Austria Fine Or Coarse Print - Help Please

Is there someone that can help me learn to distinguish between coarse and fine print. I know the values are not that much different but that's not the point. I have these three (and others) and I don't have any comparison to be able to tell. If someone has a comparing scan or explanation that would be wonderful. Thanks in advance - Jeff

Jeff, as you probably know, the "fine" and "coarse" correspond to the whisker/hair detail. It is most obvious when you are holding one of each in your hand.

I'll be interested to see if anyone agrees with my guessing...I'd say the 5kr is coarse and the 10kr is fine.

Thoughts?

the green was hardest to look at cause it is so light. The difference on the scan is more discernable that with a magnifying glass. I was hoping someone had a scan of each type that was already know so we could compare, but as of right now I agree with you and the green is I guess more like the 10kr. Thanks for looking Collin.

Found this which gives some explanations and background.
http://www.austrianphilately.com/gurahon/index.htm

Jeff, here is a 5kr side-by-side taken from an ebay auction:

thanks stampgal 5k is type 1b (that's new for me)

Thats a really clear pic, Tomiseksj!

that's it timiseksj! collin, stampgal we have pictures! I love this forum.

Good to see the differences here, thanks all. I have a bunch to sort.

I use the illustrations in the Michel catalogue. Here is first the coarse, then the fine.

Is there a difference in CV between the two types?

jimjamtwo - the most telling for me was the line on the eyebrow!

I went to the webpage given above and, while it was interesting, I must say that the Ferchenbauer method of distinguishing between four types (Ia, Ib, IIa, and IIb) doesn't work.

I have 5 of these stamps and it was only possible to identify one by this method. I have a Type Ia.

However, the other four stamps all contradict his model. Not one of them has a '5' with a flat top, so cannot be Type II, yet not one of them has an ornament like the one indicated for Type I.

In other words, they're neither Type I nor Type II! This is odd, because the fact that I have four of them suggests that this is the most common variety of the stamp!

Clearly, distinguishing issues of this stamp is a subject of considerable difficulty.

jhlovell, can you pls tell me more about the line on the eyebrow matter?

Thanks for those illustrations Butterfly! Now does Michel have the illustrations for showing the different types in the earlier Austrian arms issue? Scott's descriptions do not help me at all.

The note in Michel Europe (Middle Europe) under the 1850 issue seems to direct one to the Austria Specialized catalogue for details. (I don't have Austria Specialized.) The general listing is less detailed than Scott.

Yvert Classique shows the 9kr value tablets (only) for each of 3 types, but doesn't depict the single line/two lines around the center.

[edit: by "less detailed than Scott" I meant Scott Classic...I didn't double check to see if Scott Vol. 1 and Scott Classic have exactly the same information.]

Thanks Cjd. When I get back home I think I will start a thread on the 1850 arms issue.