#182 Austria 09/09/22

This special Austrian cover was delivered by balloon post from Kirchberg to Brixen im Thale in Tyrol on September 22, 2009. Interestingly the post office in Graz added an additional postmark on September 25, although the stamp had been already cancelled.

The special delivery took place in the course of the 20th Tyrol Balloon Cup, the sales revenu is used to aid the St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute.

Austria 09/01/30

Registered FDC from Austria, posted in Villach-Landskron on January 30, 2009.

This is an interesting version of the first day cover of the definitive stamp “Burg Landskron” (Castle Landskron). On top there is a special printed meter marking of 1.55 euro depicting the Castle Landskron. Below are the new issued definitive and a personalised stamp, both showing a view on the castle. The BSV Donau installed a medieval post office, where these FDCs could be posted.

Austria 08/11/29

Special delivery cover from Austria. This cover was delivered by a stagecoach from Garsten to Christkindl on November 29, 2008.

The cover is a numbered folded letter with an image of Christkindl’s pilgrimage church on the front side. There are an inscription “Garstner Advent – 19. Sonderpostbeförderung mit historischer Postkutsche nach Christkindl” (“Advent of Garsten” and the description of the event) and the number (#0568 of 2000) of the cover too. The unfolded cover reveals an image of the stagecoach in front of the pilgrimage church.

I attached the current Christmas stamp, which was issued on November 21, 2008, and a definitive stamp issued on June 2, 2003, depicting a snowy landscape, the “Steinernes Meer” in Salzburg. The stamps were cancelled with a commemorative cancel depicting the stagecoach in front of the church. In addition the Christkindl postmark was applied on arrival.

This special delivery is held every year since 1989, and the covers are listed in the Austria Netto Katalog Spezial (Austria’s detailed stamp catalogue) with 32 to 67 euro. The forerunner letter of 1989 even has a catalogue value of 695 euro!

The sales revenue of the event is used to help the poor children of Christkindl/Steyr.