Czechoslovakia 1919 Postage Due 500d on 2h Granite Paper, Inverted Overprint

Czechoslovakia · 1919 · 500d on 2h

This is a postage due stamp created by overprinting a 500 denier surcharge on a 2 heller Austrian newspaper stamp printed on granite paper. The key feature of this rarity is the inverted 'Pošta Československá 1919' overprint, making it a significant error variety. The base stamp features the numeral '2' in an ornate design.

Issued in the chaotic period following the establishment of Czechoslovakia after World War I, overprints on existing Austrian stamps were a common and expedient way to create new postage before unique national designs were ready.