Austria Stamps
Issues of 1933-1934
For Austria stamps, the big event of 1933 was the Internationale Postwertzeichen Ausstellung (English: International Postage Stamp Exhibition) or WIPA, held in Vienna from June 24 through July 9, 1933. The souvenir sheet issued for the exhibition has now become one of the most popular (and most expensive) rarities of modern Austrian philately. The period from 1933 to 1934 also witnessed the appearance of a new series of pictorial definitive postage stamps, new pictorial charity stamp issues, and mourning stamps for a beloved Austrian political leader.
The surtaxed pictorial Austria stamps shown above (Mi. #551-54, Sc. #B106-09) were issued on January 9, 1933 to publicize the Meeting of the International Ski Federation in Innsbruck from February 8 though February 13.
The stamps were sold for double face value, with the surtax benefiting "Youth in Distress".
The four designs feature mountain climbing, ski gliding, ski walking, and ski jumping.
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The surtaxed pictorial stamps shown above (Mi. #555A, #556A, Sc. #B110, #B110a) were issued on June 23, 1933 for the International Postage Stamp Exhibition (WIPA), held in Vienna from June 24 through July 9, 1933. These stamps are engraved, perforated 12 1/2, and they were issued in sheets containing 25 stamps.
There are two different types, with the first being printed on regular white paper (above left), and the second being printed on granite paper (above right).
A third type comes from single stamps taken from the souvenir sheet shown below. These stamps are also printed on granite paper, but they are perforated 12.
The stamps were sold at the exhibition for double face value, with the additional amount benefiting various charities. The admission fee for the exhibition was an additional 1.60 Schillings.
The design features a stagecoach, based on a painting by Moritz von Schwind (1804-1871).
Many unofficial "Cinderella" stamps were sold at the International Postage Stamp Exhibition, as well, including color reproductions of the prohibitively rare newspaper stamp designs of 1851-1856. Here is a link to a superb write-up on these issues ... WIPA 1933 - Cinderellas, Post Cards, and Postal Stationery.
The souvenir sheet shown above (Mi. #556C (Block 1), Sc. #B111) was sold at the International Postage Stamp Exhibition (WIPA). The souvenir sheet was printed on granite paper and it features four exhibition stamps that are perforated 12. Only 10,000 of these souvenir sheets were printed, and today, they have become one of the great rarities of modern Austrian philately.
Low cost reprints of this souvenir sheet are available in the philatelic marketplace, however, mint original souvenir sheets can cost between € 2,000 and € 4,000 today.
The six pictorial charity stamps shown above (Mi. #557-62, Sc. #B112-17) were issued on September 6, 1933 to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the Deliverance of Vienna from the Turks and to publicize the meeting of the Pan-German Catholic Congress.
These Austria stamps were sold at double face value, with the proceeds benefiting Catholic charities.
Their designs are as follows:
- 12 G. - View of St. Stephen's Cathedral in 1683.
- 24 G. - Marco d'Aviano (1631-1669), Papal legate.
- 30 G. - Count Ernst Rudiger von Starhemberg (1638-1701), military governor of Vienna and General during the Great Turkish War.
- 40 G. - John III Sobieski (1629-1696), King of Poland, noted for his victories against the Ottoman Empire.
- 50 G. - Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643-1690), Austrian military commander during the wars against the Turks.
- 64 G. - Johann Andreas von Liebenberg (1627-1683), Mayor of Vienna (1680-1683).
The four surtaxed and overprinted Austria stamps shown above (Mi. #563-66, Sc. #B118-21) were issued on December 15, 1933 to raise money for Winter Relief.
The twenty-two regional costumes and industries definitive stamps shown above (Mi. #567-87, Sc. #354-73, #378-79) began appearing in August 1934, continuing through June 1936. These new Austria stamps are all typographed and either perforated 12 or perforated 12 1/2.
The designs of some of these small stamps are actually quite intricate, as noted in the following descriptions.
- 01 G. - Horse herder and windmill, Burgenland.
- 03 G. - Peasant woman going to the weekly market. Burgenland.
- 04 G. - Wedding attire of Lesachtal. Carinthia.
- 05 G. - Country girl on the way to Easter service in Wörthersee. Carinthia.
- 06 G. - Vintner from the Wauchau Valley with Aggstein Castle in the background. Lower Austria.
- 08 G. - Girl of Rosenburg wearing a hood, Lower Austria.
- 12 G. - Farmer from Traunsee with Ort Castle in the background. Upper Austria.
- 20 G. - Girl with a golden hood on the way to the Palm Sunday ceremony at Mondsee. Upper Austria.
- 24 G. - Woodsman with Zell am See and the Kitzsteinhorn Glacer in the background. Salzburg.
- 25 G. - Girl from Pinzgau on the way to the fair with Untersberg in the background. Upper Salzburg.
- 30 G. - Hunter with Pürgg and Grimming mountain in the background. Styria.
- 35 G. - Girl from Alt-Aussee. View of Graz with Mur Bridge, Schlossberg, and the Clock Tower. Styria.
- 40 G. - Girls from the Lower Inn Valley. Kufstein Fortress. Tyrol.
- 45 G. - Farm couple from Kaisertaler. Lermoos and Wettersteingebirge (Mountain Range). Tyrol.
- 60 G. - Newlyweds from Körbersee in wedding attire. Vorarlberg.
- 64 G. - Mother and daughter from the Montafon Valley. Vorarlberg.
- 01 S. - Vienna family. St. Stephan's Cathedral.
- 02 S. - Tyrolean mountain infantry.
- 03 S. - Rural industry: Farm workers.
- 05 S. - Urban industry: Factory workers.
The 6 G. and 2 S. denomination definitive Austria stamps were re-engraved during 1935. Large detail images of them are shown above.
- 6 G. - Original Printing - The man's ears look backwards (Mi. #571I, Sc. #358).
- 6 G. - Re-engraved Printing - The man's ears look normal (Mi. #571II, Sc. #372).
- 2 S. - Original Printing - The eagle is larger and the wings each have five feathers with white lines in them (Mi. #584, Sc. #371).
- 2 S. - Re-engraved Printing - The eagle is smaller and the wings each have seven solid colored feathers in them (Mi. #585, Sc. #373).
The six pictorial charity stamps shown above (Mi. #591-96, Sc. #B122-27) were issued on December 2, 1934, and they feature noteworthy Austrian architects.
These Austria stamps were sold at double face value, with the proceeds benefiting various public charities.
Their designs are as follows:
- 12 G. - Anton Pilgram (1450-1515), sculptor of the pulpit of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.
- 24 G. - Johann B. Fischer von Erlach (1656-1723), designer of the St. Charles Church in Vienna.
- 30 G. - Jakob Prandtauer (1660-1726), designed and built Melk Abbey.
- 40 G. - August von Siccardsburg (1813-1868) and Eduard van der Nüll (1812-1868), builders of the State Opera House in Vienna.
- 60 G. - Heinrich von Ferstel (1828-1883), builder of the Votive Church in Vienna.
- 64 G. - Otto Wagner (1841-1918), designed and built many buildings in Vienna.
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Return to Austria Stamps of the First Republic
from Issues of 1933-1934
The 24 G. denomination stamp, printed in greenish black, shown above (Mi. #589, Sc. #374), was issued on October 1, 1934.
The 24 G. denomination stamp, printed in indigo, shown above (Mi. #590, Sc. #375), was issued on July 25, 1935.
These two engraved stamps are mourning issues for Engelbert Dollfuss (1892-1934), the Chancellor of the Republic of Austria from 1932 to 1934. Dollfuss was assassinated during a failed coup attempt by NAZI agents on July 25, 1934.
These two stamps were printed in two different design sizes, with the first being 24 x 30 mm and the second being 25 x 29 mm. The latter one is the more expensive of the two design sizes.