Newspaper stamps
150 years ago, Austria issued the first newspaper stamps in the world.
The first newspaper stamps saw the light of day in 1851 and were issued by Austria.
As their subject, these copies have the head of a helmeted Mercurius, without a country name and a value indication.
In this case, the nominal value is not indicated by numbers of letters, but simply by the colour. The blue stamp for instance had a stamp value of 0.6 Kreuzer, the equivalent of one delivered newspaper.
The rarest specimen is the « vermiljoenrode », with a stamp value of six « kronen » (crown). It is a very rare stamp and the most expensive newspaper stamp in the world too.
Four values were issued in 1851, namely the 0.6 Kreuzer blue, the 6 Kreuzer yellow, the 6 Kreuzer « vermiljoen » and the 30 Kreuzer pink.
With sticker, they are catalogued 1500, 150 000, 375 000 and 165 000 French franc respectively. (Yvert catalogue 1998) Stamped, they are about half the value with sticker, except for the famous 6 Kreuzer, which costs 475 000 franc, when stamped.
It is important to know that the stamps were printed on seven different points in time, so the colours are brighter and the paper smoother.
So, don’t jubilate too early if you discover something!
More info:
Maandblad Filatelie
Credits:
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