Imperial German Egg Shipping Box with Postal Label and 10 Pfennig Stamp

An increasingly uncommon survivor of Imperial Germany's commercial and postal history, this original cardboard egg shipping carton retains its period mailing label, Imperial German postage stamp, and manufacturer markings. Intended for the transport of fresh eggs through the German postal system, examples such as this illustrate the practical packaging methods employed by merchants and agricultural producers during the late Imperial era.

Constructed from heavy pressed cardboard measuring approximately 6 x 4 x 2.5 inches, the box features stapled corner construction with a fitted lift-off lid. Printed prominently across one side is the warning "Vorsicht Eier," translated as "Caution: Eggs," alerting postal employees and freight handlers to the fragile contents. One end bears the manufacturer's trademark, "Marke Siegeslauf C.B.M."

The original mailing label remains affixed to the lid and is printed for:

"Herm. Vogt, Kaiserstrasse 87, Reutlingen."

The pre-printed address panel includes spaces for the recipient ("Herrn" or "Firma") and preserves its original 10 Pfennig Germania definitive postage stamp of the Deutsches Reich. The cancellation remains partially legible, while an additional violet commercial receiving or company stamp is visible on the label. Although portions of the postal markings cannot be deciphered with certainty, their presence firmly establishes the box as an authentic period-used mailing container rather than an unused advertising example.

The address references Reutlingen in the Kingdom of Württemberg, an important textile and commercial center within the German Empire. During the Wilhelmine period, agricultural products—including eggs, butter, poultry, and dairy goods—were routinely shipped by rail and postal services using purpose-built cardboard cartons such as this example. The expansion of Germany's railway network and Imperial Post (Reichspost) allowed perishable products from rural producers to reach urban markets rapidly, making specialized shipping containers an essential component of everyday commercial life.

Unlike decorative advertising tins intended primarily for retail display, shipping cartons were utilitarian objects designed to be discarded after use. Consequently, relatively few survived, particularly examples retaining their original postal labels, postage, and commercial markings. Today they provide valuable insight into Germany's domestic distribution network, postal regulations, packaging technology, and consumer commerce during the decades preceding the First World War.

The box displays honest age and handling consistent with postal use. The cardboard remains structurally sound, with expected edge wear, light abrasions, scattered staining, and compression to several corners. The original label exhibits minor soiling, creasing, and age toning, while the Imperial German postage stamp remains securely affixed. Interior surfaces are clean and retain their original form without modern restoration.

An evocative artifact of Imperial German commercial history, this piece appeals not only to collectors of postal history and ephemera, but also to those specializing in everyday life during the Kaiserreich, agricultural commerce, packaging design, and pre-First World War German material culture.