Foro de Filatelia Argentina

In studying the 1973 Austrian definitives depicting landscapes - the so-called Schönes Österreicht - Beautiful Austria set, I stumbled across the catalogization of these stamps in the Austrian and German Specialized catalogues. Catalogues may tend to accept differences in UV-reaction to make separate listings, but if the difference in UV-reaction is not here OR of secundary importance???

to be continued ....

These stamps have been printed on the Goebel reel-fed rotary press for recess in combination with photogravure!

Installed in March 1973! And since then in use for several definitives series in recess+photogravure or 4-colour photogravure only [2002 euro values, - Austria Holiday Country / Ferienland].

to be continued ...

In the previous posting I showed the listing of Michel in 1980!

More recently in the 2009 Austria Specialized Michel, we will see it slightly different!







Mixchel has found a type of paper (x) called "Rakelpapier" or doctor blade paper?!?!? it is supposed to give a somewhat rose reaction under UV!

The normal paper for these stamps is supposed to be a hibrite white fluorescent paper! And the 6s may even have a high yellow fluorescent paper....

And this is where even the specialist collectors get lost....

to be continued ....

In my opinion there are ONLY two types of paper in this sets - possibly with a few subdivisions:



A very provoked relief surface at the back AND the front with grooves that have nothing to do with the fibers of the paper pulp!



and a surface without any grooves or with hardly any!



to be continued ....

The grooves at the back or hardly any grooves at all - just a glimp of the wire structure visible!





to be continued ....

Grooves at the top, no grooves at the bottom.

to be continued ....

to be continued ...

Looking at mint copies with sheet margins you get an extra picture of thess type of paper!

Either a VERY smooth and egal front or a smudgy surface!







A surface that reminded me of the surface the used stamps had at the back!

to be continued ....

Judging the UV-reaction from what you can observe with used stamps is a bit risky!

Quite often the optical brightening agents of the enveloppes move into the stamp paper and then you cannot trust the UV-reaction anymore!

Mint stamps however, as long as you keep them in a well protected place, may use our purpose of studying the UV-reaction still!

The grooved stamps having a smudgy front show a moderate OBA reaction - apart from the 20s that showd hardly any reaction.

The mint stamps with the smoooth surfaces showd NO reaction at all.

to be continued ....

The 1s in used condition does show the smudgy front and a back in several degrees of what some may call "marmorizado":

3 stamps with a marmored surface of the back, the 4th stamps as flat as can be:



to be continued ....

All 4 in detail:









to be continued ...

There may be some coloured fibers in the smooth type of paper!

Blue fibers!



to be continued ...

Again the 12s:




to be continued ...

The 4s:




The blue and yellow fibers are really there, the black one just crept in from electro-static...

to be continued ....

Studying definitives ALWAYS requires the study of the commemoratives in the same period as the printing techniques may be the same or the types of paper used!

Commemoratives - National Library stamps of 1966:





You can the smudgy effects both at the front and at the back!

to be continued ....