German Empire 1899 - Bodensee Ship Mail “Seven-Country Card” with 5-Country Mixed Franking & Ship Mail!

Spectacular philatelic time document from the Bodensee ship mail (Lake Constance) from 1899!

For sale is one of the most extraordinary and sought-after collectibles in Bodensee philately, ship mail, and local history: An original "Travel Artist / Seven-Länder Map" (postmarked December 1, 1899) with gold refinement and an extremely rare 5-country mixed frank on a single Ansichtskarte (reprint card)! This historically highly interesting vexier litho postcard documents the multinational neighboring-state theme of Lake Constance at the turn of the century in an extraordinary form.

Historical background & motif:
The card was designed especially for the Lake Constance region, where travelers could visit up to seven different territories and sovereigns in a single day.

Front side: Colored map of the neighboring states, printed poem "For Travel Artists!" as well as the coats of arms of the regions, refined with elaborate gold printing/gilding (especially beautiful shine of the heraldic elements). Authentic handwritten vacation greeting.

Stamp stock:
Kingdom of Bavaria: 3 Pfennig coat of arms
Kingdom of Württemberg: 2 Pfennig
Switzerland: 2 Rappen cross over shield
Austria: 2 kreuzer Emperor Franz Joseph I.
German Empire: 3 Pfennig Reichspost

Cancellation documentation & transportation chain:
K.K. OESTERR. SCHIFFSPOST (Date: 1.12.99): Oval on-board stamp of the Austrian Lake Constance steamship service with clear date.
BODENSEE ship mail stamp: Blue auxiliary stamp "... A. BODENSEE POST ...".
Bavarian intra-area day stamp: Fine transit/order stamp.
MÜNCHEN 2: Day stamp (arrival/delivery location).

Why stamps from 5 countries?
Lake Constance touches Germany (at that time with the separate postal areas of Bavaria, Württemberg and the German Empire), Austria, and Switzerland. On the cross-border ship routes, the courses crossed daily between the nations. Philately-wise, the regular postage was always paid with the stamp of the country of departure. Having stamps from all neighboring states on one card was not a postal requirement, but it did correspond to a highly coveted and transport-technical accepted mixed franking.

Condition:
Good, authentic preserved condition for a historical document from 1899 (see high-resolution scans for a personal impression). All stamps are clearly recognizable and without defects.

Conclusion:
In this combination of a precisely dated ship mail stamp from 1899, a historical motif, and a complete 5-country franking, an absolute museum piece and a genuine one-of-a-kind for any prestigious collection!

Have fun bidding.