Description: This striking vintage definitive postage stamp from the Second Republic of Austria (REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH) belongs to the highly praised post-war landscape regular issues. The central vignette captures an engraved scenic landscape view of the historic St. Christoph am Arlberg resort in Tyrol, highlighting its high-altitude valley chalets and chapels nestled beneath the towering, snow-covered Tyrolean Alps. Rendered entirely in a rich, single-color dark violet-brown or dark slate-purple ink, the masterfully executed landscape is flanked on the left and right by thick, decorative vertical pillar borders. A solid horizontal banner commands the upper frame, displaying the country’s renewed democratic title "REPUBLIK" nestled between two duplicated, stylized face value boxes reading 2s (2 Austrian Schillings). The lower frame firmly grounds the layout with the text "ÖSTERREICH", positioned directly above the micro-printed name of the original designer, "A. CHMIELOWSKI". This postally used specimen exhibits a partial, dark circular town cancel tracing across the upper fields alongside sharp, uniform comb perforations.
Circa: 1940s
Condition: Used - Hinged
Notes:
Biologically and culturally, the location depicted on the stamp is legendary as the birthplace of modern alpine skiing, where the world's very first formal ski club (Skiclub Arlberg) was established in 1901, making this piece an enduring favorite for thematic collectors focused on winter sports or European geography.