Related Articles
Stamp Market Tips by Henry Gitner and Rick Miller
Austria is a landlocked country in central Europe. Its people speak German, and it is the only major German-speaking nation that managed to avoid German unification in the 19th century.
Austria issued its first stamps in 1850 while it still comprised half of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Modern Austrian stamps are beautifully designed and printed and honor subjects appropriate to the country that issued them.
However, the Austrian stamp market is a mature market, meaning that there aren’t very many new collectors looking to start an Austrian collection.
One of the ways that Austria Post has sought to counter the relative lack of interest is by issuing stamps with a gimmick. A gimmick is an innovative or unusual contrivance or an innovative stratagem or scheme employed to promote the stamp.
In Austria, gimmicky stamps have generally had to do with the shape of the stamp or the materials on which it was printed or both. Austria has issued many stamps shaped like the object they commemorate and made from fabric, leather, crystal and other unusual materials.
Generally speaking, stamp collectors either love gimmicky stamps, or they can’t stand them. Few collectors are neutral regarding them.
On Sept. 16, 2021, Austria issued a 275¢ Protective Face Mask and COVID-19 Virus souvenir sheet of one (Scott 2948). The self-adhesive souvenir sheet is embroidered on fleece and is in the shape of the types of face masks worn during the COVID-19 pandemic. The print run for the souvenir sheet was 150,000. The Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue values the souvenir sheet at $6.50 (the Scott catalog minimum of double face value for new issues) in both mint, never-hinged and used condition.
The masks are made of filtering material meeting the European FFP2 standard. Such material filters around 94 percent of airborne particles. The mask souvenir sheet comes complete with cloth ear loops, but at just 6 centimeters by 4.1cm, the souvenir sheet mask would be a better fit for a doll than a human being.
Connect with Linn’s Stamp News:
Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
