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Eastern Baton Blue & Avis
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Automotive history This year’s motif in the “Cars” stamp series features a remarkable model from a now little-known manufacturer based in Lower Austria: the Avis Type 2/3.
In 1924, the Avis Aircraft and Automobile Works commenced operations in Brunn am Gebirge. In addition to aircraft – including the BGV-I, Austria’s first large aircraft, which was honoured with a miniature sheet in 2024 – the company also manufactured cars. The first production model was the Avis Type 2, followed in 1925 by the Type 3, which differed so little from its predecessor that both designations were used interchangeably.
Avis automobiles were designed to be practical and affordable vehicles offering maximum performance with low acquisition and operating costs. Their innovative, lightweight construction reflected impressive engineering expertise. The two-cylinder, four-stroke engine delivered only 4/20 hp, yet enabled the vehicle to perform reliably – even in mountainous terrain. Its modest engine capacity placed it in the lowest tax bracket, making it affordable to the general public. Within just a few years, Avis achieved notable triple-digit production figures by Austrian standards. The cars were used as taxis, passenger vehicles, sports cars, and delivery vans – becoming a familiar sight on Austrian roads during the interwar period. However, production ceased in the 1930s. The car depicted on the stamp caused a sensation when it was discovered in 2021. It is the only known fully restored example of the Avis Type 2/3.
Endangered butterfly This rare and striking butterfly is the final motif in the stamp series “Pericularium – Endangered Insects”, based on a project by Tyrolean artist Alexandra Kontriner.
In her “Pericularium” project, Kontriner presents detailed illustrations of insect species that are either extinct or critically endangered in Tyrol or Austria. Depicted like museum specimens against a white background, these drawings draw attention to the ongoing decline in insect biodiversity.
The Eastern Baton Blue (Polyommatus damon) is named for the distinctive white, dagger-shaped marking on the underside of its hindwings. The undersides are brown with black, pale-edged spots, while the upperside of the male’s wings is a brilliant blue with a brownish-grey edge. Females are uniformly dark brown. Both sexes display a white fringe along the wing edges. These butterflies are typically seen in high summer. Their preferred habitats are warm, dry slopes, quarries, and sunny, sheltered meadows with nutrient-poor soils across Southern and Central Europe. The Eastern Baton Blue relies heavily on sainfoin (Onobrychis), a leguminous plant essential to both its caterpillars and adult butterflies for nourishment. Overgrazing and habitat destruction pose serious threats to this thermophilic species. In Austria, it is classified as highly endangered, with only a few known populations remaining – for instance, in Burgenland, Tyrol, and Lower Austria.
When? 13 June 2025, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., presentation at 10:00 a.m. Where? Event Centre BRUNO Raum 105, Franz Weiss Platz 7, 2345 Brunn am Gebirge Group picture: Picture of presentation: © Ö. Post AG
