door The Larens Provisorium postcard is a notable example of the many local measures taken to cope with scarcity directly after the war had ended. This particular postcard, dated June 12, 1945, demonstrates the resourcefulness of members of the Dutch postal system shortly after the end of World War II. The postcard, originally valued at 7½ cents, bears an overprint of 5 cents, forming part of what is known as the Larens Provisorium.
During the wartime period, the shortage of standard postal stationery became a significant problem. Postcards, in particular, were often out of stock at local post offices. To meet the demand from the public, local authorities took various steps to ensure that postcards were available. In June 1945, the post office in Laren, North Holland, faced a shortage of postcards with the correct value, specifically those printed with 5 cent values. To solve this problem, the director of the Laren post office decided to overprint a supply of 7½ cent postcards that were still in stock.
The overprint featured the value “5 CENT” surrounded by a raster-like design, which was applied by a local printer. This measure resulted in the creation of 1,000 of these overprinted postcards, which were intended as a temporary solution to the lack of proper postcards, hence the name “Larens Provisorium.” Though initially a local, unauthorized measure, the franking validity of this makeshift issue was later officially recognized by the postal authorities.
The postcard presented here features the typical Larens Provisorium overprint. It was sent on June 12, 1945, from Laren to Bussum, as indicated by the postmark. The handwritten message on the back reads: “Beste Hein, ik denk niet dat je deze kaart met opdruk al hebt, daarom stuur ik hem jou. Groeten aan allen.” This translates to, “Dear Hein, I don’t think you already have this card with the overprint, so I am sending it to you. Greetings to everyone.” The message highlights the sender’s awareness of the postcard’s uniqueness, suggesting that it may already have had some interest for collectors at the time.
The Larens Provisorium provides insight into the challenges faced by the postal service during times of scarcity and the improvised solutions that were implemented to maintain communication. For collectors, these provisional issues are valued not only for their rarity but also for the historical context they represent. The fact that these makeshift postcards were produced locally and in limited quantities adds to their significance in philatelic collections that focus on themes of war, scarcity, and emergency measures.
The cover shown was part of an auction by Corinphila Veilingen of Amstelveen, the Netherlands. It was auction 259, held in September 2024, item 2041. Bidding started at 200 EUR, and the item sold for 320 EUR.
