Austria – Scott #s 860-61, hinged

Description

Austria Scott #860–861 (Unused, Hinged) form a two-stamp set issued in 1970 to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Second Austrian Republic, marking the nation’s postwar re-establishment and the declaration “Österreich ist frei” (“Austria is free”).

Scott #860 features a finely engraved portrait of Leopold Figl, the postwar Foreign Minister and later Federal Chancellor, shown against the Austrian flag and barbed wire—symbolizing both Austria’s occupation and its hard-won sovereignty. The engraving captures Figl’s dignity and resolve, printed in a dramatic black-brown tone.

Scott #861 depicts the Belvedere Palace, where the Austrian State Treaty of 1955 was signed, ending Allied occupation. The stamp is printed in a rich red-violet, with crisp architectural engraving and the historic inscription “Österreich ist frei.”

Both stamps are unused with hinge marks, showing strong color, clean perforations, and excellent mid-century design work. A meaningful and historically resonant set for collectors of Austrian postwar history, political anniversaries, or engraved commemoratives.