Collectible, but seldom collected: Part 1—Printed Backs on Postal Cards

 

When I study Luxembourg postal cards, I enjoy the printed backs, the cachets (or “chops”) of the senders, and the auxiliary and manuscript markings applied by the postal clerks.  Yet, little has been published on any of these collecting possibilities.  It’s a shame.

Is there an unspoken prejudice against printed backs?  When asked about the significance of printed backs, a well-known American stamp show judge once told me that show judges were only interested in what the government printed (or otherwise put) on the cards.  Rather, the judge seemed enamored of comments on exhibits such as “only one recorded,” “one of three recorded,” and so on—of course, without any reference to “the record” where the pretentious claims could be verified. 

In fact, just like postmarks and government-printed indicia, printed backs provide primary data helping us understand the role postal cards played in late 19th and early 20th century commerce, showing notices, orders, invoices, and advertisements.  Without an appreciation of printed backs, our understanding of postal card use would depend largely on historians’ secondary accounts.

Here are a few examples:

Prosper Schwartz & Cie. Mersch Early 1900s

 

Werling Lambert & Cie. Luxembourg 1898

 

Gebr. KETTEN. Luxemburg 1905

 

Ch. Bernhœft Photographe de la Cour Luxembourg 1906

 

Imprimerie Jos. Beffort 3 Place-d’Armes Luxembourg 1897

 

Breistroff & Schmitt, Düdelingen (Lux.) 1908

 

Luxemburger Landes-Dbst und Gartenbau Verein Hotel Brosius, Luxemburg 1920