Bicentenary Stamp Celebrations: Austria's Unique Biceted Issues

Austria has a rich history of postage stamps, with the first stamps issued on 1 June 1850, featuring a coat of arms and the text KK Post-Stempel. The word Austria was notably absent, as these stamps served the entire Central European region. Over time, the designs evolved to include profiles of Emperor Franz Josef, embossed coats of arms, and various symbols. However, the focus of our discussion today is on whether there are any bi-coloured stamps of Austria. Let's delve into this intriguing topic and explore the world of Austrian philately.

The first Austrian stamps

The first stamps issued by the Austrian Empire were released on 1 June 1850. They featured the Habsburg coat of arms and crown, with the text "KK Post-Stempel" underneath. Notably, the word "Austria" did not appear on the stamps, as they were used across all of central Europe, including parts of modern-day Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Italy, and Hungary. The stamps were printed in German, Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Serbo-Croatian, Polish, and French.

At first, the stamps were printed on rough, handmade paper, with a watermark of "K.K.H.M." in large letters across the sheet. They were issued in denominations of 1, 2, 3, 6, and 9 kreuzers. After 1854, the stamps were printed on smooth, machine-made paper without watermarks.

Between 1858 and 1861, the design of the stamps switched to a profile of Emperor Franz Josef I (1830-1916), before reverting to the coat of arms in an oval frame. The Franz Josef I stamps featured different designs, including one with the loops of the bow at the back of his head broken, and another with the loops complete.

In addition to the standard postage stamps, there were also newspaper stamps issued during this period. These newspaper stamps featured the head of Mercurius (or Mercury, the Roman messenger god) and were not denominated, as the value was determined by their colour. The scarlet Red Mercury stamp, issued on 21 March 1856, is considered the rarest of these newspaper stamps.

Stamps of the Second Republic

The Second Republic of Austria has issued a steady stream of stamps with a variety of subjects since 1945, many of them attractively engraved.

The first stamps of the Second Republic were issued on 24 November 1945, with the Austrian government taking responsibility for the postal service from 1 October. In the immediate aftermath of World War II, the Russian zone had utilised German stamps, overprinting them with "Österreich" and a bar obliterating the "Deutsches Reich" inscription. Hitler's face remained visible, so after 4 June, postal clerks were expected to blot out Hitler's face manually. On 21 June, a new series of overprints came out with a set of stripes over Hitler's face.

In the American, British and French zones, a special issue of stamps was printed in the United States and issued on 28 June 1945. These stamps depicted a posthorn and were valid for postage until 1947.

Since the occupation forces left in 1955, many beautiful stamps have been printed in Austria, including those commemorating its entry into the European Union on 1 January 1995.

Stamps featuring Emperor Franz Josef

Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria, who reigned from 2 December 1848 until his death in 1916, features on many Austrian stamps.

The first postage stamp issue of the Empire of Austria was a series of imperforated typographed stamps featuring the coat of arms. However, issues between 1858 and 1861 used a profile of Emperor Franz Josef, before switching back to the coat of arms. The 2kr yellow Emperor Franz Josef stamp was issued by Austria Post on 1 November 1858 and features the 28-year-old emperor in an embossed portrait, posed with a laurel wreath on his head.

Franz Josef profiles reappeared in 1867, as a side effect of the establishment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and continued until 1907, with various changes. In 1908, Koloman Moser designed a series of stamps to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Emperor Franz Joseph I's reign. Entitled Austrian Jubilee Postal Stamps, the series included portraits of emperors from Charles VI to Franz Joseph I, along with the imperial residences.

In 1910, a set of three stamps was issued to mark the 80th birthday of Emperor Franz Josef. The same year, a series of stamps depicted Franz Josef, the Austrian crown, and the coat of arms.

Stamps of the Austrian Empire

The Austrian Empire's first postage stamps were issued on 1 June 1850. They featured the Habsburg coat of arms and crown, with the text "KK Post-Stempel". Notably, the word "Austria" was not included on the stamps, which is logical considering that they were used across all of central Europe, including parts of the modern-day Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Italy, and Hungary. The languages used in the empire included German, Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Serbo-Croat, Polish, and French.

The first stamps were printed on rough, handmade paper with a watermark, featuring the coat of arms. From 1854 onwards, a smooth machine-made paper was used instead. The issues between 1858 and 1861 featured a profile of Emperor Franz Josef, before switching back to the coat of arms, now in an oval frame.

The scarlet Red Mercury stamp, issued on 21 March 1856, is considered the rarest of the newspaper stamps. It featured a profile of Mercury, the Roman messenger god, and was used for mailing newspapers in Austria and Lombardy-Venetia. While the low-value blue variety is the most common, the higher-value yellow, rose, and scarlet varieties are quite rare.

The Franz Josef profile stamps reappeared in 1867 due to the establishment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and they continued until 1907 with various changes, including monetary system reforms in 1899. This period also saw the introduction of varnish bars—diagonal yellowish strips applied to stamp paper before printing to prevent cleaning and reuse.

In 1908, to commemorate the 60th year of Franz Josef's reign, a series of large pictorial stamps were issued, featuring previous emperors, Franz Josef at various ages, and notable palaces. These designs were reused in 1910 for his 80th birthday celebrations.

From 1916 onwards, a series of stamps depicted Franz Josef, the Austrian crown, and the coat of arms. Between 1917 and 1919, Emperor Charles I appeared on stamps briefly before the republic was established.

Rare Austrian stamps

Austria has a rich history of postage stamps, with its first stamps being issued on 1 June 1850. These stamps featured the Habsburg coat of arms and crown and were issued in denominations of 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9 kreuzers. Since then, Austrian stamps have become sought-after items for collectors worldwide due to their beauty and high quality. Here are some of the most rare Austrian stamps:

Red Mercury Stamp, 1856

Considered by many as the scarcest Austrian newspaper stamp, the Red Mercury stamp was issued for mailing newspapers in Austria and Lombardy-Venetia. It features a profile of Mercury, the Roman messenger god, and is not denominated as the value of the stamps was determined by their colour. An unused specimen was auctioned for €40,000 (roughly $46,335) in 2015.

12kr Coat of Arms Stamp, 1850

The 12kr Coat of Arms stamp is one of the greatest Austrian rarities that were never issued. Only six examples are known to exist, all marked with cancels. One such specimen was offered for $103,500 in 2016 and had previously been in the collections of famous philately enthusiasts.

1kr Gray Lilac Newspaper Stamp, 1861

While a single 1kr gray lilac newspaper stamp is notable, it is the multiples of this stamp that are considered more attractive to collectors. A block of thirty 1kr gray lilac newspaper stamps in an extremely fine condition was auctioned for $29,000 in May 2001.

45c Lombardy-Venetia Stamp, 1850

The 45c Grey Blue, type III, is one of the scarcest stamps issued by Austria Post in 1850. The majority of these stamps are watermarked "K.K.H.M." in large letters across the sheet, but some appear to be unwatermarked. Examples showing the watermark are highly collectible. A fine copy of this stamp was sold for 17,000 EUR (roughly $19,895) in May 2014.

30kr Rose Mercury Newspaper Stamp, 1851

As one of the first countries to issue stamps purely for use on newspapers, Austria's 30kr rose Mercury newspaper stamp is a classic and desirable item for collectors. It has a catalog value of $33,500, but often does not fetch this price at auctions. One specimen was sold for $8,000 in January 2010.

6kr Yellow Newspaper Stamp, 1851

The 6kr yellow newspaper stamp is considered an extremely fine gem of Austrian philately. A specimen that once belonged to Ex Baron Alfonse Rothschild was offered for $6,250 during a sale of "Rarities of the World" in May 2001.

Dalai Lama Stamp, 2005

The Dalai Lama stamp is considered one of the greatest modern philatelic rarities from Austria. Due to pressure from the Chinese embassy, these stamps were never circulated, but some local citizens managed to obtain a few examples. It is thought that only 30 items survived. A pane of ten Dalai Lama stamps was sold for €4,000 (roughly $4,660) in July 2018.

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