Gallery

 

Official Cover: Freie durch Ablosung

SOME INTERESTING ASPECTS OF AN OFFICIAL COVER FROM DEC. 1939
Figure 1 - Authorized free-delivery cover sent within the city, after the beginning of the war.
Here are some of the aspects noted in this cover mailed to the “city”

1. It was mailed to the Managing Health Fund of the Harbor Committee located iii Danzig.

2. The slogan cancel of 7.12.39: JEDER DIENST AM VATERI.ANI) STAHLT UNSERE KRAFT. Behind the slogan is a line drawing of an iron cross, and, in this case, the lower horizontal line has a notch. According to Rittmeister, the design as shown in Fig.2 was used from 30. 10.39 until 27.11.39. After 30.11.39 and until the end of its use on 11.2.40, a dent appeared in the bottom horizontal line of the cross. (Fig.3)

3. The authorization for the free mailing was the purple rubber stamp at the bottom left.
Note that this stamper still speaks of the “Freie Stadt” while the slogan cancel is mute. (We found a catalog of rubber stamp fonts & seals in Gdansk! See next Report.

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 101 - October - November - December - 1998, Page 16.