A Common 15c Marie-Adélaïde Cover? Perhaps not - take a close look at the stamp!

Luxembourg-Ville,

31 Mar 1921

to

Bettborn,

1 Apr 1921

Domestic 20g letter rate  = 15c

(12 Apr 1920—1 Apr 1921)

A nice rate cover, but look closer!

15c Marie-Adélaïde with

Caisse d'Epargne 

Luxembourg 

'star' perfin

(bottom center) 

Antunes and Basien, writing in Luxemburg Perfins (August 2015), state that the Caisse d'Epargne perfin was used from 1905 to 1928.  

Although this perfin is not particularly uncommon, uses on cover are scarce.

 

A Mysterious Incoming Advertising Card

What was it?

 Const.-Apparat. "Benzing"

Advertising cards and covers sometimes offer a glimpse at obscure creations that have otherwise been pretty much lost in time.  Here is an example:  the "Benzing," replete with a crank, clock, handle and patent number.

What was it?  How was it used?  Was it ever commercially marketed?

 

Milspe, Westfalen

21 Apr 1904

to

Luxembourg-Gare

22 Apr 1904

Corner card:

Carl Woeste

Gevelsberg i. W.

Vertreter.

Mixed Adolphe & Arms UPU Uprating
from Boevange (Boegen) in 1907

 

Boevange (Boegen)

2 Nov 1907 [7:00-8:00 a.m.]

Transit Clervaux, 2 Nov 1907 [10:00-11:00 a.m.]

Cavalese, Austria, 4 Nov 1907

Apart from the unusual mixed uprating, I was confused by the destination -- Cavalese in Sud/Tirol, Osterreich. Isn't Cavalese, South Tyrol, part of Italy? Yes, but in 1907 it wasn't. South Tyrol, situated at the northernmost point of Italy, was formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was not annexed to Italy until 1919, after World War 1. Thus, the card is correctly addressed to Cavalese in Sud/Tirol, Osterreich.

Even cards as common as this 5-centime Arms card offer collecting challenges.  Intended to pay the domestic rate, uses can be found from the country's many small villages.  I especially like village-to-village uses.  Uprated UPU uses to other than neighboring countries are also difficult to find.  And in this instance the mixed uprating itself is uncommon.  No surprise that the return address is that of a stamp collector -- E. Schuster, Allerborn b/Wiltz!

The ten-centime UPU rate remained in effect until 10 May 1921.  

When did WW1 German censorship of incoming mail end?

Chemical Censorship of Incoming Mail
9 Days before the 1918 WW1 Armistice

 

 Metz
2 Nov 1918
to
Luxembourg-Ville

 Violet Trier censor handstamp
and chemical swabs front and back

 

 

Two views of Clervaux are found on the 40c Second Series of Postal Stationery Viewcards!

Have you noticed? 

The Clervaux view
was redrawn in 1931!

LHBK 97-01a --- Prifix 102

21 Jul 1930 Printing

LHBK 97-01b --- Prifix 102

 

1931 Printing (redrawn view)

 Mersch

11 Jul 1931

to

Bruxelles, Belgium

The other 11 views in the 1931 printing were not redrawn.  Why was the Clervaux substantially redrawn?  

Also, on the 1931 printing of the 40c Clervaux view the stamp imprint appears in a deeper green than it does on the 1930 printing, and the view is printed in a deep reddish-brown, whereas the 1930 printing is in brown.

The two different Clervaux views are listed in the Luxembourg Handbook.

Modern postal stationery varieties: 40c/90c Mondorf Viewcard with Full Offset (Abklatsch)

Prifix 94 --- LHBK 96-01

40c/90c Vase

with

Full Offset
(Abklatsch) 

 Luxembourg-Ville

23 Jan 1931

to

Munich, Germany

 

Uprated to pay the 75c
rate to Germany

Not previously reported.

A scarce Mondorf postal viewcard -- sole use of the 40c/90c surcharge!

Prifix 94 --- LHBK 96

1930

40c/90c

Nine Mondorf Views 

When the 40c/90c surcharged Mondorf viewcards appeared sometime in 1930, the 40c postal card rate to France and Germany had already ended on December 15, 1927.  Thus, sole uses of the 40c/90c card are only possible domestically (from 1 Jul 1930 to 1 Feb 1935) and to Belgium (from 1 Dec 1929 to 1 Feb 1935).  In 50 years of collecting, I have only acquired two sole uses -- that's one every 25 years on the average!  How many do you have?

Statue -- View 96-02

22 Oct 1930

Esch-sur-Alzette to Rodange

Commercial correspondence.

Bridge -- View 96-06

2 Apr 1932

Luxembourg-Ville III to
Berbourg [Post: Wecker]

  Stamp dealer correspondence.

 

Proofs of the 1927 Mondorf-les-Bains Postal Viewcards

Complete Set of 9

 View 1 - Vase

Designer:  Harry Rabinger

 View 2 - Statue

Designer: Harry Rabinger

View 3 - Fountain

Designer: Harry Rabinger

View 4 - Dock

Designer: Harry Rabinger

 

 

 View 5 - Arch

Designer: Jean Schaack

 

 

 View 6 - Bridge

Designer:  Harry Rabinger

 

 

 View 7 - House

Designer: Nico Klopp 

 

 

 View 8 - Park

Designer: Jean Schaack

 

 

View 9 - Park in Octagon

Designer: Nico Klopp

The artistic beauty of these designs is evident, surpassing that of subsequent viewcard issues!

 

 

Unusual domestic use of the 90c Mondorf UPU-rate Postal Viewcard!

 90c UPU-rate
Mondorf Postal Viewcard

Fountain View

Prifix 91 - LHBK 86-03

Route

Beaufort (old dbl-circle cncl), 9 Mar 1932
Luxembourg-Ville [b/s], 9 Mar 1932
Payment refused
Returned transit Diekirch, 15 Mar 1932
Beaufort (bridge cncl), 15 Mar 1932

Rate

Domestic postal card = 0.40 F
Registry fee = 1.75 F
COD fee [198 F] = 0.75 F

Total: 2.90F

90c paid by 90c UPU-rate Viewcard
&
2.00 F paid by:

2F Clervaux View

A 'fishy' postal card

Nic. Feipel's 

Return Address 'Chops'

 Fish

Nic. Feipel

Fischhandlung

Luxembg.-Gare

Crayfish 

Nic. Feipel

Fischandlung

Luxemburg-Gare

Luxembourg-Ville

2 Jun 1924

to 

Monsieur Dubois

Poissons

Le Havre, Seine Inférieure,

France

3 Jun 1924 [b/s]

The imaginative chops and cachets found on postal cards provide an entertaining sideline for the specialist.  Nic. Feipel's fish and crayfish chops (both seen on the card above) are among my favorites!

 

Sole domestic use of the 20c Arms Postal Card in 1926—A Scarce, Overlooked Rate

Sole Domestic Use in 1926 

Luxembourg-Gare B
19 Jan 1926
to

Dommeldange
20 Jan 1926

Luxembourg issued a 20-centime orange Coat of Arms postal card on June 1, 1921, as the postal card rate to Belgium, France, and Germany had been increased to 20 centimes in May 1921. This postal card remained valid until 30 June 1928 (Prifix 70—Hdbk 72). And the 20-centime rate to Belgium continued in effect until August 1, 1926, and to France and Germany until October 1, 1925. Thus, sole uses to the three neighboring countries are not too difficult to find.

Often overlooked, however, is that the domestic postal card rate was also increased to 20 centimes, as of January 1, 1926.  This domestic rate remained in effect for only 7 months—until August 1, 1926.  Consequently, sole domestic uses during this 212-day period are difficult to find.  Shown above is the only example in my collection.

WW2 Parcel Cards from Luxembourg Conscripts in Occupied Poland

Schwetz (Weichsel) to Oberfeulen

Feldpost 

 

Soldier Spielmann to Spielmann Family

in Oberfeulen

 Schwetz (Weichsel), Poland, ? Mar 1943

Oberfeulen [post: Niederfeulen b/s], 21 Mar 1943

3.0 kg. = 60 Rpf. [Zone 5]

Delivery Fee = 15 Rpf.

On November 26, 1939, as a result of the German campaign in Poland, the Schwetz district became part of the newly formed Reichsgaus Westpreußen—later, Danzig-Westpreußen—in the new Regierungsbezirk Bromberg.  After war, the town’s Polish name—Świecie—was restored.

Graudenz 3 to Esch/Alzig 

Soldier Koch to Emil Koch

in Esch/Alzig

 Graudenz 3, Poland, 15 Mar 1943

Esch-Alzig [b/s], 24 Mar 1943

4.0 kg. = 60 Rpf. [Zone 5]

Delivery Fee = 15 Rpf.

Delivery fee refunded (red hs)

From 26 October 1939 to 1945, Graudenz was part of the administrative district of Regierungsbezirk Marienwerder in the new province of Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia.  After the war, the town's Polish name—Grudziądz—was restored.