When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Vintage RPPC - Affectionate couple in Sambor, Ukraine - 1900 - Gay interest
Sambor (now Sambir, Ukraine) is a historic city located along the Dniester River in the historical region of Galicia. From 1772 to 1918, Sambor was part of the Austrian Empire. It served as the head city of an Austrian administrative district, known as a kreis. After 1918, the town belonged to Poland, then the Soviet Union, and today it is part of western Ukraine.This is a vintage Austro-Hungarian postal correspondence card (Correspondenz-Karte) addressed to a military officer in Sambor, Galicia, franked with a 5 heller Franz Joseph stamp.
This card provides illustrates a major transition in Austrian financial history. Prior to 1899, the Austro-Hungarian currency was based on the Kreutzer and Florin. On January 1, 1900, the empire fully switched to the decimal Heller and Krone system (100 heller = 1 krone). Sent in July 1900, this card utilizes the 5 heller definitive stamp featuring Emperor Franz Joseph I, which replaced the older 5 kreutzer stamps.
Hungary holds a legendary status in global communication history: it invented the postcard. On October 1, 1869, the Austrian Post introduced the Correspondenz-Karte. Designed as a cheaper, envelope-free alternative for short messages, the format revolutionized global mail and was quickly adopted worldwide. The card features two identical circular date stamps (CDS) from Sambor. One canceled the stamp, and the other struck the left side of the card, standard practice to clearly document the date and place of handling. Because the empire housed over a dozen language groups, the postmark spells the town in its German name (Sambor), whereas the handwritten address mentions Galizien (Galicia).
