AUSTRIA
Austria has proved a difficult country in that many of my illustrations have been taken from the internet so that I do not know either the size of the seals
or, in some cases, the dates of use. I presume that the single private telegraph company seal I have found precedes the state company seals.
Otherwise I simply list those I know of, and hope for further information.
| Updates. The above was written by Steve Hiscocks. From 1867 to 1918, Austria was equal partner with Hungary in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Some seals were for general use throughout the empire, but some were bi-lingual for use in specific areas. Many of the early seals may therefore have been used in the Hungarian part and other provinces or cities that were later (after 1918) associated with other countries (such as Prague). After this, Austria was reduced to its current borders as a republic with a mainly German-speaking population. From 1938 to 1945 Austria was annexed as part of Nazi Germany (the Anschluss). I have completely rearranged and renumbered this section accordingly. No pricing as yet. |
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| 1815-67 Austrian Empire. |
1867-1918 Austrian-Hungarian Empire. |
1915-18 Austria. |
1919-34 Austria - First Republic. |
1934-38 Federal state of Germany (until annexation). |
1945 onwards 2nd.Republic - broken chains. |
Austro-Hungarian Empire — Double-headed eagle.
It seems that while some seals may have been used throughout the Empire (though perhaps with different colours),
other seals were tailored to specific regions, often by making them bi-lingual.
This map attempts to show the Austro-Hungarian Empire and surrounding influences.
The table below should help to classify the seals.
| Shortcuts to different sections: | ||||||||
| Private | Federal | Military | Designated areas | Bi-lingual | After Empire | Telegrams | Railway | Hungary |
Probably beyond the accepted scope, but...
This was on the back of a telegram of 1860 for an address in Klausenburg which is now Cluj-Napoca the second most populous city in Romania.
In 1860 however it was in the Grand Principality of Transylvania, which was crown land of the Habsburg Monarchy and part of the Austrian Empire.
Later paper seals adopted a similar style.
Private Companies —Viennese Private Telegraph Co.
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| #P1 1870 ? |
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHP1 | P1 | #1 | 1870? Scalloped. Black on yellow. Viennese Private Telegraph Co. | - | - | - |
Hiscocks adds the following note:
| Note. The Viennese Private Telegraph Co. Issued telegraph stamps from 1870 to 1873 when they were taken over by the State. The date of No.1 is a guess but cannot be far out. |
My Note: A telegram and delivery envelope for this Private Company is shown below under Telegrams.
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| #P2 Date ? 22.5mm |
This was on the back of a Telegram envelope marked "Von der k. k. Telegraphen-Station in" with the last part 'Leipnik' completed by hand".
This would seem to imply it was used in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The top of the seal is hard to read, but could be "A.R.K.F.NORDBAHN"
Help invited.
Federal — German language-only or design-only.
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| #F1 1874, 29mm - No star at bottom | #F2 1876-1903, 29.3mm | #F3 ?, 30.5mm |
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| #F4 1908, 22.5mm | #F5 1915-16, 21.9mm |
F4 was listed as #5, #8 and Croatia #1.
I have combined the entries as being Austrian Empire.
Do not confuse with the later imperforate type of 1918 with different arms.
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHF1 | F1 | - | 1874 Scalloped(~35). Black on yellow. State telegraph Office. (no star) | - | - | - |
| RHF2 | F2 | #2 | 1876-1903 Scalloped(36). Black on yellow. State telegraph Office. | - | - | - |
| RHF2a | Scalloped (32). | - | - | - | ||
| RHF3 | F3 | - | Dates? Scalloped(33). Black on yellow. State telegraph Office. | - | - | - |
| RHF4 | F4 | - | 1908 Scalloped (20 or 22). Black on yellow. Telegraph Office. | - | - | - |
| RHF5 | F5 | #5, #8 | 1915-16. Scalloped (22 or 24). Black on cream. Habsburg eagle and insulators. | - | - | - |
Military Seals.
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| #M1 1910-14, 31mm | #M2 1915-18? 30mm Austrian arms, Hungarian arms and small Austrian Empire arms between. This was used in Brčko, a town in northern Bosnia near the border with Slavonia. |
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| #M3 1905?, 40mm |
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
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| RHM1 | M1 | Czech#2 | 1910-4 Scalloped(~18). Black on white. Arms of Austrian Empire. | - | - | - |
| RHM2 | M2 | - | 1915-8? Scalloped(19). Black on white. 3 sets of arms. | - | - | - |
| RHM3 | M3 | - | 1905? Black on white. Arms of Austrian Empire. | - | - | - |
German-language for designated areas.
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| #G1a 40.5mm For Vienna 1/1. | #G1b 39.5mm For Vienna 9/1. |
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| #G1c 40mm For Vienna 10/2. |
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| #G2 35.9mm For provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg. |
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| #G3 31.8mm. For Lower Austria. | |
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| #G4 32.3mm. As last but 'U' for 'UND' | #G5 30.9mm. As last but shield and tail changed | |
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| #G6 33.8mm Similar to last, perhaps an etiquette. | #G7 33.7mm Similar to last, crown breaks surrounding ring. |
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| #G8 35mm For Upper Austria and Salzburg. |
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| #G9 For Graz | #G10 40.5mm For Trieste, Littoral and Carniola |
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| #G11 32.9mm (Outer circle) For Bohemia | #G12 33.3mm Mitterdorf im Mürzthal (now Mürztal), Styria. |
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHG1a | G1a | - | Black on white. For Vienna 1/1 - 15. | - | - | - |
| RHG1b | G1b | - | Black on white. For Vienna 9/1 - 66. | - | - | - |
| RHG1c | G1c | - | Black on white. For Vienna 10/2 - 77. | - | - | - |
| RHG2 | G2 | - | Black on white. For provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg. | - | - | - |
| RHG3 | G3 | - | 1910? Black on pink. For Lower Austria. 'POST UND TELEGRAPHEN' | - | - | - |
| RHG3a | - | Black on orange. For Lower Austria. | - | - | - | |
| RHG4 | G4 | - | Black on white. For Lower Austria. 'POST U TELEGRAPHEN' | - | - | - |
| RHG4a | - | Black on orange. For Lower Austria. | - | - | - | |
| RHG5 | G5 | - | Black on white. For Lower Austria. New tail and shield. | - | - | - |
| RHG6 | G6 | - | Scalloped Embossed Black. For Lower Austria. Etiquette ? | - | - | - |
| RHG7 | G7 | - | Scalloped Embossed Black on yellow. For Lower Austria. Etiquette ? | - | - | - |
| RHG8 | G8 | - | Black on tan. For Upper Austria and Salzburg. | - | - | - |
| RHG9 | G9 | - | Die-cut. Black on cream. For Graz (Capital of Styria). | - | - | - |
| RHG10 | G10 | - | Black on cream. For Triest, Küstenland and Krain (Trieste, Littoral and Carniola). | - | - | - |
| RHG11 | G11 | - | Imperf. Black on cream. For Bohemia. | - | - | - |
| RHG12 | G12 | - | Black on yellow. For Mitterdorf im Mürzthal (now Mürztal), Styria. | - | - | - |
German-language for designated areas - Possible Etiquettes ?
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| #E1a (Eger 2) 39mm | #E1b (Gablonz) |
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| #E1c (Graz 1) 38.3mm | #E1d (Innsbruck 2) 38.7mm |
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| #E1e (Josefstadt) 39.2mm | #E1f (Kolin 1, Bohemia) 39mm | #E1g (Laibach, now Ljubljana, Slovenia) 39.2mm |
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| #E1h (Ragusa, now Dubrovnik, Croatia) 39mm | #E1i (Reichenberg 1, Bohemia) 38.1mm | #E1j (Salzburg) 39mm |
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| #E1k (Salzburg 2) 38.9mm | #E1l (Smichow) 38.6mm | #E1m (Smichov 1) 39.2mm |
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| #E1n (Trient 1) 39mm - This is the German name for Trento, now in Italy (not Trient, Switzerland) |
#E1o (Trzynietz, Třinec now Czech Rep.) 40.5mm | #E1p (Weipert) 39.1mm |
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| #E1q (Wien 1, Abt.4) 38.7mm | #E1r (Wien 28) 38.2mm | #E1s (Wien 71) 38.5mm |
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| #E1t (Wien 110) 38.2mm | #E1u (Zara, now Zadar, Croatia) 39.1mm |
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
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| RHE1a | E1a | - | Imperf. Black on cream. Eger 2 (Heves, Hungary) | - | - | - |
| RHE1b | E1b | #7 | - - - Gablonz a. d. Neisse 1 (northern Bohemia). | - | - | - |
| RHE1c | E1c | - | - - - Graz 1 (Styria) | - | - | - |
| RHE1d | E1d | - | - - - Innsbruck 2 (Tyrol) | - | - | - |
| RHE1e | E1e | - | - - - Josefstadt, Bohemia. | - | - | - |
| RHE1f | E1f | - | - - - Kolin 1, Bohemia. | - | - | - |
| RHE1g | E1g | - | - - - Laibach (now Ljubljana, Slovenia). | - | - | - |
| RHE1h | E1h | - | - - - Ragusa (now Dubrovnik, Croatia. | - | - | - |
| RHE1i | E1i | - | - - - Reichenberg 1, Bohemia. | - | - | - |
| RHE1j | E1j | - | - - - Salzburg (Salzburg). | - | - | - |
| RHE1k | E1k | - | - - - Salzburg 2. | - | - | - |
| RHE1l | E1l | - | - - - Smichow (Smíchov, district of Prague, Bohemia). | - | - | - |
| RHE1m | E1m | - | - - - Smichov 1 | - | - | - |
| RHE1n | E1n | - | - - - Trient 1(Trento now in Italy) | - | - | - |
| RHE1o | E1o | - | - - - Trzynietz (Třinec now in Czech Rep.) | - | - | - |
| RHE1p | E1p | - | - - - Weipert (Bohemia). | - | - | - |
| RHE1q | E1q | - | - - - Wien (Vienna) 1, Abt.4 | - | - | - |
| RHE1r | E1r | - | - - - Wien (Vienna) 2/2 - 28 | - | - | - |
| RHE1s | E1s | - | - - - Wien (Vienna) 9/2 - 71 | - | - | - |
| RHE1t | E1t | - | - - - Wien (Vienna) 18/1 - 110 | - | - | - |
| RHE1u | E1u | - | - - - Zara (now Zadar, Croatia) | - | - | - |
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| #E2 31.75mm | #E3 30.3mm |
These two look a lot like etiquettes, but I could be wrong.
Graz was the capital of Styria and a very important city to the Empire.
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
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| RHE2 | E2 | - | Scalloped - Etiquette for Graz ? | - | - | - |
| RHE3 | E3 | - | Scalloped - Etiquette for Graz ? | - | - | - |
Bi-lingual.
Large
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| #B1 28.4mm, 1897-1912 (Polish at bottom) |
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| #B2 30mm, 1875-77 (Italian at bottom) - scalloping (40). | #B2a 30mm, 1877 (Italian at bottom) - scalloping (28). | #B2b 30mm, 1888 (Italian at bottom) - scalloping (34). |
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| #B3 29mm, 1881 ? (Czech at bottom) - scalloping (41) | #B3a 29.1mm, - scalloping (35) | #B3b 29.2mm, - scalloping (28) |
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| #B4 29.2mm (Czech on left) | #B5 1903, 29.7mm (Czech on right) |
Small
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| #B6 1905, 21.8mm (Czech at right) | #B7 1910 (Polish at right) | #B8 1905? 21.8mm (Italian at right) |
Type #B3 was listed under Czechoslovakia, I have moved it here since they are Austrian Empire seals.
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
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| RHB1 | B1 | #3 | 1897-1912 Scalloped(~38). Black on light purple. 'Telegraph Station' in German and Polish. | - | - | - |
| - | - | #4 | Deleted - same as B2 [what was #11] | - | - | - |
| RHB2 | B2 | #11 | 1875-77 Scalloped(40). Black on green (used in Split). 'Telegraph Station' in German and Italian. | - | - | - |
| RHB2a | B2 | - | 1877 Scalloped(28). Black on green. | - | - | - |
| RHB2b | B2 | - | 1888 Scalloped(34). Black on green. | - | - | - |
| RHB3 | B3 | Czech-#1 | 1881 Scalloped(41). Black on purple. Habsburg eagle. 'Telegraph Station' in German and Czech. | - | - | - |
| RHB3a | B3 | - | Scalloped(35). Black on purple. Habsburg eagle. 'Telegraph Station' in German and Czech. | - | - | - |
| RHB3b | B3 | - | Scalloped(28). Black on purple. Habsburg eagle. 'Telegraph Station' in German and Czech. | - | - | - |
| RHB4 | B4 | - | Scalloped(~35). Black on purple. Habsburg eagle. 'Telegraph Station' in German and Czech (left). | - | - | - |
| RHB5 | B5 | - | 1903 Scalloped(~37). Black on purple. Habsburg eagle. 'Telegraph Station' in German and Czech (right). | - | - | - |
| RHB5a | B5 | - | Scalloped(~33). Black on purple. | - | - | - |
| RHB6 | B6 | - | 1905 Scalloped(~21). Black on purple. 'Telegraph Office' in German and Czech. | - | - | - |
| RHB7 | B7 | #6 | 1910 Scalloped(~21). Black on lilac. 'Telegraph Office' in German and Polish. | - | - | - |
| RHB8 | B8 | - | 1905? Scalloped(21). Black on purple. 'Telegraph Office' in German and Italian. | - | - | - |
Bi-lingual for designated towns/cities/provinces.
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| #BA1 35.3mm 'For Bohemia' in German and Czech. 'FÜR BÖHMEN' closely spaced. |
#BA1a 36.4mm 'For Bohemia' in German and Czech. 'FÜR BÖHMEN' widely spaced. |
#BA2 35mm? 'In Bohemia' in German and Czech. |
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| #BA2a 36.2mm 'In Bohemia' in German and Czech. | #BA3 36.4mm 'Vineyards' (a district of Prague) in German and Czech. |
#BA4 35.7mm 'For Lemberg' in German and Polish. |
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
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| RHBA1 | BA1 | - | Black on cream. 'Post & Telegraph Direction / For Bohemia' in German and Czech. | - | - | - |
| RHBA1a | BA1a | - | Black on cream. 'Post & Telegraph Direction / For Bohemia' in German and Czech. | - | - | - |
| RHBA2 | BA2 | - | As above but 'IN' instead of 'FÜR'. | - | - | - |
| RHBA2a | BA2a | - | As above but larger centre and 'ornaments'. | - | - | - |
| RHBA3 | BA3 | - | Black on cream. 'Post & Telegraph Office' in German and Czech for Vinohrady in Prague (Bohemia). | - | - | - |
| RHBA4 | BA4 | - | Black on cream. 'Post & Telegraph Direction / For Lemberg' in German and Polish. | - | - | - |
Bi-lingual for designated areas - Possible Etiquettes ?
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| #BE1a 38.5mm (with Czech) | #BE1b 38.4mm (with Polish) |
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| #BE1c (with Czech) |
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
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| RHE1a | BE1a | - | Black on cream. 'Post & Telegraph Office' in German and Czech for Leiben / Libeň (Lower Austria) | - | - | - |
| RHE1b | BE1b | - | Black on cream. 'Post & Telegraph Office' in German and Polish for Podgórze, in Kraków (Galicia) | - | - | - |
| RHE1c | BE1c | - | Black on cream. 'Post & Telegraph Office' in German and Czech for Prag 3/ Praha 3 (Bohemia) | - | - | - |
Domestic - Austria only (1915-18 Arms).
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| #D1 1918-9, 22.5mm |
Note the 'arms' in the centre of the double-headed eagle. This was listed under Czechoslovakia as #5.
This appears to have been used after the breakup of the Empire and into the First Republic period below. More dated examples are needed.
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
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| RHD1 | D1 | Czech#5 | 1918-9 Imperf. Black on yellow. Eagle and Insulators. | - | - | - |
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| #D2 - For Graz | #D3 - For Trieben |
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
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| RHD2 | D2 | - | Black on cream. For Graz | - | - | - |
| RHD3 | D3 | - | Black on cream. For Trieben | - | - | - |
Austrian Republics.
First Republic of Austria (1919-34) - Single-headed eagle holding hammer and sickle.
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| #R1 1919?, 22.5mm (1st. Republic.) | #R2 1925-32, 28.3mm (1st. Republic.) |
| Second Republic of Austria (1945 onwards). Broken chains on legs. | |||
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| #R3 1956, 27.7mm (2nd. Republic.) | #R4 Date ? 28.4mm (2nd. Republic.) This has different chains on the Eagles legs. Thin paper. |
#R5 Date ? 28mm (2nd. Republic.) A different Eagle, chains and device at the bottom. Thin paper. |
#R6 ?, 14.8mm (across words) |
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
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| RHR1 | R1 | - | 1919? Imperf. Red on white. No text. | - | - | - |
| RHR1 | R2 | #9 | 1930-2 Imperf. Red on white. Österr(eichisches). Bundestelegraphenverwaltung. | - | - | - |
| RHR2 | R3 | #10 | 1956 Perf. 10¾. Orange-red on white. Österr. Post und Telegraphenverwaltung. | - | - | - |
| RHR3 | R4 | - | Imperf. x Perf. 9 ¾. Orange-red on white. Österr. Post und Telegraphenverwaltung. | - | - | - |
| RHR4 | R5 | - | Perf. 11½ x Imperf. Red on white. Österr. Post und Telegraphenverwaltung. | - | - | - |
| RHR5 | R6 | - | 1960's?. die-cut. Black on yellow. Single-headed eagle with crown. | - | - | - |
This resembles the German types of 1944-9 and perhaps was a type used in the time when Austria was annexed by Germany (1938-45).
It may not even be Austrian, but was sold as such. Dated examples with location are needed. 38.8mm, Perf. 9¾ x Imperf. Thin paper.
| RH # | Type. | was | Description | Mint | Used | On telegram |
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| RHDS1 | DS1 | - | 1944-49? Perf. 9¾ x Imperf. Black on white. Required date-stamp. | - | - | - |
Telegrams.
Telegram of the Private Telegraph Company of Vienna, 1873.
Nothing on the back of the form, but an imprint of Theyer & Hardtmuth of Vienna on the back of the envelope.
Images courtesy of vgstamps2015 on eBay (click image for listing).
Telegram (outside and inside) of the the State Telegraph, sent 19 August 1878 from Doboj to Mödling, a little to the southwest of Vienna.
Doboj (Добој) is now a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"Tel.-Drucksorto Nr. 2." (Telegraph Form No. 2.) at the bottom-left. Images courtesy of vgstamps2015 on eBay (click an image for listing).
For what it is worth, this is actually a scan of a photocopy of a historically important telegram sent from Pola(Pula), on the coast of Dalmatia on 29 July 1914.
The form is printed in German and Italian, and the telegram is written in Italian.
The telegram says "Si informa cotesto J. R. Governo Marittimo che data odierna fu intimata guerra at Regno di Serbia stop Segue lettera stop
It is signed J. R. Governo Marittimo Superiore Pola" - this translates as
"This J. R. Maritime Government is hereby informed that on today's date war was declared on the Kingdom of Serbia stop Follows stop ."
This is written in Czeh for use in the Bohemian part of the Empire. It was used in Kolin1 on 18 January 1916.
Vyrozumění means Notification. Image courtesy of Les Bottomley.
This is from Vienna to Scherz (between Basel and Zurich), written in German and bearing a seal of the First Republic. It was used on 14 January, some year 1925 onwards.
At the bottom-right it has "D.S. Nr. 769. (1925) — Druct der Öƒterrelchiƒchen Staatsdructerei in Wien. (St.) 1988 25" (as near as I can render in modern script)
Image courtesy of Les Bottomley.
Railway.
Strangely, this is the only thing that I have seen so far that I can put under this heading.
"Für die Eisenbahnverwaltungen
/ Von der k.k. Hof und Staatsdruckerei."
"For the Railway administrations
/ from k.k. Court and State Printing"
This would seem to serve the purposes of a seal together with postage for a telegram.
I am not sure if this is a proof or what? Judging by the arms, it is from 1918 or earlier.
However there is no reference to "Telegraphen" or images of insulators, and the stamp
has a value of 5, but no currency. I think it was intended simply for "Bahnpost",
mail delivered by train, combining a stamp and complementary seal.
If anyone can provide scans to help with this, I am happy to give appropriate credit.
