Operation Bernhard Propaganda Stamps

Archive

-

Spungen Family Foundation - Holocaust Postal Collection

c. 1940s, Front side - Stamp from Operation Bernhard propaganda plan at Sachsenhausen concentration camp.: A 1/2-pence green stamp with text in English using white ink. Depicted in the center of the stamp is King George VI facing to the left. There are four flowers, one in each corner of the stamp. At the top of the stamp is a crown. Above the crown is the Star of David.
c. 1940s, Front side - Stamp from Operation Bernhard propaganda plan at Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

A 1/2-pence green stamp with text in English using white ink. Depicted in the center of the stamp is King George VI facing to the left. There are four flowers, one in each corner of the stamp. At the top of the stamp is a crown. Above the crown is the Star of David.

Name/Title

Operation Bernhard Propaganda Stamps

Scope and Content

c. 1940s, stamp from Operation Bernhard propaganda plan at Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

Context

In addition to the famous counterfeit Bank of England notes made at Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Germany, the Jewish prisoners were ordered to make fake passports, legal documents and propaganda postage stamps of England. The stamps had a Jewish Star of David added on top of the Royal crown. The purpose was for the Nazis to show the world that England was run by and/or under rule of Jewish enemy.

Collection

Operation Bernhard

Category

Stamp
Philatelic Material

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Stamp, Postage

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Stamp

Nomenclature Class

Exchange Media

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Archive Details

Date(s) of Creation

circa 1940 - circa 1945

Primary Language

English

Ethnography

Cultural Region

Region

Central Europe

Continent

Europe

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Measurement of the full length and width of the archive.

Width

1-1/8 in

Length

1-5/16 in

General Notes

Note Type

Cataloging Note

Note

Updated by C. Walrich (Feb 6 2026) (Feb 9 2026)