OPUS 18
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OPUS is AEP's flagship publication. This 2018 edition is devoted to Central Europe formerly under Austrian Domination with 21 articles, summaries of which can be seen below.
1) The postal service Venice-Vienna together with its branches for Prague, Warsaw and Constantinople
Adriano Cattani
The author provides us with a real history lesson, by describing the postal service organised by the Republic of Venice, from the 16th century until its demise in 1797. He shows us some splendid examples of correspondence from this period between the Venetian Republic and Vienna, Prague, Warsaw and Constantinople.
2) Kingdom of Bohemia, Crown Territory of the Bohemian Crown (1348-1918), Holy Roman Empire (1198-1806), Austrian Empire (1804-1867)
Christian & Renate Springer
The authors describe two splendid letters, the first of which was sent from Budissin (Bautzen) in 1614 and the second from Prague in 1789.
3) Les provinces illyriennes 1806-1813
Pierre Dubus
The author tells us about the history of the French occupation of Istria and Dalmatia, which were merged to form three départements in 1806, before becoming the Illyrian Provinces in 1809. The local civilian and military postal service is analysed using several very fine letters.
4) Pre-stamp postmarks of Alto Adige - Triente Südtirol, 1770-1850
Federico Borromeo d’Adda
Using letters with extremely rare postmarks, the author provides us with a detailed analysis of the postal history of this region of north-east Italy, which he places in the context of the general and extremely eventful history of these regions. He divides this history into seven different periods, according to the military occupations, treaties, border changes, etc., and shows us some splendid examples from each period.
5) László Magyar, a Hungarian in Angola. The story behind a cover franked with D. Maria stamps
Luís Frazão & Éva Sebestyén
The authors analyse some exceptional letters written by a Hungarian living in Angola. These letters, which were sent from Angola to Hungary in the mid-19th century, are of major interest – not only because of their contents, which provide a detailed description of life in the Portuguese colony of Angola during this period, but also from the point of view of postalhistory. They enable us to gain a better understanding of postal relations between Angola and Europe.
6) Letter post from the Empire of Austria to the United States of America
James Van der Linden
The author provides us with an incredibly detailed, accurate and comprehensive overview of postal relations between Austria and the USA from 1817-1867. He looks at the four major communication routes (France, Prussia, Bremen and Hamburg), while analysing, deciphering and decoding a vast number of letters, in order to illustrate the successive conventions and agreements between the postal administrations of the relevant countries.
7) Musical highlights of the Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy
Mark Bottu
The author, who is a major specialist in thematic philately, takes a closer look at key moments in the history of music during the Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy period - from a historical and philatelic point of view. Classical music certainly scaled the heights during this period, with famous names, such as Haydn, Mozart, Strauss, Mahler and many others.
8) La complexité des tarifs austro-hongrois vers l’étranger source d’erreur. En exemple : la destination vers les USA 1867-1874
Martin Rhein
The author sets out to unravel the incredible imbroglio of Austro-Hungarian postal rates between 1867-1874. Taking mail posted from the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the USA as an example, he describes the difficulties faced by Austrian and Hungarian postal officials and the many different rate errors caused by this lack of clarity.
9) Combinaisons France - Autriche jusqu’en 1900
Francis Carcenac
The author explains, by means of many different examples, how mixed franking was used on mail sent between France and Austria between 1857-1900. The simultaneous use of French and Austrian stamps on the same letter or card occurred when they were forwarded, taxed or “intentionally” franked in this way.
10) Quelques exemples d’imprimés expédiés de France vers l’Italie
Arnaud de La Mettrie
The author shows us examples of printed materials sent from France to Italy between 1861-1876. He explains the relevant rates, accompanied by mail franked with the correct postage, using one or as many as six stamps.
11) The last days of use of Austrian stamps in Venice
Lorenzo Carra
The author, exactly twenty years after the publication of his awards winning book “1866. La liberazione del Veneto”, presents a chronologically documented synopsis of the last days of use of Austrian stamps in Venice with truly significant and fascinating letters.
12) Philately and international mail order fraud: the success of the New York Institute of Science in Hungary
Edward Grabowski
In an article, whose freshness and originality are rarely found in OPUS, the author tells us about correspondence between American fraudsters and their customers, most of whom lived in Hungary. The philatelic traces left behind by these pseudo-scientists, when they exploited the gullibility and ignorance of countless people in Hungary, have been identified and analysed by the author.
13) An Italian connection: the role of Gibraltar in handling Sardinian official mail from Spain for Morocco in 1829
Richard J.M. Garcia
The author uses documents to explain the role played by the postal services in Gibraltar in 1829, when they handled mail posted to Morocco from Genoa, which was then part of the Kingdom of Sardinia.
14) Constanta - Alexandria - Constanta. Serviciul Maritim Roman (S.M.R. = Romanian Maritime Service)
Lucien Toutounji
The author shows us examples of mail carried by the Constanta - Alexandria - Constanta S.M.R. maritime service between 1907-1939, in chronological order from the date when each postmark was issued. These letters and postcards also bear the various postmark types used during this period.
15) Les racines monténégrines des clubs de philatélie russe à l’étranger
Sergey Tkachenko & Andrey Strygin
The authors describe how, after the Russian civil war, a group of Russian émigrés created the “Rossika” philatelic club in Montenegro, which laid the foundation for Russian philately clubs of the same name all over the world.
16) The First World War – Portuguese India. German and Austrian internees in concentration camps in Goa
Eduardo Barreiros, Luis Barreiros
The authors examine a little known aspect of the First World War: the fate of the crews of the German and Austrian ships captured in Portuguese India. They analyse, in detail, the very rare mail sent by the sailors held in camps in Portuguese India between 1915-1919.
17) Bosnie-Herzégovine : la vie très limitée des coupons-réponse internationaux au modèle Rome
Jean-François Logette
The author shows us five different print runs of the international reply coupons used in Bosnia-Herzegovina between 1907-1920, as well as the sometimes subtle differences between them.
18) Le corps d’armée tchécoslovaque d’Italie
Emilio Simonazzi
The author tells us about the short history of a Czechoslovakian army corps, which was stationed in Italy between 1918-1919. Its presence in Italy formed part of the struggle of the Czechs and Slovaks to gain independence for their countries, following the defeat of the Habsburg Empire. The different military post offices used by this army corps are very clearly illustrated, using a wide variety of cards and letters sent by soldiers and officers.
19) The political importance of philatelic elements in the SHS 1918-1921
Henk Buitenkamp
The author uses letters and postcards to unravel the political and administrative confusion that reigned in the Balkans after the First World War. An analysis of each piece forms the basis of a description of the often fast-changing history of these different regions.
20) Postal history of the break down of the People’s Republic of Yugoslavia and establishment of the succession countries Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo 1991-2008
Helmut Seebald
The author provides us with a detailed analysis of the years following the collapse of Yugoslavia and its division into several countries, which were often rivals and did not hesitate to use weapons to achieve their goals. The development of each region is detailed and illustrated by very fine examples of the often very difficult correspondence from this troubled period.
21) Ukraine, les émissions patriotiques 1992-1995
Bernard Jutteau
The author shows us many different examples of how local stamps were used in the Ukraine, during the years after it gained independence in August 1991. The anarchic official postal system gave way to initiatives by local authorities, which showed their loyalty to their country, by using pictorial stamps featuring the Ukraine’s emblem - the trident.
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