Stamp Exhibition - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 1968 - 2 Shilling

With the introduction of international airmail service from Vienna to Lviv via Krakow on 31st March 1918, Austria was the first state in the world to carry daily mail by civilian mail beyond the borders of its own country. A consequence of this was that Austria became a "cradle of the aerophilatelie". Because unlike today, the correspondence had to be made free with its own postmarks. The first series of this kind appeared simultaneously with the inclusion of the regular airmail traffic in three values. The demand was so great that only three months after the first appearance, the second edition followed. In the mid-twenties, a collectors' association was founded, which was the first special association of its kind in Europe. This was followed by special exhibitions, which met with great public interest. The anniversary 50 years airmail from Austria abroad was the occasion for the international airmail exhibition Vienna 1968, which was inaugurated on May 30 in the Hofburg in Vienna. The first brand image of the airmail stamp series shows the Etrichtaube and the construction plan.