100 years - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 1973 - 2.50 Shilling

The Austrian polar expedition, which began on June 13, 1872 under the researcher Julius Payer with the "Admiral Tegetthoff" towards the Arctic, aimed to explore the mystical sea route along the northern coast of Europe and Asia to China. Twenty-seven months of hardest work awaited the 24 men. After two pre-expeditions to explore and set up a coal and food depot as far as possible in the north, the Austrian researchers started. The inhospitable region of the world waited for them. Enclosed in up to 13 meter thick ice piles at up to minus 46 degrees, the ship drifted with the ice. After 14 months they saw "a radiant Alpine country" (Payer diary), which they called "Franz Joseph Land". But only eight months later they were able to leave the ship with sledges and discovered in two forced marches the "Crown Prince Rudolf Land", on which they raised the Austro-Hungarian flag. Thus, the Austrians had discovered the area on which about 60 years later, the Soviet Union not only an airfield, but also built a scientific station. The return to Vienna was triumphant, but envy and intrigue pitted Payer's further life. However, he had proved one thing: Austria is not only the land of light muses, but also of hard research. The brand image shows a part of an image painted by J. Payer himself.