Austria 1866 – 5 Kr – Agram – Walpach/Valpo old letter

The 5 Kreuzer stamp issued by Austria in 1866 has some interesting details:

Design:

• Features the coat of arms of Austria as the central design element
• The imperial double-headed eagle is prominent within an oval frame
• Inscribed “KAIS. KON. BRIEFMARKE” which means “Imperial Royal Postage Stamp”
• Denomination “5 Kr.” is indicated at the bottom

Color:

• Printed in a distinct red-brown shade

Printing Method:

• Produced using typography (surface printing) by the State Printing Works in Vienna

Perforation:

• The stamps had machine perforations of gauge 14

Usage:

• The 5 Kr value paid the printed matter rate within the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time
• It was part of Austria’s second definitive stamp series issued in 1863-1864

Varieties and Rarity:

• There are a few plate varieties known on this stamp that are of interest to specialists
• Used examples canceled by certain scarcer cancellation types can be quite valuable
• While millions were printed, centering issues and condition factor into its scarcity in top grades today

The 1866 5 Kreuzer is representative of the classic stamp issues from the era when Austria was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Its imperial coat-of-arms design is iconic. Collecting stamps from this 19th century period, especially used on cover, is very popular for Austrian philately.