Red Mercury (newspaper stamp)
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| Red Mercury | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country of production | Austria |
| Date of production | 1856 |
| Nature of rarity | Few exist |
| No. in existence | unknown |
| Face value | 6kr – 30 centesimi |
| Estimated value | US $40,000 |
The Red Mercury—Zinnoberrote Merkur, lit. "vermilion Mercury"—is the rarest of Austrian newspaper stamps. It was issued for the mailing of newspapers in Austria and Lombardy-Venetia.[1]
Austria's newspaper stamps first appeared in 1851. They depicted a profile of Mercury, the Roman messenger god, and were not denominated, the color of the stamp indicating the value. Blue indicated the 6/10 kreuzer rate for one newspaper, yellow for ten newspapers (6 kr), and rose for 50 newspapers (30 kr). The higher denominations franked wrappers of bundles of newspapers and were frequently discarded.[2]
In 1856 a red, or scarlet, stamp with the Mercury design, sold for six kreuzer - 30 centesimi to frank a bundle of 10 newspapers, was issued. However, it was soon superseded by a new design depicting Franz Joseph which came out in 1858, and only a few copies have survived.[2]