WWI German Sanke Postcard – Leutnant Leffers †, No. 372

This original Imperial German photographic postcard depicts Leutnant Leffers, identified by name in the upper left corner with a handwritten cross symbol denoting death in service. The portrait shows Leffers standing in regulation officer’s uniform, wearing a field-grey tunic with shoulder boards for the rank of Leutnant, a peaked officer cap, and a clearly visible Iron Cross 2nd Class ribbon bar and award. Beneath the Iron Cross is a second decoration consistent with a wartime merit or long-service style badge, worn in the common Imperial manner. He carries an officer’s sword at his side and holds a pair of gloves or a small personal item in his right hand, a typical studio pose for Sanke portraits of this period. The photograph is executed in the classic soft-focus studio style associated with wartime Berlin publishers, producing a subdued tonal range and strong facial definition.

This postcard was issued by the well-known publisher W. Sanke of Berlin, marked at the lower edge “Postkartenvertrieb W. Sanke, Berlin N. 37,” and is numbered 372, placing it firmly within the celebrated Sanke series of Imperial German military portraits. Sanke postcards were widely collected during the First World War and remain among the most recognizable and desirable photographic documents of German officers, aces, and decorated servicemen. The series included both aviation and ground officers; this example represents an army officer rather than a confirmed air service ace, making it a strong representative of the broader Imperial officer corps rather than the commonly encountered Flieger portraits.

The reverse is the standard Sanke postcard format with printed stamp box and address guidelines, unused, with light handling marks consistent with age. No postal cancellation is present. The paper stock shows appropriate wartime thickness and tone, with mild edge wear and surface patina but no significant damage. The printed and handwritten elements remain clear and legible, and the overall presentation is solid and honest, without modern enhancement or restoration.

From a collector standpoint, named and numbered Sanke postcards depicting identified officers—especially those marked as killed—are consistently sought after, as they provide both visual and historical documentation tied to an individual rather than an anonymous subject. Comparable original Sanke postcards of named officers typically trade in the $175–300 range depending on condition, subject matter, and whether the individual is associated with aviation or notable units. 

This postcard is an authentic period artifact of the First World War, offering a direct and personal connection to an Imperial German officer and the visual culture of wartime Germany, and would sit comfortably in any advanced collection of Sanke postcards, Imperial German photography, or WWI military ephemera.