Austria Postage Due Stamps, Granite Paper

Austria · 1894 · 1 Kreuzer

This stamp is the first in Austria's 1894 Postage Due series. The design features a large numeral '1' indicating the 1 Kreuzer value, surrounded by an ornate, guilloche-patterned frame. It was printed on distinctive granite paper, which contains visible silk threads, a security feature to prevent counterfeiting.

Issued during the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I, these postage due stamps were used to collect payment for insufficient postage from the mail recipient, a common practice in the late 19th century.