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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 the rates normally 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.
| From: | Inland | Foreign | Notes |
| 1.6.1850 | 3Kr local; 6Kr distant | ---- | CM |
| 1.11.1858 | 5Kr local; 10Kr distant | ---- | OeW |
| 1.7.1875 | 5Kr local; 10Kr distant | 10Kr | |
| 1.1.1900 | 25H | 25H | |
| 15.1.1920 | 60H | 1K | (1.12.1919 in Kainbacher) |
| 15.4.1920 | 120H | 2K | |
| 1.2.1921 | 200H = 2K | 2K | |
| 1.8.1921 | 5K | 10K | |
| 1.12.1921 | 10K | 25K | Inflation period. No reduction in registration rate for 'reduced foreign rate' countries |
| 1.5.1922 | 40K | 75K | |
| 21.8.1922 | 160K | 300K | |
| 18.9.1922 | 320K | 600K | |
| 1.11.1922 | 640K | 1500K | |
| 1.8.1923 | 1000K | 2000K | |
| 1.12.1923 | 2000K | 3000K | |
| 1.12.1924 | 3000K | 4000K | |
| 1.3.1925 | 30Gr | 40Gr | |
| 1.10.1925 | 30Gr | 60Gr | |
| 1.9.1932 | 40Gr | 70Gr | |
| 4.4.1938 | There was no change in the registration rates at the Anschluß date, contrary to the tables in Michel and ANK | ||
| 8.7.1938 | 27Rpf/40Gr | 47Rpf/70Gr | Same rate, but restated in Rpf |
| 1.8.1938 | 30Rpf | 30Rpf | |
| 2.7.1945 | 30Rpf | suspended | Service in Vienna and Lower Austria only; in other parts later. |
| 1.11.1945 | 30Gr | suspended | |
| 26.6.1946 | 30Gr | 100Gr | Michel's 30Gr foreign rate is wrong |
| 1.9.1947 | 1S | 1S40 | |
| 1.1.1950 | 1S | 2S40 | |
| 1.9.1951 | 2S | 3S40 | |
| 1.2.1960 | 2S50 | 3S40 | |
| 1.1.1967 | 4S | 5S | |
| 1.1.1976 | 8S | 10S | |
| 1.3.1981 | 10S | 10S | |
| 1.2.1984 | 15S | 15S | |
| 1.2.1986 | 17S | 17S | |
| 1.1.1994 | 20S | 20S | |
| 1.7.1997 | 25S | 25S | |
| 1.1.2001 | 28S | 28S | |
| 1.1.2002 | 2.03Eu | 2.03Eu | Same nominal rate but in Euro |
'Inland' also included Germany for most periods up to 1945. Individually-negotiated foreign rates existed even before 1850; the UPU rates are listed here. See Ferchenbauer for more pre-UPU detail.
The data above has been taken from Michel and cross-checked with several Austrian publications , and with members of Merkur Innsbruck. There is unanimity on all rates except the 1919/20 change and on those for 1938-1946. As explained above, and as shown in the tables reproduced in Dr Kainz article in Wurth III (1980), when in 1938 the Austrian system moved (in steps) over to the German, everything which was not explicitly changed remained unaltered. The registered rate is not in the 4th April list, so it remained as 40Gr internal, 70Gr foreign. In the 8th July list, this is restated in dual currency as 27Rpf/40Gr and 47Rpf/70Gr, the Rpf amounts being simply 2/3 of the Groschen, rounded up. It is not until the August list that the rate was changed to 30Rpf, and following the normal German system it was the same for internal and foreign. The 30Rpf inland & foreign rate shown in Michel & ANK for 4th April is wrong. Nor is there any record of the 30 Groschen foreign rate which Michel gives for 1.1.1947; the 100 Groschen rate of post-war 1946 remained in force.
Some 1938 examples follow. The rate calculations for the examples are worked out as follows:
The 1st rates period (13th March - 3rd April 1938)
No change from previous Austrian practices and rates. Only Austrian stamps valid (ignoring the 3rd April Graz event)
The 2nd rates period (4th April - 31st July 1938)
The basic rates were calculated in Reichspfennig, payable by Rpf, or Groschen stamps at 1½Gr=1Rpf (or a mixture). The ancillary charges for all services not explicitly changed (eg express, airmail, registered, pneumatic) remained unaltered at the Austrian rate and were expressed in Groschen. They were payable by Groschen stamps, or Rpf at 1Rpf=1½Gr (or a mixture). Initially, all fractional amounts were ignored; later they were rounded. So if 'too much' of one currency was affixed for its rate, the surplus was converted to the other. Examples:
(a): "excess Rpf". A registered inland letter is franked with 36 Rpf and 4Gr stamps; the letter rate of 12Rpf leaves 24Rpf which is multiplied by 1½ to make 36Gr plus 4Gr making a total of 40Gr, the registration rate.
(b) "excess Groschen". A registered local letter is franked with 48 Gr and 3 Rpf stamps. Registration fee 40Gr, leaving 8Gr which is divided by 1½ to make 5Rpf plus 3Rpf makes 8Rpf, the local letter rate.
The 3rd rates period (1st August - 31st October 1938)
The German tariffs were now in force for all rates. They were payable by Rpf stamps, and/or Groschen stamps at 1½Gr=1Rpf.
Many examples are available to prove the usage and rates; they are on several pages for file-size reasons.
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©Andy Taylor. Last updated 17 Aug 2003