Dates
An Illustrated History of the Embroidered Silk Postcards is the standard reference book on embroidered silk postcards. It contains references to over 2600 different cards with over 270 illustrations. The section on Dates lists 47 cards. The cards listed below are additional cards discovered since the book was published. The latest additions are shown in RED.
Date cards have a date or a combination of dates embroidered onto the silk panel. Most of them were published during the First World War and these designs usually incorporate the Allied flags. Many designs were re-used with a different caption or an envelope front. They were available to buy throughout the year and not just at New Year, so many were sent.
Single date cards from 1915 to 1919 are common, although some individual designs are rare. Date cards before and after these times are rare to very rare, except for 1940. Only three examples are known of cards with the single date 1914, and they are the only ones ever seen in nearly 50 years of collecting. This indicates that the main production of embroidered silk postcards in the First World War began in 1915. The last card seen with an embroidered date came from 1956. Most cards with a combination of dates are common; they usually begin with 1914 and none have been seen after 1919.
Most of the date cards from the inter-war period of 1920 to 1939 are associated with Gibraltar. This is a major British naval base and most of the ships taking British soldiers to their stations across the world stopped there. These cards maintain the patriotic designs of the British flags and colours.
Very few new postcards have been discovered with embroidered dates that are not listed in my book. Because there are so many date cards available, I have introduced a listing of captions on single date cards, a new feature that is not in my book. Pre-1914 dates are also listed under Early (Pre-1914) Cards, and the date may be printed on the card or embroidered in the silk panel.
Images of a representative selection of cards are shown beneath the listings.
Information and images on this site are © Ian Collins 2021.
No part may be reproduced, stored, transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the author.
SINGLE DATES
1901 1905 1906 1907 1910
1912 1913 1941 1942 1956
COMBINATION DATES
1870 1871 1870 1914 1914 1915 1919 1914 1919 1915 1916
CAPTIONS OF CARDS WITH SINGLE DATES
1900 EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE SOUVENIR DU VILLAGE SUISSE PARIS
SOUVENIR DU VILLAGE SUISSE PARIS EXPOSITION
1901 SOUVENIR St GALLEN
1903 KK FARBSCHULE DORNBIRN GRUSS AUS DORNBIRN
1904 (Date only)
EIDGENOT SCHUTZFEST St GALLEN
SOUVENIR St GALL. SCHUTZENFEST
St LOUIS WORLD'S FAIR
TIR(?) FEDERAL
1905 FETE DES VIGNERONS
SOUVENIR DE LA FETE DES VIGNERONS VEVEY
1906 (Date only)
1907 EIDG. SCHUTZENFEST 7-18 JULI ZURICH
JAMESTOWN 1607
STICKEREI AUSSTELLUNG AMRISWIL 5 u. 6 MAI
1908 A HAPPY NEW YEAR
1910 HAPPY NEW YEAR
PROSIT NEU JAHR
1912 KAISER BESUCH
1913 (Date only)
HAPPY NEW YEAR
1914 AOUT
HONNEUR AUX ALLIES L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE
ON WAR SERVICE
VIVE LES ALLIES
1915 75 VICTOIRE
A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL
ALLIES DE
BAILLEUL
BEST THOUGHTS
CHRISTMAS
ENTENTE CORDIALE
FOR LIBERTY
GLOIRE AUX ALLIES
GOOD LUCK
HONEUR
HONEUR PATRIE RF
HURRAH FOR THE ALLIES
JOYEUX AVRIL
LES SOEURS LATINES
MERRY CHRISTMAS
PER LA LIBERTA
PORTE BONHEUR
POUR NOS HEROS
REMEMBER
REMEMBRANCE
RIGHT IS MIGHT
SINCERE FRIENDSHIP
St QUENTIN
SOVENIR
SOUVENIR DE
THE ALLIES
TOUS POUR LE DROIT
TOUS UNIS
UNITED
UNITED WE STAND
UNION IS FORCE
VERS LA VICTOIRE
VICTOIRE
VIVE LA FRANCE
YPRES
1916 A HAPPY NEW YEAR
A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR
ALLIES
ALLIES DE
BEST WISHES FOR THE NEW YEAR
BONNE ANNEE
C.A.S.C.
FOR LIBERTY
FRANCE TOUJOURS
GLOIRE AUX HEROES DE VERDUN
GOOD LUCK
GOOD WISHES FOR
HAPPY NEW YEAR
HAPPY YEAR
HEUREUSE ANNEE
MERRY CHRISTMAS
PAX NEW YEAR
REMEMBRANCE
St QUENTIN
SOUVENIR
SOUVENIR DE
SOUVENIR DE L'ARGONNE
TO MY SWEETHEART
UNITED
VERS LA VICTOIRE
1917 A HAPPY NEW YEAR
BONNE ANNEE
EICH VATERLAND MAGST ENTZIG SEIN
EXPEDITIONARY FORCE FRANCE
EXPEDITIONARY FROM FRANCE
FOR LIBERTE AND JUSTICE
FOR LIBERTY AND JUSTICE
GREETING FROM TRENCHES
GREETINGS FROM FRANCE
HAPPY NEW YEAR
REMEMBER
St QUENTIN
SOUVENIR DE BELGIQUE
SOUVENIR DE FRANCE
SOUVENIR DE LA CLASSE
SOUVENIR FROM FRANCE
TO THE VICTORY
XMAS GREETINGS FROM MELBOURNE XMAS
1918 A HAPPY NEW YEAR
A KISS FROM FRANCE
BEST CHRISTMAS WISHES
BEST WISHES FOR NEW YEAR
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
ETOILE DE LA VICTOIRE
EXPEDITIONARY FORCE FRANCE
FOR LIBERTY AND JUSTICE
GOOD LUCK
GREETINGS FROM TRENCHES
HAPPY NEW YEAR
HOW I MISS YOU
MERRY CHRISTMAS
SOUVENIR D'ARRAS
SOUVENIR DE BELGIQUE
SOUVENIR DE FRANCE
SOUVENIR FROM FRANCE
TO MY DEAR SISTER
TO MY DEAR WIFE
VICTORIOUS NEW YEAR
1919 A HAPPY CHRISTMAS
A HAPPY NEW YEAR
BEST CHRISTMAS WISHES
BEST WISHES
BONNE ANNEE
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
DON'T FORGET ME
FORGET ME NOT
FRIEDE
FROM YOUR LOVING HUSBAND
FROM YOUR SOLDIER BOY
GOOD LUCK
GREETINGS FOR
GRUSS DEM FRIEDEN
HANDS ACROSS THE SEA
HAPPY NEW YEAR
I DON'T FORGET YOU
LA VICTOIRE
PAIX
PEACE
PROSIT NEUJAHR SIE GEGRUSST DU FREIDENSJAHR
SEALED WITH A KISS
SOUVENIR
SOUVENIR DE DIEPPE
SOUVENIR DE FRANCE
SOUVENIR DE MEZIERS
SOUVENIR FROM COLOGNE
SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
SOUVENIR OF BONN A/R
SOUVENIR OF COLOGNE
SOUVENIR VON KOLN A/R
TO MY DEAR BROTHER
TO MY DEAR FATHER
TO MY DEAR MOTHER
TO MY DEAR SISTER
TO MY DEAR SISTER
YEAR OF VICTORY
1920 A HAPPY NEW YEAR
GOOD LUCK
GOOD LUCK FOR
GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA
HONNEUR A LA CLASSE
JANVIER BONNE ANNEE
SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
VICTOIRE PAIX SOUVENIR DE LA CLASSE
1921 A HAPPY NEW YEAR
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
GOOD LUCK
HAPPY CHRISTMAS
SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
1922 BONNEE ANNEE
SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
VICTOIRE PAIX SOUVENIR DE LA CLASSE
1923 SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
1924 SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
TO MY DEAR MOTHER
TO MY DEAR SWEETHEART
TO MY DEAR WIFE
1925 A HAPPY CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
1926 SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
TO MY DEAR FATHER
TO MY DEAR FRIEND
TO MY DEAR MOTHER
TO MY DEAR SISTER
TO MY DEAR SWEETHEART
1927 SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
SWEET REMEMBRANCE
TO MY DEAR MOTHER
TO MY DEAR SWEETHEART
1928 SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
SOUVENIR OF GIBRALTAR
1929 SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
1930 FROM YOUR LOVING BROTHER
FROM YOUR LOVING SON
SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
1931 SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
1932 SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
1933 SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
1934 SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR TO MY DEAR MOTHER
1935 SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
1936 FROM YOUR LOVING BROTHER
SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
1937 SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
1938 SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
1939 GREAT WAR FOR FREEDOM FRANCE
SOUVENIR DE FRANCE
SOUVENIR FROM FRANCE
SOUVENIR FROM GIBRALTAR
1940 A HAPPY BIRTHDAY
AFFECTIONATE KISSES
EASTER GREETINGS
FOR EVER YOURS
GREAT WAR FOR FREEDOM FRANCE
SOUVENIR DE FRANCE
SOUVENIR FROM FRANCE
TO MY DEAR MOTHER
1941 ANDENKEN AUS FRANKREICH
SOUVENIR DE FRANCE
1942 ANDENKEN AN LE HAVRE
ANDENKEN AUS FRANKREICH
ANDENKEN AUS LORIENT
FROHLICHE OSTERN
1944 ANDENKEN AUS FRANKREICH
SOUVENIR DE FRANCE
1945 SOUVENIR DE FRANCE
SOUVENIR DE LA VICTOIRE
SOUVENIR FROM FRANCE
SINGLE DATES
COMBINATION DATES
