The stamps were designed and ordered by Mr. Pucalka the Austrian rep. of Navicula and are honoring as inscribed “45 years of SMS Navicula and Maritime Philately”.
This was made possible when Austria’s Post offered anyone to design and order individual postage stamps for a premium of course, but valid for postage all over Austria.
The Austrian Post provided the opportunity to design and use personal valid postage stamps. Here are honored Austria’s maritime histories, two ships named AUSTRIA.
One belonging to a remarkable Danube war fleet in the Mediterranean, the other one-form part of the Danube Steam Ship Company’s history.
Built by an unknown shipyard in Venice, Italy for the Italian Navy.
15 August 1812 launched under the name PIAVE.
Displacement 1.570 tons, dim. ?
Armament 28 – 18pdrs. Carronades.
Crew 320 men.
25 April 1814 delivered to the Austrian-Hungarian K&K navy as reparation.
31 May 1814 renamed in AUSTRIA.
01 September 1815 fitted out for anti-pirate action in the Mediterranean.
From 1817 till 1818, she made a voyage to Brazil, carrying the dowry of the Austrian Emperor’s daughter Leopoldine, bride of the Emperor of Brazil, Dom Pedro I.
Leopoldine was to marry someone she had never met before. The ship departed 10 April 1817 but soon ran into a severe storm and heavily damaged returned to Pola for repairs.
Finally she sailed at the end of April and arrived in Rio de Janeiro on 17 July 1817.
AUSTRIA commenced the return trip to Pola on 19 Sept. 1918.
Between 1821 –25 she was with the Naples Squadron.
1827 Broken up.
The other stamp depicts the paddle wheeler AUSTRIA built at there own shipyard of Althofen, Budapest for the Danube Steamship Company (DDSG).
Launched under the name AUSTRIA.
Dim. 54.25 x 7.01 x (13.18 over the paddle boxes) 2.74m.
Two oscillating engines built by E Wyss & Co, Zurich, each 325 hp.
1851 Completed.
The DDSG was founded in 1829 and by 1880 was the largest inland waterway shipping company of the world.
The AUSTRIA was employed in the passenger service of the company on the Danube River until 1898.
Austria
Source: Watercraft Philately Vol. 51 page 64.
L