ATM issues 2020

The Austrian philatelic service's new 2020 definitive series featuring floral themes, called 'Sommer 2020', depicts the water lily (Seerose) & tree blossom (Baumblüten).

The two designs are by Tristan Fischer and the rolls of gummed labels were manufactured and offset printed by Royal Joh. Enschedé.

As in 2019, all the special imprints are available from the six Inform philatelic kiosks permanently installed at the four philatelic shops in Vienna, plus those in Salzburg and Steyr. Österreichische Post AG also installs machines at various philatelic events and at the temporary seasonal post offices.

			Text: PHILATELIE.SHOP Place of issue: Permanent Inform kiosks Date of issue: January 8th, until November 6h 2020
			Text: SONDERPOSTAMT Place of issue: Permanent Inform kiosks Date of issue: January 8th, until November 6h 2020
			Text: VÖPH (Verband Österreichischer Philatelistenvereine - Austrian Philatelic Federation) Place of issue: Permanent Inform kiosks Date of issue: January 8th, until November 6h 2020

2020, the new 'Land der Berge' series - Reservoirs in Austria

Österreichische Post AG changed its domestic and international postage rates as of April 1st 2020. In addition to programming the Inform kiosks installed in the self-service areas of more than 300 post offices countrywide with the new rates, the postal administration released two new self-adhesive label designs.

These two new definitives replaced the first two 'Land der Berge' designs, used with the kiosks since the first pilot test, in mid-November 2012 (see article, published in VARIABLE 28).
The two new designs in the 'Land der Berge' series depict two large Austrian reservoirs, the Schlegeis and the Kölnbrein (Schlegeis Stausee & Speicher Kölnbrein).

Like the first two definitives in the series (and unlike other 'philatelic' designs), the labels do not include the country's name preprinted with the design. This is printed on the white vertical strip to the right of the design by thermal transfer (not direct thermal) along with the face value when the stamp is issued by the kiosk.

As an additional security measure, the labels include a special fluorescent UV ink print with the 'Posthorn', the postal administration's logo, in the center of the label. The ornamental perforation around the edges -serving no purpose as the labels on the rolls come separated by 4 mm.- is 13.

The rolls of 1,000 self-adhesive labels with the two alternating designs were manufactured by the German security printing company Bundescruckerei GmbH. On every 5th label a preprinted number appears on the back of the release liner, showing the number of labels remaining on the roll.

At Inform kiosks, postal users can buy single stamps for a postal item, as well as sets or strips of five stamps with one of the programmed postage rates, corresponding to the main rates for the three tariff zones: Austria, European countries and the rest of the world. For Austria, the four ​​programmed values as per the new rates are 0.85 - 1.35 - 2.75 - 4.30 EUR, corresponding to the first two rates for letters and parcels.
For European countries, the four default values ​​are 1.00 - 2.10 - 7.00 - 12.90 EUR, the four current rates for letters mailed by priority mail.
And for the rest of the world the values ​​are 1.80 - 2.75 - 12.35 - 24.20 EUR, again the four rates for priority letters.

Fortunately, the restrictions imposed by the country's authorities as result of the pandemic situation allowed most of the philatelic events to take place on the scheduled dates, although the philatelic service decided not to install kiosks at exhibitions held after the summer.
All the special imprints were available weeks before each of the events (see 'Date of issue' in the table below) from the six Inform philatelic kiosks permanently installed at the four locations in Vienna (i.e. the Philatelie Shop, Postfiliale Fleischmarkt 19, Sammler-Service and Verband Österreichischer Philatelistenvereine), as well as in Graz and Steyr.

			Text: HIBRIA 2020 (Philatelic exhibition at the Hirtenberg Kulturhaus, from April 17th to 19th 2020 - Canceled because of the Coronavirus crisis) Place of issue: Permanent Inform kiosks Date of issue: April 3rd 2020
			Text: ''phila''-Toscana`20 (Philatelic exhibition at the Gmunden Kongresshaus, from August 28th to 30th 2020) Place of issue: Permanent Inform kiosks and temporary kiosk installed at the exhibition Date of issue: August 7th 2020
			Text: REGIO WEST 2020 (Philatelic exhibition at the Nenzing Ramschwagsaal, September 11th and 12th 2020) Place of issue: Permanent Inform kiosks Date of issue: September 4th 2020
			Text: ÖVEBRIA 2020 (Philatelic exhibition at the St. Pölten Jahnturnhalle, from October 2nd to 4th 2020) Place of issue: Permanent Inform kiosks Date of issue: September 4th 2020
			Text: SCHILCHERIA 2020 (Philatelic exhibition at the Deutschlandsberg Laßnitzhaus, from October 16th to 18th 2020) Place of issue: Permanent Inform kiosks Date of issue: October 2nd 2020

The two new Tristan Fischer designs for the special 2020 Christmas series ('Winter 2020') feature Christmas cookies and children playing with a sledge. The rolls of labels were manufactured and offset printed by Royal Joh. Enschedé.

Like the earlier issues, the six imprints programmed for these designs were obtainable from the six Inform philatelic kiosks, with four of them permanently installed in Vienna (the Philatelie Shop, Postfiliale Fleischmarkt 19, Sammler-Service and Verband Österreichischer Philatelistenvereine), with the other two moving during the holiday season to the temporary seasonal post offices at Bruckmann-Haus, in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, and Postamt Christkindl.

			Text: CHRISTKINDL 20 Place of issue: Permanent Inform kiosks and temporary kiosk at the Christkindl post office (from November 27th) Date of issue: From November 6th 2020 to January 6th 2021
			Text: FROHES FEST Place of issue: Permanent Inform kiosks Date of issue: From November 6th 2020 to January 6th 2021
			Text: PHILATELIE SHOP Place of issue: Permanent Inform kiosks Date of issue: From November 6th 2020 to January 6th 2021
			Text: SONDERPOSTAMT Place of issue: Permanent Inform kiosks Date of issue: From November 6th 2020 to January 6th 2021
			Text: STILLE NACHT 20 Place of issue: Permanent Inform kiosks and temporary kiosk at the Oberndorf bei Salzburg post office Date of issue: From November 6th 2020 to January 6th 2021
			Text: VÖPH (Verband Österreichischer Philatelistenvereine - Austrian Philatelic Federation) Place of issue: Permanent Inform kiosks Date of issue: From November 6th 2020 to January 6th 2021