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- Schwaben 1912 Rhein-Main Flight
Schwaben 1912 Rhein-Main Flight
Object Details
- Description
- Souvenir postcard posted in Darmstadt on June 23, 1912, the last date of the demonstration flights, and flown by the airship Schwaben (LZ10). In addition to the 5 pfennig Germania stamp (inland postcard rate), the card bears three special 30 pfennig semi-official airmail stamps (Michel III) issued as a surcharge for these airmail demonstrations. The upper left 30 pfennig stamp is the "large moon variety" (Michel IIIF). The stamps are tied with the special Flugpost am Rhein u. am Main Darmstadt postmark.
- This example is one of the cards often referred to as a 'use-up card'. On the last day of the air show, organizers addressed the unused postcards to the Old Palais, Darmstadt, location of the air show office and residence of the princess of Hessen, who had initiated the show. They franked the cards with the unused stamps, which explains why these cards have three of the 30 pf semi-official issues. Then these cards were postmarked on the final day and flown either on the 24th or the 27th, to be sold at a later date. The organizers guaranteed that all cards would be flown by the zeppelin Schwaben or by the airplane Gelber Hund, depending on load space. Sometimes it is impossible to determine which aircraft carried a specific piece of mail.
- Data Source
- National Postal Museum
- Date
- 1912
- Object number
- 0.222097.1.29.1
- Type
- Covers & Associated Letters
- Medium
- paper; ink
- Place
- Germany (German empire)
- See more items in
- National Postal Museum Collection
- Title
- Sieger Catalog 12b
- Topic
- John P. V. Heinmuller Collection of Zeppelin Covers
- Covers & Letters
- Record ID
- npm_0.222097.1.29.1
- Usage
- Usage conditions apply
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