used as a Rohrpost (pneumatic) card in BERLIN
13. Domestic Airmail usage
14. European Airmail usage
15. Airmail usage to the USA
16. As a Zeppelin post card
17. Postally unused
18. Domestic Bahnpost usage
19. Invalid Usage - either after expiration date or with incorrect postage applied
20. With additional private printing
21. With Special slogan cancels
POSTALLY UNUSED
CANCELLED on FIRST DAY of ISSUE
Cancelled on the official issue date 1st Feb 1939
CANCELLED WITH "WHW" HANDSTAMP
CANCELLED WITH "WHW Ein Volk hilft sich selbst" MACHINE STAMP
1. The following card was domestically used and sent from BERLIN to RADEBEUL on 16th Feb 1939. There card also has the accompanying special slogan cancel inscribed "WHW | Ein Volk | hilft sich selbst" - "WHW a people helps itself"
AS A LAND OR RURAL CANCELLATION
DOMESTIC LONG DISTANCE WITHOUT SPECIAL MARKINGS
1. Cancelled in MUNICH on Saturday 11th Mar 1938 the following example was sent to BERLIN, about 600 Km to the North.
FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to CSR
1. The following card was sent from an unknown location to ZLIN in CZECHOSLOVAKIA on 4th Mar 1939
FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to HUNGARY
FOREIGN USE WITH 15 Rpf
REGISTERED DELIVERY CARD
EXPRESS DELIVERY CARD
HAMBURG STRAßENBAHNPOST
Cancelled as a Hamburg Straßenbahnpost
POSTED AS ROHRPOST IN BERLIN
DOMESTIC AIRMAIL
EUROPEAN AIRMAIL
AIRMAIL TO USA
ZEPPELIN POST
GERMAN BAHNPOST
1.
INVALID USAGE
SPECIAL SLOGAN CANCELS
1.
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
