» An overview of Austrian Mercury stamps

An overview of Austrian Mercury stamps

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Third topic used by early Austrian / Austro-Hungarian stamps is the head of Mercury – the Roman messenger god. The Mercury stamps were used as newspaper stamps - stamps created for the specific purpose of serving as postage on newspapers.

The mercury stamps are not usually denominated, but instead the color of the stamp indicates the value.

1851 and 1856 – The Austrian Red Mercury

The first Austrian newspaper stamps with Mercurys head design appeared in 1851. Blue color indicated the 6/10 kreuzer rate for one newspaper, yellow for ten newspapers (6kr), and rose for 50 newspapers (30kr).

In 1856, the design was reprinted in red (or scarlet), and along with the rose, was made equivalent to six kreuzer. This Red Mercury stamp is by far one of the rarest stamps of the world with very few surviving copies left.

Austrian Red Mercury stamp - one of the rarest stamps of the world. Michel #9, catalogue value 40 000€ (*)

The 1867 design

1867 brought up a new design of Mercury stamps.

Austria 1867 Mercury stamps. Michel #42, catalogue value 0.50€. On the left is a normal stamp, on the right a private perforation.

These are normally inperforate, but private perforations exist. These stamps were printed using several printing plates, that can be identified rather easily by looking at stamp design and print quality.

About a decade later, in 1880, the same design was used to issue a new, light green newspaper stamp. This time the stamp design also contained nominal value of ½Kr printed on the bottom of the stamp frame.

1899 / 1901 design

The 1899/1901 design uses similar portrait of Mercury as before, but with different framing. Like previous issues, the stamps are inperforate, but private perforations exist.

Austria 1899 Mercurys head newspaper stamp

Austria 1899 Mercury newspaper stamp. Michel #97, catalogue value 0.10€.

The difference between 1899 and 1901 prints is use of varnish bars to prevent stamp re-use. The 1899 issue is without diagonal varnish bars, the 1901 is with them.

1908/1910 design

The 1809/1910 set showcases yet another design for Mercury’s head. Like previous issues, the stamps are inperforate, but perforated copies exist. For philatelic researcher, various paper types used for this issue provide hours of fun.

Austria 1908/10 Mercury stamps. Michel #157 (catalogue value 0.10€) and #160 (catalogue value 0.60€).

Be sure to check out other parts of this Austrian stamp series:

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Cheema wrote:

Hi!
I hope and pray that you are fine and happy.

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You may like to stumble upon them as well.

Best Regards
Yours Cheema

Keijo wrote:

Hi Cheema,

and thank you for wishing well. I hope the same for you too.

Those look like fine stamp related blogs. I will definitely read them them in near future.

best,
-keijo-

Pablo (yo) wrote:

Hi!, the first post i read on your blog, and very interesting for me. I have one of these stamps (design 1908/10) shown at http://www.albumdeestampillas.com.ar/noidentificadas/index.htm (it is the number 5 of the page)
What confuses me is that the stamp is green, not blue. And I have no information about a green impression. Do you think it is posible it has decolorated?

Hi Pablo,

that is one nice looking page full of bizarre stamps…

I remember reading that cobalt color is extraordinery stable, but as I have seen some blue stamps turned to green/greenish shade, I’d say that you have a changeling caused by some chemical (bleach etc).

One way to test possible chemical reaction is UV-light; just place the changeling and normal colored stamp under UV-light. If they show different color/glow, then you have a found the culprit for change. Also paper changed by chemical usually feels different (more fragile) when touching by fingertips.

I wouldn’t either discount the possibility of your changeling being real. Sadly I don’t have Michel Osterreich SpezialKatalog . I know that it would provide a complete listing of know color shades (and changelings).

-keijo-