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{{Short description|Method for transporting mail by zeppelin}}File:Graf Zeppelin First North American Flight 1928.jpg|thumb|Postcard flown on the first North American flight of the Graf Zeppelin (1928)]]Zeppelin mail was mail carried on zeppelins, the German airships that saw civilian use from 1908 to 1939. Almost every zeppelin flight carried mail, sometimes in large quantities; the covers usually received special postmarks, and a number of nations issued postage stamps specifically intended for use on mail carried by the zeppelins.

First period, 1908 to 1914

The first zeppelin to carry mail was LZ 4, in July 1908, followed shortly by LZ 3. The early flights did not use any special markings; the first was an oval reading "LUFTSCHIFF / SIGNALPOST" around the edge and "Z III" in the center, used on LZ 6 (Z 3) from August to October 1909. By 1911 a number of different postmarks were in use; a typical example was a circle reading "AN BORD DES / ZEPPELIN / LUFTSCHIFFES", with a date in the center and the name of the zeppelin at bottom. These were actually applied on board the zeppelin while in flight, at a small postal station.The zeppelins were taken into military service in 1914, and thereafter did not carry civilian mail, although military commanders had special handstamps applied to their mail.

Inter-war period, 1919 to 1939

In late 1919, LZ 120 Bodensee resumed flights and mail carriage, using postmarks much as before the war, until 1921 when it was given to Italy as a war reparation. LZ 126 carried mail briefly in 1924 before it was delivered to the United States and renamed the Los Angeles (ZR-3). The Los Angeles carried mail between Lakehurst, New Jersey, Bermuda, and Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, several times.File:Zeppelin LZ 127 post lakehurst friedrichshafen 1928 erstflug.JPG|thumb|left|Letter on the first Germany flight of the Graf Zeppelin (1928)]]LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin had a long and celebrated career. Within weeks of its first flight in September 1928, the Graf Zeppelin carried the first airmail to go directly from Germany to the US and vice versa. Germany issued special 2-mark and 4-mark stamps for the occasion. On the return trip, the zeppelin carried almost 52,000 postcards and 50,000 letters. In 1929, Graf Zeppelin circled the globe, with stops in Tokyo and Los Angeles. By the time it was taken out of service in June 1937, the zeppelin had made 590 flights, each flight carrying up to 12 tons of mail to and from dozens of countries around the world.Although LZ 129 Hindenburg is most famous for its fiery end, for the 14 months of its existence, it carried considerable amounts of mail overseas, and many of those are readily available today. Most of the 17,609 pieces of mail on the last flight were destroyed in the fire, but a handful were recovered, and today they are highly prized crash covers.The LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin II was the last of the zeppelins to carry mail; it was in civilian service for only a few months, from October 1938 to August 1939, and made only 30 trips, all within Germany.

Zeppelin stamps

(File:Graf_Zeppelin stamp 65c 1930 issue.jpg|thumb|US 65-cent "Zeppelin" stamp, one of three values issued specially for the May–June 1930 Pan-American flight of the Graf Zeppelin)Zeppelin stamps were issued by a few countries to pay the postage for mail carried on Zeppelin flights during the late 1920s and early 1930s when Zeppelins flew passengers and mail from Germany to other countries and on return flights. Some stamps were regular issues overprinted while other were specially designed.{| class="wikitable"|+ Zeppelin stamp issuing countries! Postal administration! Year! Denominations! Notes! Argentina

			PUBLISHER=SCOTT PUBLISHING COMPANY	LOCATION=SIDNEY, OH	492}}

! Bolivia

		908}}

! rowspan="2" | Brazil

		1025–26}}

		1025–26}}

! Cyrenaica

			PUBLISHER=SCOTT PUBLISHING COMPANY	LOCATION=SIDNEY, OH	668}}

! Egypt

		979}}

! Finland

		1112}}

! rowspan="4" | Germany

		Graf Zeppelin crossing oceanJAMES E. KLOETZEL	PUBLISHER=SCOTT PUBLISHING COMPANY	LOCATION=SIDNEY, OH	163}}

	group=note	Counterfeits are known of these stamps}}	overprint "(logo) / SÃœDAMERIKA / FAHRT"{{rp|163}}

	group=note		163}}

	group=note		163}}

! Greece

		427}}

! Hungary

		Turul carrying messenger stamp{{rp>766}}

! Iceland

		799}}

! Italy

		1166}}

! rowspan="2" | Liechtenstein

			PUBLISHER=SCOTT PUBLISHING COMPANY	LOCATION=SIDNEY, OH	500}}

		Graf Zeppelin{{rp>500}}

! Paraguay

			PUBLISHER=SCOTT PUBLISHING COMPANY	LOCATION=SIDNEY, OH	150}}

! rowspan="3" | Russia

		Graf Zeppelin flight from Friederichshafen to Moscow and return{{rp>706}}

		706}}

		Graf Zeppelin and Icebreaker Malygin transferring mail all imperforate and perforated{{rp>706}}

! San Marino

			PUBLISHER=SCOTT PUBLISHING COMPANY	LOCATION=SIDNEY, OH	963}}

! Tripolitania

		Mercury (mythology)>Mercury and ZeppelinJAMES E. KLOETZEL >TITLE=2007 STANDARD POSTAGE STAMP CATALOGUE: VOLUME 6 SO-Z	DATE=2006	ISBN=0-89487-380-6, {{rp|573}}

! rowspan="2" | United States

		123}}

		Century of Progress World's Fair flight{{rp>123}}

See also

• 1930 Graf Zeppelin stamps of the United States
• LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin
• Airship
• Zeppelin

Notes, references and sources

Notes

{{reflist|group=note}}

References

{{reflist}}

Sources

• Zeppelinpost Spezial-Katalog (Sieger) (in German)

Further reading

• eZEP.de — The webportal for Zeppelin mail and airship memorabilia
• Zeppelin Study Group — Research group for airship memorabilia and Zeppelin mail
• Zeppelin Post Journal — Quarterly publication for Zeppelin mail and airship memorabilia

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