Austro-Hungarian (Austria-Hungary) Empire Postmarks

That's what I wondered too, BeeSee.

I think 'FP' is unpronounceable in almost any language, which makes it seem a most unlikely place name.

If there were another letter before the 'F" the problem would dissipate, but there isn't!

I strongly doubt that the efficient Austrian bureaucracy would have allowed a defective cancel to be put into use, though.

My last thought is that's it's an acronym - but that also seems unlikely.

Here's an example of a similar postmark I found on the internet just now used on a post card. This one appears to be "F.P.A. Nº 64" and was described as being a railway postmark of some kind:

Nigelc, thanks for the breakthrough! It's an acronym ('FPA') and the 'N' is for 'Nr' (nummer).

It could be a military cancel, however - 'FP' might stand for 'Feldpost.'

This is the ebay listing that suggested this possibility:

http://cgi.ebay.de/FPA-Nr-52-Landst...em25601e76b6

Here's another relevant ebay item:

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...190496110018

Great detective work guys! Now as I look harder, I think I can see some periods between some of the letters on Jimjam's stamp.

A bit more Googling and I find that F.T.A.'s are Travelling post Offices, "Fahrendes Post Amt."

http://www.tpo-seapost.org.uk/tpo2/tpaustria.html

Google translate tells me that "Fahrendes Post Amt" is "Propelled Post Office".

Nice interesting thread, great research and solution.!

When searching Google place doubles quotes "xxxxx" around your word to retain the original spelling and to just search for that word.

I acquired another cool one, Freudenthal which was in Silesia, but is now called Bruntal in the Czech Republic, the Moravian-Silesian Region.

Ok, I do not want to tax my mind too much..i would say Prague !

Great work, all. I'm lousy with old, used Austria, and now I have a reason to go through them again.

Nice Freudenthal, Bee.

How does one determine whether the stamp and cancel comes from the Austrian-Hungarian Empire? Is it within a certain time frame? You are mentioning Czechslovakia and German states I think. Is this just on stamps of Hungary or Austria within a certain time?

So...We can speak of Austrian-Hungarian empire from 1867. This is an important date, to be remembered. The story begins in 1526. The Turks defeat the Hungarians, soon they occupy Buda (the capital). Hungary is divided to 3 major parts: 1-south (Buda and the territory to south) is part of the Ottoman Empire.2- to the east Transsylvania, a bit later ruled by princes, a new state. 3- north, the so called Hungarian kingdom, very soon overtaken by Austria.
Around 1686 Austria starts to push out the turks from the hungarian territories. Then they overtake Transsylvania too, so they integrate the whole former Hungarian Kingdom into Austria. In 1848 the hungarians start a revolt against the Austrian empire. The revolt turns into a war for freedom. With the help of the Russians, Austria will defeat the Hungarians in 1849. But in 1867 the two nations arrive to an agreement, a political treaty. The Austrian empire (Franz Joseph) is crowned with St. Stephen`s crown, and (finally from Hungarian point of wiew too)became king of Hungary. The Austrian empire from than on (1867) oficialy is the Austro-Hungarian empire. In 1871 is issued the first Hungarian stamp (with Franz Joseph, beneath his portray St. Stephens crown). Before 1871 in Hungary the Austrian stamps were in use (these stamps with pmk from the territory of the Hungarian Kingdom are the so called `Austrian post in Hungary'. I presented here 1. (see above somewhere- a 9 Kr. blue Austria stamp with `Pesth` pmk.) The Cech kingdom was part of the Austrian empire, but the unless the Hungarians, they hadn`t got the privileged status of the Hungarians (the Hungarians revolted, the Cechs didn`t). The empire should have been in fact called Austro-Hungarian-Cech (Croatian) empire. And there were a lot of other nations included in the empire: Slovakians, Croatia (!-as part of Hungarian kingdom), Romanians (they lived in big number in Transsylvania), Serbs etc. So the Austrian empire was a pretty large one, but oficialy only Austria and the Hungarian Kingdom (only from 1867, 19 year after the big revolt from 1848) held power. In fact from 1871 the Hungarian stamps are catalogued apart, the Cechs, Slovakians, Croatians had no own stamps (only after the downfall of the Empire-after 1WW- see Cehoslovakia etc.)

Thank you! Very interesting and good to review.

Thanks for the summary Wadmalatz.

As far as stamps issued in the Empire, from what I have been able to determine, the following had their own stamps during the Austrian Empire era, 1850-1918(Hungary came in 1867 as Wadmalatz):

Austria, Austria-Hungary, Hungary, Bosnia Herzegovina and Lombardy Venetia.

Here is a map covering the territories.

Franz Joseph my Grandfathers Commander in Chief...i see us..the Tyrol on the map..my grandparents spoke fondly of Franz Joseph and seemed content enough to be part of the Austro-Hungary empire..probably until the war when their villages became the front line between the Austrians and the Italians !!

Nice family ties Philby! I recently found out one of my great-great-great grandfathers was born near the Tyrol area, on the Swiss side; that is how I became interested in the region.