Germany 1962/1963 - DRG Rocket Mail – 15 Covers & 2 Vignette Sheets – LUPOSTA & Experiments

A specialised collection of Deutsche Raketen-Gesellschaft e.V. (DRG) rocket-mail material from 1962–1963, presented on eight album pages.

The lot comprises 17 principal items: fifteen illustrated postal covers/cards and two miniature sheets of private rocket vignettes, each containing four labels.

The collection includes LUPOSTA Berlin issues, commemorations of aviation and rocket pioneers, experimental series at Wunstorf, Sahlenburg and Zierenberg, high-altitude rocket experiments and transport-rocket issues supporting humanitarian campaigns.

The DRG vignettes are private rocket-mail labels, separate from the German postage stamps used for postal franking. Their inscriptions identify designs or experimental series rather than postal denominations.

DETAILED CONTENTS

LUPOSTA Berlin – February 1962

Illustrated postal item commemorating fifty years of German airmail, 1912–1962, with a reproduction of the Bork–Brück pioneer-airmail design. Bears a blue L1 rocket vignette and a violet “Befördert mit Rakete / PRV 1/WE” rocket-and-globe cachet. Franked with a 15-pfennig Berlin Heuss stamp, cancelled at Berlin-Tegel Airport on 18 February 1962 with the Hans Grade pioneer-airmail commemorative postmark.

Matching miniature sheet containing four private rocket vignettes: two L1 and two L2 designs. Marginal inscriptions include “Februar 1962”, “Raketenstart I”, “LUPOSTA Berlin” and the society’s name.

Companion illustrated item inscribed “Raketenflugplatz Berlin-Tegel”, naming Rudolf Nebel and Wernher von Braun and commemorating the years 1931–1932. Bears an L2 rocket vignette, a violet rocket-carriage cachet and a 15-pfennig Berlin Heuss stamp with the Berlin-Tegel special cancellation dated 18 February 1962.

Both postal items are addressed to the DRG experimental site at Sahlenburg near Cuxhaven.

LUPOSTA Berlin – Second Rocket Issue, May/June 1962

Miniature sheet containing four rocket vignettes: two L3 and two L4 designs in contrasting blue colour schemes. Marginal inscriptions read “Raketenstart II”, “Mai/Juni 1962”, “LUPOSTA Berlin” and “Deutsche Raketen-Gesellschaft”.

Illustrated postal item commemorating fifty years of German airmail, with aircraft, airship and pioneer-airmail imagery. Bears an L3 vignette and a cachet identifying rocket carriage for the seventeenth experimental series. Franked with a 15-pfennig Berlin Heuss stamp and cancelled at Berlin Central Airport on 10 June 1962 with a special postmark commemorating pioneer airmail on the Rhine and Main.

Reinhold Tiling Commemoration – Eighteenth Experimental Series, June 1962

Illustrated postal item inscribed “Start von Postversuchsraketen”, “Flughafen Berlin-Tempelhof” and “Ing. Reinhold Tiling 1932”. Bears an L4 rocket vignette, an eighteenth-series rocket-carriage marking and a 15-pfennig Berlin Heuss stamp tied by the Berlin Central Airport special cancellation dated 10 June 1962.

Companion item of the same design, also bearing an L4 vignette and the 10 June 1962 Berlin cancellation. This example additionally carries a prominent violet “Beschädigt nach Raketenstart” endorsement, meaning “Damaged after rocket launch”, together with the number 00908.

The latter item shows conspicuous surface soiling, marks and wear, consistent with its visibly damaged condition. The endorsement is described as present; the circumstances of the damage have not been independently verified.

Wunstorf – Nineteenth and Twentieth Experimental Series, 31 May 1962

Illustrated postal item for the nineteenth experimental series and the North German gliding competition at the Bundeswehr airfield at Wunstorf. Features a large aircraft silhouette and red rocket motifs. Franked with a German 7 + 3-pfennig butterfly youth charity stamp and cancelled at Wunstorf on 31 May 1962.

Bears a green DRG transport-rocket carriage cachet and a blue “Geflogen mit Hubschrauber der Bundeswehr” helicopter-carriage cachet.

Companion item for the twentieth experimental series, with a rocket-aircraft illustration and a printed commemoration of Fritz von Opel’s rocket-aircraft flight at Frankfurt am Main on 30 September 1929. Franked with a German 10-pfennig Europa stamp and cancelled at Wunstorf on 31 May 1962.

Also bears DRG transport-rocket and Bundeswehr helicopter-carriage cachets. Both items are addressed to the DRG presidium at Wunstorf airfield.

Sahlenburg Rocket Flying Day – Experimental Series 21 and 22, 9 September 1962

Cover for the twenty-first experimental series, with red printed rocket motifs and a large “Sahlenburg / DRG / Raketen-Flugtag” illustration depicting a CIRRUS rocket. Bears a violet “Befördert mit Rakete / 9.9.1962” rocket-and-globe cachet.

Franked with a German 20 + 10-pfennig butterfly youth charity stamp, tied by the Sahlenburg rocket flying-day special cancellation dated 9 September 1962.

Companion cover for the twenty-second experimental series, with green printed rocket motifs and matching CIRRUS rocket illustration. Bears a violet rocket-carriage cachet and a German 10 + 5-pfennig butterfly youth charity stamp, cancelled with the same Sahlenburg event postmark.

Both covers are addressed to the DRG Hamburg regional group.

Kassel Space Week / Zierenberg – Experimental Series 23 and 24, 20 October 1962

Illustrated cover for the twenty-third experimental series, featuring the Earth, an orbital path and a satellite against a background of rocket outlines. Bears a reddish rocket-carriage cachet dated 20 October 1962.

Franked with a German 10-pfennig Europa CEPT stamp and tied by the Zierenberg special cancellation inscribed “DRG Raumfahrttag Kassel”, dated 20 October 1962.

Companion cover for the twenty-fourth experimental series, featuring a large spacecraft illustration. Franked with a 10-pfennig Berlin architectural stamp and bearing the same Zierenberg event cancellation and dated rocket-carriage cachet.

The accompanying German album text explains that the DRG was commissioned to launch two experimental series during the Kassel space week held at the Hermann-Schafft-Haus from 15 to 21 October 1962. Both covers are addressed to the DRG Hamburg regional group.

Sahlenburg – High-Altitude Experiments, 13 January 1963

Illustrated cover showing a map of the North Sea coast, including Sahlenburg, Cuxhaven, Neuwerk, Scharhörn and Bremerhaven, together with rocket silhouettes. Inscribed for the twenty-fifth experimental series and CIRRUS B high-altitude experiments.

Franked with a German 20 + 10-pfennig Snow White charity stamp. Bears the Sahlenburg “Raketen-Höhenflugversuche” special cancellation dated 13 January 1963 and a reddish “Mit Höhenrakete befördert” cachet.

Companion cover for the twenty-sixth experimental series, illustrated with a radar or tracking installation. Franked with a German 40 + 20-pfennig Snow White charity stamp and bearing the same dated Sahlenburg high-altitude experiment cancellation and carriage cachet.

The accompanying album text states that experiments involved two two-stage CIRRUS B vehicles and two further two-stage vehicles of type MVR II/WE. Both covers are addressed to the DRG Hamburg regional group.

Transport-Rocket Experiments and Humanitarian Campaigns – April 1963

Colourfully illustrated DRG TR 1 postal item showing pink rockets against a textured background, with the inscription “Technik im Dienste der Menschheit”.

Franked with a German 20-pfennig “Brot für die Welt” stamp and cancelled at Sahlenburg with a DRG transport-rocket experiment postmark dated April 1963. A turquoise bilingual cachet states rocket carriage in support of the MISEREOR and “Brot für die Welt” campaigns.

Companion DRG TR 2 item showing blue rockets against an orange and dark background. Franked with a German 10-pfennig MISEREOR 1963 stamp and bearing the matching Sahlenburg transport-rocket experiment cancellation and humanitarian campaign cachet.

Both are addressed to the DRG Hamburg regional group. The accompanying explanatory text, dated Hannover, April 1963, describes the development of VR/SH experimental vehicles towards a radio-controlled supply rocket for disaster relief, with participation by students of the society’s rocket and space seminar.

FRANKINGS AND POSTAL MARKINGS

The collection includes Berlin Heuss and architectural stamps, German Europa CEPT issues, butterfly youth charity stamps, Snow White charity stamps, and the “Brot für die Welt” and MISEREOR issues.

Markings include:

Berlin-Tegel and Berlin Central Airport aviation commemorative cancellations.

DRG rocket-and-globe carriage cachets.

Experimental-series and transport-rocket markings.

Bundeswehr helicopter-carriage cachets.

Sahlenburg rocket flying-day and high-altitude experiment cancellations.

Zierenberg/Kassel space-day cancellations.

A prominent “Damaged after rocket launch” endorsement.

Bilingual humanitarian campaign cachets.

The two miniature sheets contain eight private rocket labels in total and are counted as two items.

I can combine the shippings strictly following the Catawiki rules.

IMPORTANT INFO:
Following a recent change in international sector regulations, specifically Articles 18 and 19 of the Universal Postal Convention, starting from January 1, 2026, it will no longer be possible to send items (goods with or without commercial value) using International Registered and International Insured services, which will continue to be used exclusively for sending documents.
It means that starting from January 1st, 2026, I will ship abroad only by "POSTE DELIVERY INTERNATIONAL