Unusual Kingdom of Saxony Passport
I’ve never seen a passport like this before!
While the cover of the passport booklet appears similar to the standard German Empire travel documents, it’s actually different. The wording and layout of the pages are unique, and the first page has a blind stamp reading “REISE-PASS” at the bottom. Page three also displays an exceptional blind stamp with the coat of arms and text reading “K.S. REISEPASSINSAUSLAND.” Unusual Kingdom Saxony Passport
This is quite unusual, and it may be a first draft or specimen of the later standardized German Empire passport books.
Despite being 148 years old, the document is remarkably well-preserved, as you can see. It was even used for travel in 1866 to the Government of Poltava, which was part of the Russian Empire from 1802-1925 (as evidenced by the visa on page 4 and the purpose of travel). On page 5, there is also a visa from the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Saxony in Warsaw from 1868. Unusual Kingdom Saxony Passport
A fantastic and unusual collectible when it comes to vintage travel documents. Happy to have it in my collection.
Security Features
The passport was printed 1866 in Leipzig by Giesecke & Devrient, which has a long-standing history in security printing and is a key player on today’s market for identities. The passport booklet has the security features that were possible at this time. Namely, Micro-printing, embossed text, watermark and colored security thread.
The Saxon Passport is not unusually. It was issued in 1866, four years before foundation of the German Reich, so it looks like an German-Empire-Passport, but is isn`t one, because the Kingdom of Saxony was in 1866 a sovereign state. From 1870 onwards German passports in this style were issued under the unified state name “Deutsches Reich” and the issuing state authority, for example Kingdom of Prussia, Kingdom of Saxony, Duchy of Anhalt, Principality of Lippe or Free Hanseatic City of Bremen and so on (there were 26 “Bundesstaaten” or Federal States).
Hi Marcus, thx for your opinion, but I suggest you only comment about this topic (in this way) when you understand passport history! An 1866 Saxony booklet is a fine rarity and not comparable with the German Empire booklets. Cheers, Tom