This is a one-sided philatelic souvenir card from Germany, issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first flight to America by the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin.
Postmark Date & Location: Cancelled in Friedrichshafen on October 14, 1978.
Stamp: Features a 40+20pf Deutsche Bundespost Youth issue depicting the Luftschiff LZ 1 (1900).
Cancel Type: A pictorial commemorative postmark for the 50th Anniversary of the first America flight ("50. Jahrestag 1. Amerikafahrt"), featuring the Statue of Liberty and an airship.
Special Markings: Includes blue and green commemorative cachets honoring the Zeppelin exhibition, replicating the historical "Mit Luftschiff LZ 127 befördert" (Carried by Airship LZ 127) postal markings.
Publisher: Philatelistisches Büro Rau, Friedrichshafen.
The LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was a German passenger-carrying, hydrogen-filled rigid airship that operated from 1928 to 1937. On October 11, 1928, the airship departed Friedrichshafen on its first intercontinental passenger flight, crossing the Atlantic Ocean to the United States. Commanded by Dr. Hugo Eckener, it arrived at Naval Air Station Lakehurst in New Jersey on October 15, 1928, after a gruelling 111-hour journey hampered by severe squalls. This milestone flight demonstrated the viability of transatlantic airship travel and cemented the Graf Zeppelin's legacy as one of the most successful and famous airships in aviation history.