Postal Rates

This article links to tables of the lowest-weight inland private (ie person-to-person) letter and postcard postage rate, and has a brief list of some books where considerably more details can be found. Note that air mail, registration, express etc services cost more; the extra is given in all the handbooks as a surcharge to be added to the basic surface rate.

Currencies:

• When Registered Post was introduced on 1.11.1789, the Austrian currency was Conventions-Munze (CM) of 1 Gulden = 80 Kreuzer.
• On 1.11.1858 it changed to Oesterreichische Wahrung (ÖW) of 1 Gulden = 100 (new)Kreuzer; new stamps were issued. Both these currencies were silver-based.
• From 1892 a new gold-based currency of 1 Kronen = 100 Heller was progressively introduced; it applied to the postal service from 1.1.1900.
• The ravages of post-WWI inflation led to a new currency, the Schilling = 100 Groschen, introduced for postal purposes on 1.4.1925. However Groschen stamps were not issued till 1 June 1925; some Kronen stamps remained valid till 30th June 1925 and as supplements on preprinted cards till 30 September 1925.
• With the Anschluß on 4.4.1938 came the German currency of 1 Reichsmark = 100 Reichspfenning.
• The Austrian currency reverted to 1 Schilling = 100 Groschen on 1.1.1947, suffering a 3:1 devaluation on 10.12.1947.
• This lasted until the introduction of the Euro on 1.1.2002.

The research for the ‘Anschluß article’ has made it possible to provide a correct list of Austrian Registered Post Rates, including the Anschluβ period for which some rates given in the major catalogues cannot be justified. Note that these are surcharges, payable as well as the normal postage on the item. The currency abbreviations used are: Kr = Kreuzer; H = Heller; K = Kronen; Gr = Groschen; S = Schilling; Rpf = Reichspfennig; Eu = Euro.

Selected Books

All these books are in German; and are long and heavy!