Page 28 - Prepaid Reply Cards
P. 28

2.6 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT: FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS

           REPLY CARDS FOR DEDICATED USAGE DURING WWII
           During WW II German authorities issued a number of reply cards which were for a specific limited group of
           users. The cards were not sold openly, but were rationed and distributed in limited quantities.





                                                                                            Maybe the most
                                                                                            unusual German reply
                                                                                            card ever issued, this
                                                                                            card was a for the sole
                                                                                            use by forced
                                                                                            international labour
                                                                                            workers
                                                                                            «Fremdarbeiter»
                                                                                            stationed in Brussels, in
                                                                                            then occupied Belgium,
                                                                                            for correspondence
                                                                                            with their families in
                                                                                            the Netherlands,
                                                                                            Belgium and France.
                                                                                            This card was mailed
                                                                                            back from Rotterdam in
                                                                                            1941 but could not be
                                                                                            delivered – Only very
                                                                                            few used examples are
                                                                                            known










                                                                                            Similarly unusual are
                                                                                            the reply cards issued
                                                                                            during the German
                                                                                            occupation of the island
                                                                                            of Rhodes. These cards
                                                                                            were intended to be
                                                                                            used by the members of
                                                                                            the Italian civil
                                                                                            administration and
                                                                                            were limited to two per
                                                                                            month and did not use
                                                                                            a regular incipium. The
                                                                                            card shown was used
                                                                                            back from Italy in
                                                                                            August 1944 but was
                                                                                            returned since all civil
                                                                                            mail services to Rhode
                                                                                            were suspended – Only
                                                                                            very few used examples
                                                                                            are known










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