This article provides an overview of the Austrian post-offices presence in Crete and the use of French currency on Austrian stamps in the Ottoman Empire.
Along with several other nations, the Austro-Hungarian Empire maintained its own post offices in Crete in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The three post offices, in Chania, Heraklion and Rethymno, operated from 1890 until 1914, replacing earlier Austrian Lloyd postal agencies and official Austrian postal agencies which operated in turn in these towns starting in 1837 and 1845 respectively.
Stamp issuesedit
These offices used Austrian stamps denominated or surcharged in various currencies (Lombardy–Venetian soldi, Turkish paras and piastres, and French centimes and francs) or, much more rarely, used regular not surcharged Austrian stamps.
French currency issuesedit
In order to better compete with the French post offices, regular Austrian stamps were overprinted in French currency in 1903 (values 5 Centimes to 4 Francs).[1] The last set was in 1908–1914 in designs similar to the Austrian set commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Emperor's accession.
Many stamp collectors and catalogues have traditionally referred to just the French currency issues as "Austrian Post Offices in Crete", distinguishing them from the Turkish currency issues which have been referred to as "Austrian post offices in the Ottoman Empire" or as "Austrian Levant". However, stamps in both currencies were in use both in the offices in Crete and in many other Austrian post offices within the Ottoman Empire. Ferchenbauer explains[2] that the reason is that it was not officially permitted to admit the competition outside Crete island.
Used in the offices in Crete
5 soldi (Austrian Levant) cancelled at RETTIMO Rethymno in 1884
An Austrian Levant stamp with a Cretan postmark, possibly Candia
2 piaster overprint 50 heller pair cancelled at CANEA Chania in 1901
5 centimes (issue 1906) overprint cancelled in 1907 at CANDIA Heraklion
Used in the Austrian post offices in the Ottoman Empire
This 5-centimes overprint stamp was cancelled at Jerusalem
10 centimes (issue 1906) cancelled at Smyrna in Turkey
austrian, post, offices, crete, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, js. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Austrian post offices in Crete news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2023 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article provides an overview of the Austrian post offices presence in Crete and the use of French currency on Austrian stamps in the Ottoman Empire Contents 1 Postal History 2 Stamp issues 2 1 French currency issues 3 See also 4 References and sourcesPostal History editAlong with several other nations the Austro Hungarian Empire maintained its own post offices in Crete in the late 19th and early 20th centuries The three post offices in Chania Heraklion and Rethymno operated from 1890 until 1914 replacing earlier Austrian Lloyd postal agencies and official Austrian postal agencies which operated in turn in these towns starting in 1837 and 1845 respectively Stamp issues editThese offices used Austrian stamps denominated or surcharged in various currencies Lombardy Venetian soldi Turkish paras and piastres and French centimes and francs or much more rarely used regular not surcharged Austrian stamps French currency issues edit In order to better compete with the French post offices regular Austrian stamps were overprinted in French currency in 1903 values 5 Centimes to 4 Francs 1 The last set was in 1908 1914 in designs similar to the Austrian set commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Emperor s accession Many stamp collectors and catalogues have traditionally referred to just the French currency issues as Austrian Post Offices in Crete distinguishing them from the Turkish currency issues which have been referred to as Austrian post offices in the Ottoman Empire or as Austrian Levant However stamps in both currencies were in use both in the offices in Crete and in many other Austrian post offices within the Ottoman Empire Ferchenbauer explains 2 that the reason is that it was not officially permitted to admit the competition outside Crete island Used in the offices in Crete nbsp 5 soldi Austrian Levant cancelled at RETTIMO Rethymno in 1884 nbsp An Austrian Levant stamp with a Cretan postmark possibly Candia nbsp 2 piaster overprint 50 heller pair cancelled at CANEA Chania in 1901 nbsp 5 centimes issue 1906 overprint cancelled in 1907 at CANDIA Heraklion Used in the Austrian post offices in the Ottoman Empire nbsp This 5 centimes overprint stamp was cancelled at Jerusalem nbsp 10 centimes issue 1906 cancelled at Smyrna in TurkeySee also editAustrian post offices in the Ottoman EmpireReferences and sources editReferences Osterreich 1850 1918 Spezialkatalog und Handbuch von Dr Ulrich FERCHENBAUER Wien 1981 Osterreichische Post auf Kreta p 458 464 Ferchenbauer p 458 offiziell nicht angeben konnte Sources Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue Part 2 Austria amp Hungary 6th Edition 2002 pp 148 152 Rienk M Feenstra amp Friends Crete Postal History Postage and Revenue Stamps Coins amp Banknotes collectio 2001 ISBN 960 85275 6 2 AskPhil Glossary of Stamp Collecting Terms Encyclopaedia of Postal History Rossiter Stuart amp John Flower The Stamp Atlas London Macdonald 1986 p 331 ISBN 0 356 10862 7 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Austrian post offices in Crete amp oldid 1170314688, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
