GPS April 2020

Book Order Postcards
“Bücherzettel”
Jerry H. Miller
Within the classification ‘Printed Matter’ and postage
rates relating to such, is a sub-category, which the early
German Post Office recognized as “Book Order Postcard Mail”
(“Bücherzettel”).
This sub-category is actually postcard-mail generally sent
to publishers or book dealers by patrons purchase-ordering
one or more books, or, vice versa inviting orders of newly
published books of potential interest sent to the mail’s recipient.
Such mail was not subject to the official postcard-rate but,
rather, subject to the printed-matter rate, despite such mail
potentially having more than ten words of text, which would
otherwise relegate such mail to the higher postcard rate.
Already prior to German unification in 1871 as well as the
establishment of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1875,
Image 1. Front of 1890 Book Order Card postmarked at Berlin sent to
Saalfeld, Germany. 3-Pfennig printed-matter postcard-rate
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German Postal Specialist