Osterreich Post Nibelungen Series 1926

ÖSTERREICH POST on 8 March 1926 issued a Wilhelm Dachauer designed philatelic series known as the "Nibelungen". In 1926, he was awarded the Thomson medal for 'the most beautiful stamp in the world' for the second stamp of the aforementioned "Nibelungen" set. 

The postmark on this cover originated from Vienna and posted to Montreux-Vernala, Switzerland on 29 March 1926. The numerical stamps were first issued in 1925.

Being recess printed, and because the paper was dampened and dried and could be put into the press in both orientations, the stamps occur in both wide and tall formats because the paper shrunk. The wide versions are scarcer than the tall, with the 20+5g wide being very scarce and the 3+2g wide extremely rare if it exists at all. These stamps are line perforation 12½.

A series of six stamps were issued:
3+2 Groschen - Siegfried slays the Dragon (sepia).
8+2 Dimes - Gunther's Voyage to Iceland (indigo).
15+5 Groschen - GroschenKreimhild and Brunhild (lake).
20+5 Groschen - Nymphs tell Hagen the Future (olive green)
24+6 Groschen - Rudieger von Bechalaten welcomes Nibelungen (violet).
40+10 Groschen- Dietrich von Bern vanquishes Hagen (brown-red).