Postage stamps 1908–1918

The Jubilee issue for the 60th year of Franz Joseph's reign was designed by Koloman Moser, co-founder of the Vienna Secession and the Wiener Werkstätte. Instead of a single portrait it shows a line of emperors from Charles VI to Franz Joseph at different ages, and Schönbrunn and the Hofburg – each value in a frame of its own.

Sources: Leopold Museum: Original designs for the Austrian Jubilee stamps, Wikipedia: Postage stamps and postal history of Austria

In 1908 Austria's newspaper stamps got a new design with Mercury's head facing right. They were first printed on enamelled (chalk-surfaced) paper, in 1909 on thin transparent paper and from 1910 on thick smooth paper. Like every Austrian newspaper stamp they were issued imperforate; copies on brown or cream paper are cut-outs from newspaper wrappers with the stamp printed on.

Sources: Stamp Encyclopedia: Austria – back of the book issues, Austrian Stamps: Newspaper stamps

For Franz Joseph's 80th birthday in 1910 Koloman Moser's designs from the 1908 Jubilee issue were used again, with the years '1830' and '1910' added at top and bottom.

Sources: Wikipedia: Postage stamps and postal history of Austria

For Franz Joseph's 80th birthday in 1910 Koloman Moser's designs from the 1908 Jubilee issue were used again, with the years '1830' and '1910' added at top and bottom.

Sources: Wikipedia: Postage stamps and postal history of Austria

Austria's first war-charity stamps appeared on 4 October 1914 for the fund for war widows and orphans. Koloman Moser adapted his 1910 design for the emperor's 80th birthday, removing the year 1830 and placing 1914 below the portrait. The 2-heller surcharge was paid on top, but it is not shown on the stamp. The print runs were 17.6 million for the 5 heller and 17.44 million for the 10 heller, and the stamps were valid until 30 June 1915.

Sources: FreestampMagazine: The first surcharge stamps in Austria, Austrian Stamps: War Charity issues

The second Austrian war-charity set was designed by Koloman Moser, who this time chose five branches of the armed forces: infantry in a trench awaiting an order, a cavalry patrol galloping down a steep slope, a 305 mm Škoda howitzer, the battleship SMS Viribus Unitis and a Lohner B.I reconnaissance aircraft. The surcharge went to the fund for war widows and orphans. The stamps were valid until 30 September 1916.

Sources: FreestampMagazine: The first surcharge stamps in Austria, Linn's Stamp News: The Austrian semipostal stamps that raised money for war widows and orphans

A rise in postal rates, partly caused by the war, called for a new definitive series. Rudolf Junk designed it and it was printed by letterpress: the imperial crown on the 3–12 h, the state arms on 40 h – 1 K, and on the 15–30 h a portrait of Franz Joseph in two slightly different poses – the last time he appeared on Austrian definitives. The values came out between 28 September 1916 and 1 September 1918, the 1 krone last, after yet another rate increase. Franz Joseph died on 21 November 1916, and the stamps with his portrait were valid only until 28 February 1918.

Sources: Österreichische Post, Album 3/2023: Freimarken 1916/18, Österreichische Post: Freimarken 1917/18

Mercury, messenger of the gods, had been the emblem of Austrian newspaper stamps since 1851, and the new series of 1 October 1916 kept him – now as a small head, with the inscription KAISERLICHE KÖNIGLICHE ÖSTERREICHISCHE POST. It appeared in five values from 2 to 30 heller on the day the war-driven increase in postal rates took effect. Like every Austrian newspaper stamp, it was issued imperforate.

Sources: Stamp Encyclopedia: Austria – back of the book issues, Austrian Stamps: Newspaper stamps, Österreichische Post: Freimarken 1917/18

In the German-speaking countries it was Austria that introduced express stamps, in 1916. They did not pay for letters but for faster delivery of printed matter, and they came in an unusual triangular shape. With special overprints they were also used in the territories occupied during the First World War.

Sources: Stamp Encyclopedia: Austria – back of the book issues, Wikipedia (de): Eilmarke

Franz Joseph died on 21 November 1916, and on 10 May 1917 the four portrait values of the 1916 series (15–30 h) were replaced by stamps showing the new emperor. They were designed by the graphic artist and engraver Alfred Cossmann and printed by letterpress without watermark; all four show the same portrait of the young Karl I in uniform in an oval frame. They were also sold in booklets and coils, and after the rate increase of September 1918 the much-used 20 heller appeared in a darker opal green. They were valid until 31 October 1920.

Sources: Österreichische Post: Freimarken 1917/18, Österreichische Post, Album 3/2023: Freimarken 1916/18

In 1917 the triangular express stamps were replaced by small horizontal designs in the same 2 and 5 heller values; several perforation varieties exist. After the fall of the monarchy the remaining stocks – like those of the postage and newspaper stamps – were overprinted 'Deutschösterreich' diagonally and sold in the new republic from December 1918.

Sources: Stamp Encyclopedia: Austria – back of the book issues, Wikipedia (de): Postgeschichte und Briefmarken von Österreich

The three stamps overprinted FLUGPOST appeared on 30 March 1918 for an air service flown by military pilots between Vienna, Kraków and Lviv, extended that summer to Kyiv. The first flight was on 31 March and the service ended on 15 October 1918. Many philatelists count it as the true start of scheduled airmail, and as the world's first regular international airmail route.

Sources: Bitter Grounds: Early Austrian airmail, Wikipedia: Österreichische Post