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Useful Commons link Stamps of Austrian Post Offices Abroad

Austrian Post Office at Preveza Preveza is a town in northwestern Greece and an important port on the Ionian Sea. The town was under the Ottoman Empire during most of the 19th century and until 21 October 1912, when it was incorporated in Greece. There was an Austrian Post Office operating in the town during the Ottoman period, and for a year or so after the integration of Preveza in the Greek State. At that time Preveza, with a population of about 10.000 people, was the most active port of Epirus and the main gate of access to its inland capital city of Ioannina, 100 km north of Preveza.

=Austrian Post Office at Preveza (1854-1914)= An agency of the Austrian Lloyd was opened in Preveza in 1854 and acted as an official Austrian Postal Agency. It is believed that this is the first postal establishment in the territory of Epirus, in northwestern Greece. Its volume of traffic remained considerable in the early period, owing to frequent calls of its ships, and despite the fact that mail to and from Janina (Ioannina), transiting through Prevesa, did not have to be cancelled at this latter port.

The competition of a Greek Post Office, which was established in Preveza around 1860 and closed in 1881, and a Turkish Post Office, which was established in the 1860s, proved ineffective until the 1910s, when the volume of mail through the Austrian Post Office dwindled. A severe drop took place when Greek forces liberated the town on 21st October 1912, and the Greek Post Office was re-opened, which was obviously patronised by the local Greek population.

In the 1880's, the Austrian Lloyd organised a local line, based in Corfu, and running a shuttle-service to the neighbouring ports of Sayada, Parga, Preveza, Santa Maura and back. This line is believed to have been operated by the small S/S Psyche and as from 1899 by the S/S Bosnia.

The Austrian Post Office, which had been using stamps of Austrian Italy (Lombardy & Venetia) from 1864 till 1868/69, and stamps of Austrian Levant thereafter, shifted to the centimes issue of Crete, sold at par for Greek currency, after the town was incorporated in the Hellenic Kingdom. The Austrian Post Office at Preveza officially closed on 30 September 1914, when all Austrian Post Offices were closed.

For the reasons outlined above, material of the 19th century, including covers, is commoner than the later issues, while the stamps in centimes currency, which were little used, are the most elusive of all.

Postage stamps used by the Austrian Post Offices had different currencies. Initially: 1 Florin (Gulden) = 100 Soldi, and 1 Florin = 100 Kreuzer, from 1.5.1888: 1 Piaster = 40 Para, and 1 Franc = 100 Centimes.

=Types of cancellations= There were at least seven different cancellations (postmarks) used in the Austrian Post Office at Preveza during its 60 year operation (1854-1914). The Lloyd Agency issued a postmark very early, in the form of an oval, without date (type N-G i), inscribed entirely in Italian, but only known to have been used on Ottoman fiscal stamps. There was also a rarely seen FRANCO postmark, as well as a similar P.D. (postage paid to destination) postmark, used only in the pre-stamp period (1854-1864). There were four circular datestamps used by the Austrian Post Office, the first three of which are commoner than the aforementioned postmarks. Stampless covers bearing postmarks are not so common. The types described below are numbered according to Alain Nicolas and Alexandre Galinos (N-G), except of the FRANCO postmark, which is not mentioned by them and therefore the numbering of Tchilinghirian & Stephen (T-S) is adopted.

Type N-G i. (1854-????)
Description: A double oval postmark, with the outer oval having longest diametre 32.5 mm and shortest diametre 25.0 mm, and the inner oval having longest diametre 20.0 mm and shortest diametre 15.0 mm, bearing serifed AGENZIA DEL LLOYD at top, seperated by a star on the left and the right of AUSTRO - UNGARICO at bottom, and linear batoned PREVESA in the centre, with no date. Usage: It must have been issued by the Lloyd Agency when it started operating in Preveza, in 1854. So far, there seems to have been no use of this handstruck postmark on Austrian stamps. The only known examples are on Ottoman fiscal stamps. Tchilinghirian & Stephen do not catalogue this postmark. Nicolas & Galinos mention no date of use and note that it was only used on revenue stamps. Colour: Usually Blue, but also in Black. Rarity: A very rare handstamp of this office. Similar types or forgeries: There has been a different type, sold on auction, with larger serifed PREVESA in the centre, as depicted in one of the images below.

Type N-G 1. (1854-1876)
Description: A single circle postmark, 22.5 mm in diametre, bearing serifed PREVESA at top, and date in two lines (day and month only), usually seperated by a horizontal line. Usage: It was issued by the Imperial Administration shortly after the Lloyd Agency was opened in 1854. The earliest date recorded is 1858, according to Tchilinghirian & Stephen. It was used as a Handstruck Stamp on stampless mail until 1864; thereafter as a Canceller on postage stamps. It was current until 1876. Colour: Black. Also blue until the middle of 1860s. Rarity: Not a common marking of this office, according to Tchilinghirian & Stephen.

Cancellations on mail with no postage stamps
From 1854, when the Austrian Post Office started its operation in Preveza, until the introduction of postage stamps, in 1864, the outward mail from Preveza bore handstuck stamps of the type N-G 1. Rarely and in conjunction it also bore the handstruck stamps FRANCO or P.D. Edwin Mueller catalogues this pre-postage-stamps postmark as No. 2048 in his 1960 Handbook, mentioning that there are black and blue strikes.

Cancellations on mail with postage stamps
From 1864, with the introduction of postage stamps, the outward mail from Preveza bore the same type N-G 1 cancellation, initially on Austrian Italy stamps –issued in 1863 (No. 14 perforation), and in 1864 (No. 9 ½ perforation)– as well as on Austrian Levant stamps, after 1867. Edwin Mueller catalogues this after-postage-stamps postmark as No. 41 in his 1961 Handbuch, mentioning that there are black and blue strikes.

Cancellations on stamps of Lombardy and Venetia
The postage stamps of Lombardy and Venetia were used by the Austrian Post Offices from 1864 till 1868/69. During this period there were only two stamp issues in circulation. The issue of 1863 with a no. 14 perforation, and the issue of 1864 with a no. 9 ½ perforation. The cancellation types are according to the catalogue by Alain Nicolas & Alexandre Galinos. The postage stamps catalogue numbers are according to the Michel Austrian Special Stamp Catalogue.

Cancellations on stamps of Austrian Levant
During the usage of the N-G 1 type postmark (1854-1876), the following postage stamps of Austrian Levant were used by the Post Office in Preveza. * The issue of 1867 with coarse whiskers on Franz Joseph's portrait; Michel Catalogue numbers 1.I. - 7.I. * The issues of 1876-83 with fine whiskers on Franz Joseph's portrait; Michel Catalogue numbers 1.II. - 6.II. Of the later issues, only the 10 soldi postage stamp (Michel 4.II.) was put into circulation in September 1876. Thus, very few, if any, examples of N-G 1 type cancellations might exist on 10 soldi stamps (with fine whiskers), as the postmark was used until 1876.

1876-83 issues (fine whiskers)
Only the 10 soldi postage stamp was issued before the end of 1876. The other denominations were issued in the 1878-1883 period. Therefore, very few, if any, cancellations of this type might have been used on the 10 soldi postage stamps of this issue, as, according to Nicolas & Galinos, the type N-G 1 postmark was used up to 1876, without mention of when exactly in the year it was abolished. A new type postmark, N-G 3, was introduced in the Post Office in early 1874, as can be seen from the cancellations in the collection of Nikos D. Karabelas, Preveza, Greece.

Type T-S 3. (1854-1864)
Description: A single line postmark, 24.0 mm in length and 5.0 mm in height, bearing FRANCO in antique capitals, with no date. Usage: This type of Handstruck Stamp was applied on prepaid stampless mail in conjuction with the previous type N-G 2. Colour: Black. Rarity: A very rare postmark. To date, there is one known, used in May 1861.

Type N-G 2. (circa 1865)
Description: A two line postmark, 29.0 mm in length and 10.0 mm in hight, bearing serifed PREVESA at top, and date (day and month only) at bottom. Usage: This type of postmarks were issued by the Imperial Administration around 1850. It was most probably used as a Handstruck Stamp on stampless mail. Colour: Black. Rarity: A very rare postmark. To date, there is only one known, used around 1865, according to Nicolas & Galinos.

Type N-G 3. (1874-1896)
Description: A single circle postmark, 23.0 mm in diametre, bearing batoned PREVESA at top, and date in three lines (day, month, and year), usually with a horizontal line between day and month. Usage: It was issued in 1874 and used until 1896. Earliest date recorded: 26.4.1874. Latest date recorded: Colour: Black to brownish. Rarity: Commonest marking of this office, according to Tchilinghirian & Stephen.

Cancellations on mail with postage stamps
During the period in which type N-G 3 postmark was used (1874-1896), the following stamp issues were put in circulation. * The Franz Joseph portait issue, of June 1867 with coarse whiskers; Michel Catalogue numbers 1.I. - 7.I. * The 1876-1883 portrait issue, with fine whiskers; Michel Catalogue numbers 1.II. - 6.II. * The August 1883 eagles issue; Michel Catalogue numbers 8-13, and the overprint of September 1886; Michel Catalogue number 14. * The May 1888 overprints on Austrian stamps issued in 1883; Michel Catalogue numbers 15-19. * The September 1892 overprints on Austrian stamps issued in 1890; Michel Catalogue numbers 20-27, * and the overprints of the 1891 and 1896 issues; Michel Catalogue numbers 28-31.

Cancellations on stamps of Austrian Levant
The cancellation types are according to the catalogue by Alain Nicolas & Alexandre Galinos. The postage stamps catalogue numbers are according to the Michel Austrian Special Stamp Catalogue.

1876-83 issues (fine whiskers)
The 10 soldi was issued in September 1876; the 3 soldi was issued in May 1878; the 5 soldi was issued in November 1878; the 15 soldi was issued in July 1881; the 25 soldi was issued in August 1883; and the 2 soldi was issued in October 1883. There are different type of perforations for the 3 soldi, 5 soldi, 10 soldi, and 15 soldi denominations.

Type N-G 4. (1895-1914)
Description: A double circle postmark, with outer circle 27.0 mm and inner circle 16.0 mm in diametre, bearing PREVESA at top, '''OESTERR. POST at bottom, and date in three lines''' (day, month, and year), usually with a horizontal line between day and month. Usage: It was issued in 1895 and used until the closure of the Post Office, in 1914. Earliest date recorded: 19.3.1895. Latest date recorded: Colour: scarcely Blue in 1896, most commonly Black to brownish, and rarely deep violet in the 1900s. Rarity: The black to brownish cancellation is a common marking of this office, according to Tchilinghirian & Stephen.

Cancellations on mail covers
From the spring of 1895, the outward mail from Preveza bore the newlly, then, introduced type N-G 4 cancellation, on Austrian Levant stamps. The earliest date recorded on a postage stamp is 19 March 1895, while on an envelop is 6 February 1896.

Cancellations on stamps of Austrian Levant
During the usage of the N-G 4 type postmark (1895-1914), the following postage stamps of Austrian Levant were used by the Post Office in Preveza. The issue of .... The issue of ...............

1892 overprints (1890 issue)
The Michel numbers refer to the Austrian Post Offices Special Catalogue.

1891 issue (overprinted)
The Michel numbers refer to the Austrian Post Offices Special Catalogue.

1900 overprints (1899 issue)
The Michel numbers refer to the Austrian Post Offices Special Catalogue.

1903 overprints (1901 issue)
The Michel numbers refer to the Austrian Post Offices Special Catalogue.

Type N-G 5. (1905-1914)
Description: A double circle postmark, with outer circle 29.0 mm and inner circle 17.0 mm in diametre, bearing PREVESA at top, OESTERREICHISCHE POST at bottom, and date in three lines (day, month, and year), usually with a horizontal line between day and month. Usage: It was issued in 1905 and used until the closure of the Post Office, in 1914. Colour: Black. Rarity: This cancellation is rather scarce, the scarcest amongst all circlular postmarks of the Austian Post Office at Preveza. Very few examples have been traced up to now.

Cancellations on mail covers and documents
Should write something .............. introduced type N-G 5 cancellation, on Austrian Levant stamps. The earliest date recorded on a postage stamp is ............., while on an envelop is .................

Cancellations on stamps of Austrian Levant
Very few stamps with the N-G 5 type cancellation have been found. The cancellation types are according to the catalogue by Alain Nicolas & Alexandre Galinos.

1905 issue
=Notes=