Postal cards are
postal stationery with an
imprinted stamp or
indicium signifying the prepayment of postage. They are sold by
postal authorities. On January 26, 1869, Dr.
Emanuel Herrmann of
Austria described the advantages of a
Correspondenz Karte. By October 1, 1869 the world's first postal card was produced by Austria-Hungary. They caught on quickly. By the end of 1870, Great Britain, Finland, Switzerland and
Württemberg joined the countries issuing postal cards. In the United States, they were first produced in 1873. Some of the forms taken by postal cards include the regular single card which may be
commemorative or
definitive, attached message-reply cards,
airmail postal cards, and official postal cards used for official government business with a "penalty for private use".