Austria Stamps
Air Mail Stamps of 1947-1959
The air mail Austria stamps shown on this page include the first definitive air mail stamps for the Second Republic of Austria, as well as the last definitive air mail stamps for the Second Republic of Austria.
During the decade after 1959, air travel would become so inexpensive that all first class mail that was more than a short distance from the point-of-origin would be transported by commercial aircraft. As a result, separate postage stamps for air mail service would soon become obsolete.
The seven definitive air mail Austria stamps shown above (Mi. #822-28, Sc. #C47-53) were issued between May and November of 1947. These are known by Austrian philatelists as the Landscape and Landmark Air Mail Issue.
The designs feature various aircraft flying above Austrian Landscapes and / or Landmarks. The descriptions are as follows:
- 50 G. - Windmill, Neusiedl Lake near St. Andrä, Burgenland.
- 01 S. - Roman Arch, Carnuntum, Lower Austria.
- 02 S. - Town Hall, Gmünd, Carinthia.
- 03 S. - Schieder Lake, Hinterstoder, Upper Austria.
- 04 S. - Prägraten, East Tyrol.
- 05 S. - Torsäule near Bischofshofen, Salzburg.
- 10 S. - St. Charles Church in Vienna.
Between 1946 and 1952, the State Printing House in Vienna privately produced address labels and postal stationery utilizing the images of any circulating postage stamps that the postal customer desired.
The Air Mail Printed Matter "souvenir sheet" shown above (Mi. #943-45 "Aerogramm", Sc. N/L) is one of these privately printed postal address labels. The designs of the 1949 UPU commemorative stamp issue were used for this air mail label, and according to information I've been able to find on the internet, the stamps WERE VALID FOR POSTAGE! Several different varieties of this sheet exist.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The eight pictorial definitive air mail stamps shown above (Mi. #955-56, #968, #984-87, Sc. #C54-60) were issued between 1950 and 1959, and their designs feature various birds.
The 20 S. denomination, was printed on grayish paper with yellowish gum, in January 1952 and on white paper with white gum in June 1959.
Their descriptions are as follows:
- 60 G. - Rooks.
- 01 S. - Barn Swallows.
- 02 S. - Black Headed Gulls.
- 03 S. - Great Cormorants.
- 05 S. - Buzzard.
- 10 S. - Gray Heron.
- 20 S. - Golden Eagle.
Whereas about a million 60 G., 2 S., and 20 S. denominations were
printed, only 350,000 of the 1 S., 3 S., 5 S., and 10 S. denominations
were printed. As a result, these particular denominations are very scarce in mint
condition today.
The privately produced air mail address label shown above (Mi. #955-56 "Adreßzettel", Sc. N/L) was made using impressions of the 60 C. and 2 S.
denomination air mail stamps. Though very scarce, it is only priced at 50 Euros (mint) and 65 Euros (used) in the Michel catalog.
eBay Auction and Store Links
Austrian Empire, Republic of German
Austria, and the First Republic of Austria
The following links feature category-focused affiliated seller listings on various eBay sites worldwide. They may enable visitors to shop
for and to buy specific items for the
particular collecting subject they've just read about.
The
affiliated eBay seller auction lots provided by eBay,
Inc. are not the responsibility of the management of this
website. On high priced material, make sure the lots you are buying are properly authenticated.
Remember
that the lots on European eBay sites are priced in EUROS. Shipping
charges may be more, and the lots may take longer to arrive. Also, make
sure the foreign seller ships to your country, before bidding on or
buying his lot.
Return to Austria Stamps - Second Republic
from Air Mail Stamps of 1947-1959
