Autro-Hungary

It’s a bit of a toss up over which ex-empire, the British or the Austro-Hungarian, has produced the most number of stamps. Certainly up to WW II the British Empire and its derivatives would be the winner. But in the years since WW II, the countries that made up the former Austro-Hungarian Empire have laid a strong claim to dominance on the strength of 5000 plus stamp issuing performances from places like Czechoslovakia (and successor states), Yugoslavia (and successor states) Romania, Bulgaria, Albania and of course Hungary and Austria themselves. In terms of interest, the Austrian-Hungarians are winners too. British colonial stamps are largely an amalgam of common design types printed with no regard for the local population in a one size fits all mentality. The Austro-Hungarian issues retain a nationalistic feel and represent more of what the Austro-Hungarian Empire really was-a federation of different cultures uneasily allied and dominated by the Hapsburgs. The pre WW I stamps of Austria are among the most interesting in philately and for their interest and rarity some of the most under collected and under appreciated. Austrian stamps can be collected used in any of the scores of countries and regions that made up these areas. The philately of revolution, independence, unification and reunification is fascinating. Covers and postal history abound as this was one of the most developed and commercial areas of the world and almost every pre 1914 cover from this area has a story to tell. There are many areas you can collect that would be far less interesting and where you would get far less material for your stamp collecting buck.