Austria is one of the most important European countries, which has always been at the center of the most significant events in history. Austria is a real treasure for philatelists. Austrian stamps are known for their beauty and high quality not only among philatelists, but all over the world. The postal history of this country is one of the richest in the world and inspires collectors of all levels. The stamps produced in this beautiful country are not just postal services, but real artistic interpretations of various events and stories. With the help of Austrian stamps, you can understand and learn a lot about this rich state, because they depict all Austrian symbols, famous athletes, Austrian flora and fauna, architectural delights of Vienna and much more.
1. Mark 12 Kreutzers Coat of arms, 1850cost: $ 103,500
This is one of the rarest Austrian stamps that has never been released into circulation. It is made in blue and depicts a coat of arms with a double-headed eagle. There are only 6 copies of this stamp, all with a cancellation note. One of them, which has a decorative "Franco" lettering on the front, was presented at an auction by the Gertner House on May 30, 2016 with a price tag of $ 103,500. Previously, this specimen was in the collections of Baron Alphonse de Rothschild, Leavitt Bulkeley and other famous collectors. The 12 kreutzer stamp with the coat of arms of the Austrian Empire is extremely rare and will be a worthwhile addition to any philatelist's collection.
2. Stamp "Red Mercury", 1856cost: $ 46,335
Red Mercury is considered by many to be the rarest Austrian newspaper stamp. It was issued for the forwarding of newspapers in Austria and the Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom. The first newspaper stamps in the world were issued by Austria in 1851. They depicted the profile of Mercury, the Roman messenger god. These stamps were non-nominal, since the denomination was determined by their color. A red or scarlet stamp with Mercury was issued in 1856. However, it was soon replaced by a stamp depicting Franz Joseph in 1858. At the same time, only a few copies of the "Red Mercury" survived. The pristine Red Mercury went under the hammer for 40,000 euros (approximately $ 46,335), along with a commission, at the Auktionshaus Felzmann (Düsseldorf) auction on November 5, 2015.
3. Newspaper stamp 1 Kreutzer Lilac-gray, 1861cost: $ 29,000
Another notable stamp issued by the Austrian Post in 1861. Interestingly, for philatelists, a series of newspaper stamps is of value, and not a single copy. One of such rare and largest series - 30 lilac-gray newspaper stamps in 1 kreutzer in perfect condition. It was sold at Robert A Siegel in May 2001 for $ 29,000 and was also on the list of the top lots in Baron Alphonse Rothschild's auction. The series is considered a rarity of the highest order and is the best of the three largest.
4. Stamp 45 cents of the Kingdom of Lombardo-Venetiancost: $ 19,895
Five standard stamps of the Kingdom of Lombardo-Venetian were issued in June 1850 with additional runs throughout 1857. The 45 cent gray-blue type III stamp, introduced by the Austrian Post in 1850, is one of the rarest stamps in this issue. Printed on handmade paper. Most of these brands are watermarked "K.K.H.M." in large letters on the surface of the sheet, but there are stamps without a watermark. Watermarked stamps are actually quite rare. The overall design includes the coat of arms of the Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom. The stamps bear the inscriptions “KKPOST / STEMPEL or“ Kaiserlich, Konigliches Handels-Ministerium POST STEMPEL ”, which means“ Imperial and Royal Ministry of the Press ”. One of the rarest 45 cents of the Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom was sold for 17,000 euros (or approximately $ 19,895) at an auction by David Feldman in May 2014.
5. Newspaper stamp of 30 kreutzers "Pink Mercury" 1851cost: 8000 dollars
Austria was one of the first countries to issue stamps specifically for newspapers. Mercury Pink is one of the earliest newspaper stamps in Austria. This edition is often called Mercury, as the stamps depict the Roman messenger god Mercury. "Pink Mercury" is included in the list of the most coveted philatelic rarities. This classic brand can be found in catalogs for $ 33,500. But the prices at the auctions do not always correspond to the prices from the catalog. One of the 1851 Pink Mercury, a narrow shape with almost imperceptible borders and a cancellation mark from Zeitungs Wien, was sold for $ 8,000 at Cherrystone in January 2010.
6. Newspaper stamp 6 Kreutzer Yellow, 1851cost: $ 6250
Newspaper stamps of the Austrian Empire were published between 1851 and 1856. They were printed on machine-made paper without watermarks or perforation. The design of the stamps in this issue depicted the left side of the profile of Mercury. It has already been mentioned that the Red Mercury brand is considered one of the rarest, but there are other items from this edition that are worthy of collectors' attention. For example, a yellow newspaper stamp with a face value of 6 kreutzers is considered a real gem of Austrian philately. One of these stamps, previously owned by Baron Alphonse Rothschild and subsequently bought by the Hall House in 1947, was presented by Robert Siegel during his Rare Books of the World sale in May 2001 with a price tag of $ 6,250. The presented brand was the best specimen of the entire collection.
7. Brand "Dalai Lama" 2005cost: 4660 dollars
The Dalai Lama stamp is one of the best contemporary Austrian philatelic rarities. For Tibetan Buddhists, the Dalai Lama is the embodiment of the deity Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and the patron saint of Tibet. The Austrian government did not succeed in launching these striking stamps, as the Chinese embassy put pressure on them. However, all preliminary work on the design of these stamps had already been completed, and some local residents managed to get hold of several stamps with the Dalai Lama. According to rough estimates, there are only 30 such brands. A sheet of ten stamps depicting the Dalai Lama was presented at the public and postal history auction held by the Felzmann Auctionhaus from July 5th to 7th, 2018. More than $ 4,000 was paid for this sheet (somewhere around $ 4,660).
8.Dolphuss 10 shillings stamp 1936cost: 3937 dollars
This is a rather rare Austrian stamp, issued in 1936. The stamp is in blue and depicts Engelbert Dolphuss, an Austrian politician and chancellor of Austria from 1932 to 1934. Dollfuss destroyed the Austrian Republic and established an authoritarian regime based on the principles of the conservative Roman Catholic Church and the ideas of Italian fascism. He was killed by the Nazis during a raid on the office. A stamp depicting this famous Austrian politician and in excellent condition was sold at David Feldman's auction in May 2014 for $ 3,937.
9. Stamp of the Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom 1 Kreutzer Blackcost: 2800 dollars
The first Austrian postage stamps were issued by the Austrian Empire on June 1, 1850, depicting the coat of arms and crown of the Habsburgs. They were printed and published in denominations of 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9 kreutzers. These stamps were issued in accordance with the establishment of the Austro-German Postal Union on 1 July 1850. The union provided a uniform form of postage rates. One of the rarest stamps of that edition is the Black Lombard-Venetian Stamp with a denomination of 1 kreutzer, which is especially valuable on a small piece of newspaper. One of these stamps, in surprisingly good condition, was sold for $ 2,800 by Robert Siegel in May 2001.It had wide edges and a bright blue Bergamo print. This is a real gem of Austrian philately.
10. Mark 2 kreutzer yellow "Emperor Franz Joseph" 1858cost: $ 2600
This stamp was issued by the Austrian post on November 1st, 1858. It depicts the 28-year-old Emperor Franz Joseph I. He was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and monarch of the rest of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until his death on December 2, 1848. A corrugated portrait of the emperor depicted him in profile on the left side with a laurel wreath on his head. The stamp was valid throughout the empire. A copy of this stamp with original glue in very good condition was sold for $ 2,600 by Robert Siegel in 2001. The stamp was acquired by Hall House in 1950 and was accompanied by the original lot card, signed twice in pencil on the back.
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