Austria stamps continued to re-appear during May and June of 1945. One thing the new
provisional government in the Soviet occupation area of Eastern Austria
needed desperately was a working postal service. At the end of the war,
the one thing in abundant supply in Austria was a very large inventory
of unused Third Reich definitive postage stamps, especially those
featuring the portrait of Adolf Hitler, and the new occupation
government made full use of them in the ensuing months!
The nineteen Soviet occupation Austria stamps shown above (Mi. #674-92, Sc. #405-23) were overprinted, for use in Styria, during May and June 1945.
This group of overprints is known as the Graz Issue. These stamps were a local issue for the Soviet Army, used during their temporary occupation of the province of Styria.
Only one type of overprint was used for these lower denomination stamps, that being Type I - Österreich is in thicker letters and is 18 1/2 mm long.
The four major-type high-denomination stamps shown above
were issued in June 1945.
There are two types of the overprint on these stamps.
The 1 Mk. and 2 Mk. denominations, with the Type I overprint, exist perforated 12 1/2 and perforated 14.
The twenty-three new Soviet occupation stamps shown above (Mi. #697-19, Sc. #432-54) were issued between July and November 1945, for use in Vienna and the Soviet occupied provinces of Lower Austria, and Burgenland. The designs feature the Austrian Eagle, and the stamps are inscribed "REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH".
There are quite a number of different shades in these stamps, and there are also many collectable plate faults of interest to the specialist.
The surtaxed 1 Mk. + 10 Mk. denomination pictorial charity stamp shown above (Mi. #720, Sc. #B165) was issued on September 10, 1945. The surtax was for public welfare.
The design is an allegorical representation of "The Dawn of Peace", and it features a dove of peace at the top, and an Austrian, returning to his Alpine home.
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Return to Austria Stamps - Second Republic
from Soviet Occupation - Part 2