The Republic of Austria

The "Österreich" Inflation Issue of 1922-24

None of the designs submitted to the competition were selected, however. Instead, Professor Wilhelm Dachauer designed an ‘ear of corn’ for agriculture (it looks like barley); metal-working hammer-and-tongs being swallowed by a fleshy plant (industry and commerce); and an allegorical female head with an owl perched on her hair (arts and science). This allegorical head probably depicts the actress and singer Erika von Wagner, and is usually referred to by the German Frauenkopf (= female head). The agriculture/industry stamps were printed by typography but the arts stamps were engraved by F. Schirnböck and recess printed.

The denominations issued can best be viewed in terms of the inflation which descended upon Austria in the years of their use. The exchange rate of Kronen to the £1 sterling is tabulated here:

Also relevant is the progressive increase in the postal rates. New higher face values were steadily introduced, and old smaller or unuseable values withdrawn, sometimes with a brief period when they could be exchanged. After February 1921 all Fahrpost (parcels etc) charges had to be paid in cash, not by applying adhesives: the opportunities for genuine use of high-value stamps were greatly diminished!

LL, IL, FL = local, inland, foreign letter, at lowest weight step (ignoring any reduced-rate eg for Hungary); IPC, FPC = inland, foreign postcard (ditto); and IRg, FRg = inland, foreign registration fee.

The type of paper used for the copper recess printed stamps (the Frauenkopf) also produce the usual variations of up to 1mm in the linear dimensions of the design of the stamps; and depending on how it was inserted in the printing press one finds ‘tall’ stamps (25 x 29.5mm) and ‘wide’ stamps (26 x 29mm).

All of these stamps were perforated 12½, the “agriculture/industry” stamps on a comb machine and the “arts” stamps on a line machine. For the “arts” stamps, the 20, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 1000Kr values were also issued with a line perforation 11½; the 50Kr stamp is known as a rarity with a line perforation 11½:12½; and the 50, 200, 1000 and 2000 Kronen values are found in pairs imperforate between.

The catalogues remark that many varieties of shades, paper, perforation oddities and so forth are found; indeed, the author’s solitary copy of the 10,000Kr is on ‘granite’ paper which is mentioned in old copies of ‘Austria’ but not in the modern catalogues. There are several well-known plate errors in this issue; each catalogue lists several but none lists all! Stamps are also found in unissued colours, as blackprints, as minisheets, and similar productions of questionable authenticity.

The tables that follow give details for the agriculture/industry stamps and then the “Frauenkopf” stamps. The dates of issue and validity come from Kroiss; those in the Postverordnungsblatt (the Post Office bulletin sent mainly to its staff) often have issue dates a month or so earlier. Numbers are either those delivered to the central warehouse or those actually sold; the catalogues that contain them have the numbers but no explanation!

All face values are in Kronen. “CV” = colour variants if more than 1. “S.F.” = last date for use as supplementary franking on inland postal stationery, but only valid if applied by post office at point-of-sale.

Des = Design: ‘1’ = hammer&tongs (the wider design); ‘2’ = ear-of-corn (the narrower).

The agriculture/industry stamps

The Frauenkopf issue

• CV = number of colour variants if more than 1
• AT = Perf 12½; tall stamp;
• AW = Perf 12½; wide stamp
• BT = Perf 11½; tall stamp;
• BW = Perf 11½; wide stamp

Examples