Austria operated post offices on the Greek island of Crete (Κρήτη), when it was part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire (where it was known as Girit, or كريت) in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, as did several other countries at the time. Stamps from Austrian Crete have some parallels with Austria’s other Turkish Empire stamps and are often collected by the same buyers.
Austria began using its own stamps, which were in the kreuzer unit, with overprints in other currencies for its Crete post offices. Variously, these Austrian stamps were overprinted in soldi (as in Lombardy-Venetia in Italy), paras and piasters (as in other parts of the Ottoman Empire), and fancs and centimes. Interestingly, Austria chose these latter units as a way of competing with French post offices in Crete.
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In 1908, a set of six stamps printed in francs and centimes was issued, and in 1914 the final two Austrian stamps were produced for Crete. (All of these were in honor of Emperor Franz Joseph I‘s 60 year jubilee celebration.)
