Lot #77: WWII GERMAN LARGE CIG CARD FROM THE PROPAGANDA SET , GROUP 62, CARD 167, ORIGINAL T

This is one cigarette card from the collectible set. Collective work No., 15 Group 62, Image No. 167. Child hands. This cigarette cards measures approximately 4 1/2" x 6 1/2".  Cigarette cards were a long held tradition in Germany dating to the 1890’s with WWII marking a huge increase in these collectible cards.  These small illustrated inexpensive cards were included in all cigarette packages and were collected and traded widely.  These cards were manufactured by the Cigarettenfabrik Constantin, in Dresden and Berlin. Larger cig cards, ones that could not fit into a cigarette package, were introduced later as an added collectible.  You would receive “points” upon purchase of cig and these “points” could be accumulated and mailed into the manufacturer for larger collectible cards sets.  Books, or albums, of a highly descriptive nature were also purchased from cig companies, where you could paste in your cards in blank spaces provided in the books. Some of these books could contain as many as 1000 cards.  Just as in sports cards these were highly collectible and very tradeable.  Books for sets included: Deutschland Erwache and Kampf ums Dritte Reich.  Soldiers were still rationed cigs and cig sales were taxed at rates of 90% becoming a large source of income for the government.  The collectible cards were also good sources of propaganda. Pickup category timeslot {A}