Kronenberg Collection

Kraków Overprints

AFTER THE END OF WORLD WAR I, AUSTRIAN STAMPS ISSUED 1916-1918 WERE VALID IN THE FORMERLY AUSTRIAN PART OF POLAND. SINCE THIS WAS NOT THE CASE IN NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, AUSTRIAN STAMPS WERE SMUGGLED INTO POLAND, RESULTING IN A FINANCIAL LOSS TO THE POSTAL AUTHORITIES THERE. AS A COUNTERMEASURE THE LWOW POST AND TELEGRAPH DIRECTORATE LOCATED IN KRAKOW ISSUED ORDER NR. 488/XI ON JAN. 12, 1919, INVALIDATING ALL AUSTRIAN STAMPS EFFECTIVE JAN. 20, 1919. SINCE NO OTHER POSTAGE STAMPS WERE AVAILABLE, CASH PREPAYMENT FOR MAIL WAS REQUIRED. THIS CAUSED DIFFICULTIES SO THE DIRECTORATE IN COORDINATION WITH THE RULING COMMISSION, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FORMERLY AUSTRIAN PART OF POLAND, WAS FORCED TO OVERPRINT THE AVAILABLE AUSTRIAN STAMPS.

THE OVERPRINTING WAS ORDERED JAN, 2, 1919 AT TWO PRIVATE PRINTING SHOPS IN KRAKÓW.  SOME OF THE STAMPS WERE OVERPRINTED BY THE TYPOGRAPHIC SHOP OF KOZIANSKI USING LINOTYPE MA-TRICES, THE OTHERS BY THE LITHOGRAPHIC SHOP OF ZIELINSKI. POSTAL COMMISSAR J. WALCHER WAS THE COORDINATOR BETWEEN THE TWO FIRMS AND THE GOVERNMENT.