Postage stamps 1867–1898

The issue of the Compromise year: a portrait of Franz Joseph, emperor in Austria and king in Hungary, kept free of any country name so that both halves of the monarchy would accept it. Hungary, which had no printer able to make stamps, used it until 31 July 1871, when its own were already out.

Sources: RPSL: Austro-Hungarian Issue, 1867, Wikipedia: Postage stamps and postal history of Hungary

Once the Hungarian post became independent in 1867, the previous newspaper stamp with its German inscription and Austrian double eagle would no longer do, so Mercury's head of 1851 came back – with no inscription and no value at all. It appeared on 1 June 1867 and was used in Hungary until 1871; in Austria it came into use only in autumn 1868, once older stocks ran out, but stayed valid until 30 September 1900 – over 33 years, longer than any other stamp of its day. The 'coarse print' comes from old presses with felt-covered rollers; from 1874 new machines printed sharply, which collectors call the fine print.

Sources: Vindobona: J. Gatterer – Die Zeitungsmarken-Ausgaben von 1867 und 1880 (2024), Big Blue 1840-1940: Austria & L-V 1860-64 Franz Josef & Coat of Arms issues

Newspaper sales were growing fast, so in 1879 the post decided to issue, for the first time, special delivery stamps for subscribers' newspapers delivered only within the area of the local post office; the delivery fee was ½ kreuzer. The design was made by altering the die of the 1867 newspaper stamp – the lower meander replaced by a solid panel with the value '½ Kr.' in white – and it was printed in the same green as the postage stamp for local letters. After the change to the krone currency it was occasionally used early in 1900 as a 1-heller postage or postage-due stamp.

Sources: Vindobona: J. Gatterer – Die Zeitungsmarken-Ausgaben von 1867 und 1880 (2024)

The 1883 set was the first purely Austrian issue: since 1871 Hungary had been issuing its own stamps. For the first time the value and the inscription KAIS. KÖNIGL. OESTERR. POST were added in black in a second printing, and a new 20 kreuzer value joined the set. The stamps were perforated 9½ at first and 10 from 1887; for the last printing in 1890 the usual paper had run out, so the newspaper-stamp paper watermarked 'ZEITUNGS-MARKEN' was used instead. They were valid until 30 June 1891.

Sources: Austria-Forum: Freimarken 1883, Stamp Encyclopedia: Austria – empire issues, 1850-1918, Austrian Stamps: 1883 issues

Soon after the 1890 set, the higher kreuzer values of 20, 24, 30 and 50 kr were reissued on 16 March 1891 in a new design, because the rather similar colours were easily confused. The emperor's profile stayed, but the oval frame became an ornate octagon, and the black numerals sit in plain hexagonal panels instead of round ones – easier to read, and the higher values are easier to tell from the lower. They were printed on fibre paper without watermark, in various perforations, and were valid together with the low values of 1890 until 30 September 1900.

Sources: Austria-Forum: Freimarken 1891/96, Austrian Stamps: 1891-96 issues