German Korfu Cigarette Pack with Tax stamp

Product Description: A German Korfu Cigarette Pack with Tax Stamp, preserved in sealed condition and retaining its original wartime contents. The official tax band remains present, showing partial separation along one edge yet still clearly legible and intact. The pack itself is in good overall condition, exhibiting only minor age-related wear and small handling flaws consistent with careful storage. A remarkably well-preserved example, this German Korfu Cigarette Pack with Tax Stamp offers a rare glimpse into period tobacco production and the everyday material culture of wartime Germany.

Historical Description: During the Second World War, cigarettes in Germany were not only a common consumer good but also a significant part of everyday military and civilian life. Smoking was widespread among Wehrmacht soldiers and civilians alike, and the production, distribution, and taxation of tobacco were tightly controlled by the state. Cigarettes became both a morale booster and, at times, an informal currency in wartime Germany.

The German cigarette industry, which included well-known brands such as Reemtsma, Juno, and Haus Neuerburg, operated under strict wartime regulations. Each pack carried a Reich-issued tax stamp (Steuerbanderole) — a paper seal affixed across the top or side of the packet. These stamps certified that the proper Reich tobacco tax had been paid and also served as a form of official approval for distribution. The tax bands typically bore the Reich eagle and swastika emblem, a numerical denomination, and occasionally the manufacturer’s code or regional issue mark.

Cigarette packaging from the era ranged from civilian-branded boxes to military issue packets, often produced with reduced paper quality due to material shortages. Later in the war, as supply lines faltered, tobacco quality declined, and rationing became severe, making cigarettes a prized commodity among both soldiers and civilians. Soldiers frequently traded them for food, favors, or other goods, making them one of the most recognizable symbols of wartime life.

Today, surviving examples of WWII-era German cigarettes with intact tax stamps are valued historical artifacts, reflecting both the economic controls of the Third Reich and the social culture of smoking that pervaded the period. Their stamps offer valuable insight into wartime production, propaganda imagery, and the mechanisms of state taxation during one of history’s most controlled economies.

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