Helmet Guy Identification

I am very new at this, and as my other posts suggest, I am going through my families old albums and found this stamp. Can someone tell me what country this is?



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it looks like the bottom was ripped where it probally said the country or something in that language

Greece. Newspaper stamp

Austria, actually.

I can't find one like it in either country - I'm surprised it has not denomination or country...

The 'helmet guy' is Hermes, messenger of the Gods. This was consideren appropriate for a stamp only to be used for carrying newspapers. The name of Austria never appeared on the stamp. The point of having a name on a stamp is so the country of origin can be recognised if the stamp is used on mail to abroad. Newspaper stamps were only for use on newspapers sent within Austria, so there`was no requirement to use the name.

Newspaper stamps are listed under Austria in the Scott catalogue. They are "back of the book" area which is after semi-postal, air post, postage due, military, even military newspaper stamps (new to me) and then finally newspaper stamps. Of course things continue with newspaper tax stamps, special handling, occupation and offices abroad.

Likewise there was no need to put a denomination on it, since it could only be used on newspapers, which before 1899 (yours is 1867) were at a uniform rate of 1 kreuzer.

There were three types. Yours is the most commom - the outermost white circle touches the line at the bottom of the top decoration.

Here is Helmet Guy, aka Winged Hat Guy.

The winged cap of Hermes, called a Petasos.

Nice page Rod

Thank you Blaamand,
Quite a confusing stamp, when you first get them, in a myriad of colours.
I used Gibbons to sort them all, and get them in some semblance of order.
I enjoyed that, some years ago.
Use Scott and Steiner for the pages.

Thank you guys for the clarification. Appreciate all the help

These newspaper stamps can be found as perfins as well ...
here an example of the J. Otto publishing house.

Thanks Tomm, never seen that before.

And here is the "half" brother (1/2 Kreuzer).
A bit too much ink, but still a very nice stamp showing a KSV perforation.