Postage stamps and postal history of Hungary
Encyclopedia
The Postage stamps and postal history of Hungary is strongly tied to the history of Hungary
. Mail delivery on a country-wide basis was first organized by the Habsburgs under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Until 1871, Hungary used the same stamps as any other territory of the Empire.
After continued development, the postal system of Austria
and Hungary was formally separated following the Compromise of 1867, with both becoming fully independent after 1908. Both world wars caused heavy damages to the infrastructure. The Hungarian Post was nationalized after 1947. Until 1990, the Post Office controlled not only mail or package delivery, but the full range of telecommunications, including radio, telephone and television transmissions. After separating this firm into separate companies, the Magyar Posta
JSC was founded to handle postal administration.
basin until the late 16th century, the messages of the Hungarian kings were delivered by messengers (pracecones) and couriers (cursores), but counties and lords also maintained separate messenger services. The common people had to ask travelers and merchants to deliver their packets. After the XV. century a service of communal messengers was established to act as a bureaucratic link between local authorities, helped by the newly invented carriage
.
trusted the Taxis family to operate a permanent postal service between Wien and Bratislava. Leopold I
issued a Postal patent regulating postal delivery routes, post offices and postal horns. The operation of the postal system was later transferred to the Paar family as a feudal tenure. During Rákóczi's War for Independence
a separate postal system was operated in the territories under Rákóczi's rule, operated by János Szepesi, and later Márton Kossovits.
In 1 July 1722 Charles III
nationalized the postal system, and declared the delivery of messages and the establishment of post offices to be a state monopoly. He placed the coat of arms of the empire on every postal building, regulated postal tariffs, and developed the existing postal routes, subordinating every post office to the court's main post office of Vienna
. The language of the administration was German
, and most of the employees were Austrian. In 1784 Maria Theresa's Postal Patent further modernized the system, separating normal and mail-coach delivery. The mail-coach service started one year later throughout the empire, establishing a permanent route between Vienna and Buda
in 1752.
The first mailboxes were placed in 1817 intended for stamped letters. Telegraphy
appeared, and was slowly evolving in the same years, but was not widely used until its later development and standardization of language by Samuel Morse. The first telegraph station in Hungarian territory was opened in December 1847 in Bratislava
. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
attempts were made to create a separate system under the supervision of the Agricultural, Industrial and Commercial Ministry. One of the first task of its minister, Gábor Klauzál
was to create a law for privacy of correspondence, and the use of Hungarian language and symbols in stamps and seals. Mór Than designed the first Hungarian stamp, but due to later military developments it never reached the printing stage.
After the failed revolution, the Hungarian post was integrated back into Austrian administration. Franz Joseph I
issued his Postal Patent on 26 December 1850, which restored the pre-1848 conditions. Several developments took place in the next years, including the unification of normal and mail-coach delivery, the introduction of stamps and money order in 1850. From 1855 letters were delivered to home addresses, trains started to carry letters, and express delivery was introduced in 1859. Postage stamps were issued for the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary on 1 June 1867 in eight values along with one 1k newspaper stamp
. Stamps of Austria were withdrawn on 31 May 1867. The dual monarchy stamps were used for just over one year.
appointed Mihály Gervay as the head director of Hungarian post. The law stated that the post of Austria and Hungary was to be treated separately, but under the same principles. The use of Hungarian language and the national symbols was restored. The emblem of the post was created (a tasseled postal horn, under the Hungarian crown) and was used for the following hundred years. The current emblem is a simplified version of this design.
After solving the legal problems of separation, the idea of the Hungarian stamp, as the calling card of the Hungarian Post came up. The University Press was entrusted with the task by the government, but they had no technical background to produce the stamps. Negotiations started with the State Press of Vienna. Initial talks were about a separate Hungarian stamp, but the final version was a common Austro-Hungarian stamp with the same image. Due to Austrian pressure, the Emperor's crown was also placed on the stamp, released in 2 kr, 3 kr, 5 kr, 10 kr és 15 kr form.
The first real Hungarian stamp was released on 1 May 1871, marking a more precise date of separation. The stamp was produced in the State Press of Buda by lithography followed by an engraved set and newspaper stamps.. The first print was of bad quality, most of the result had to be destroyed. Only a small amount of this print was released in August 1873, making it very rare (later it was named pock-marked in philologist circles). Over 2.800.000 pieces was produced of the 1871 issue of the 5 kr stamp, and even more of the 1874 issue (called the Colored number).
In 1869, as a first in the world, the Austrian and Hungarian post began to process postcards, a new type of delivery. The development of the system is signaled by the facts that in 1871, over 2,5 million postcards were delivered, and in 1873 6,5 million. In 1900, an estimated amount of 25 million items were delivered.
From 1870 onwards, woman over 18 years were allowed to work in treasury and post offices, after taking a specialized exam. The Hungarian Post was one of the founding members of the Universal Postal Union
in 1874. From 1885 smaller packages were delivered straight to addresses.
In 1887 the emperor approved the proposal of minister Gábor Baross
to unify the post and telegraphy services, and to provide the needed amount of experts, the Post and Telegraphy College opened the next year. After 1875 telephone lines began to be built around the empire, later regulated by the 1888 article of telegraphs and electrical signaling apparatus, that also prohibited citizens to set up or operate public phones. The interurban telephone line between Vienna and Budapest
was finished by 1890, with all major cities following in the next three years.
The mechanization of the post began before the turn of the 20th century. Mechanically emptied mailboxes started to appear from 1893, and two years later 3 wheeled delivery motorbikes were tested for permanent use. After 1896 bicycles were introduced to deliver letters and express mail.
The first Hungarian car was designed for the Hungarian Post (answering a tender held in 1903), by mechanical engineer János Csonka. Its first test journey was started on 31 May 1905, successfully completing a 2000 km trip of the country. As such, Hungary was one of the first countries to use cars in mail delivery (from 1909), using Csonka's model for the next two decade. For several years, the cars also transported passengers.
, 1923. The station's original task was to transmit news to the regional offices of the Hungarian news wire agency, but in empty air times music and songs were transmitted on an experimental basis, starting 15 March 1924. From 1933 onwards, regional transmitter stations were opened, also upgrading the Csepel station to a 120 kW·h station (with a height of 314m).
In the early 20th century they mainly depicted the mythical "Turul
" or Hungary's first king, St. Stephen.
The century saw many changes of the currency including Korona
(until 1927), the Pengő
(until 1946) and from 1946 onwards, the Forint
(with the subdivision Fillér
until 1999).
The growing workforce required social investments, the post office opened holiday resorts, medical facilities, sanatoriums, canteens and a retirement home from 1920 onwards. In 1927 the first internal regulation for treating mail was printed. In 1936 the parliament assembled article 35 of 1936 as Hungary's first postal law, creating a legal ground to many of the customary laws of earlier times. World War II
put many responsibilities upon the Post, like the operation of the military post, or the postal development of the new territories assigned by the first and second Vienna Awards
. As the war passed trough the country, it destroyed most of the developments the post system that were built in the past decades.
However, the rebuilding was rapid. Mail delivery was operating again from March 1945 in Budapest and from May in the whole country, with money orders starting in June and package delivery, telephone and telegraph in July. In 1 May 1945 the Hungarian Radio Corporation broadcasted again. The real recovery, complete with buildings and personnel lasted until 1952. According to the political climate, the Hungarian Post was gradually nationalized after 1947, with several postal societies and institutions either ceasing to exist, or melting into the national firm.
In accordance to the era's technical developments, the transmitting service was rapidly upgraded in the later decades. Experiments with television broadcast started in 1950, with official (but still experimental) program starting in 1953. In 1958 a television broadcast tower was put in operation on top of the Széchenyi mountain. 1967 saw the introduction of the crossbar technology
and in 1970 the time-sharing multiplex system, opening the first container telephone station.
Hungary is famous for its use of goldleaf in its stamps and is sometimes categorised with the Czech Republic, Serbia and Austria.
After the change of regime in 1989 the institution dissolved into 3 separate entities, namely the Magyar Telekom
, the Hungarian Broadcasting Company, and the Hungarian Post Company, each continuing a task of the formerly unified firm in the form of independent, self-supporting companies. In his article LIII. of 1992 the minister of traffic, telecommunications and water conservancy declared the Post company to be a state owned joint stock company. The new Post, natively named the Magyar Posta Részvénytársaság started on 1 January 1994, and is the legal successor of the former Hungarian Post (Magyar Posta Vállalat).
Due to legal reasons, the proper native name changed to Magyar Posta Zrt. (shortened) in 2 January 2006.
to be issued by Hungary were postcard
s in 1869 followed by envelopes in 1871 and newspaper wrappers in 1872. Lettercard
s were issued in 1886 and aerogrammes were first issued in 1969.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. Mail delivery on a country-wide basis was first organized by the Habsburgs under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Until 1871, Hungary used the same stamps as any other territory of the Empire.
After continued development, the postal system of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Hungary was formally separated following the Compromise of 1867, with both becoming fully independent after 1908. Both world wars caused heavy damages to the infrastructure. The Hungarian Post was nationalized after 1947. Until 1990, the Post Office controlled not only mail or package delivery, but the full range of telecommunications, including radio, telephone and television transmissions. After separating this firm into separate companies, the Magyar Posta
Magyar Posta
Magyar Posta Zrt. is the postal administration of Hungary. Besides normal mail delivery, Magyar Posta also offers logistics, banking, and marketing services.-External links:*...
JSC was founded to handle postal administration.
The Middle Ages
After the colonization of the CarpathianCarpathian
Carpathian may refer to:*Carpathian Mountains of Central and Eastern Europe*Carpathian Convention on sustainable development in that region*Carpathian Shepherd Dog, a Romanian sheep dog*Subcarpathian Voivodeship, an administrative division of Poland...
basin until the late 16th century, the messages of the Hungarian kings were delivered by messengers (pracecones) and couriers (cursores), but counties and lords also maintained separate messenger services. The common people had to ask travelers and merchants to deliver their packets. After the XV. century a service of communal messengers was established to act as a bureaucratic link between local authorities, helped by the newly invented carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
.
16th-19th century
In 1526, Ferdinand IFerdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
trusted the Taxis family to operate a permanent postal service between Wien and Bratislava. Leopold I
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
issued a Postal patent regulating postal delivery routes, post offices and postal horns. The operation of the postal system was later transferred to the Paar family as a feudal tenure. During Rákóczi's War for Independence
Rákóczi's War for Independence
Rákóczi's War for Independence was the first significant attempt to topple therule of Habsburg Austria over Hungary. The war was fought by a group of noblemen, wealthy and high-ranking progressives and was led by Francis II Rákóczi Rákóczi's War for Independence (1703–1711) was the first...
a separate postal system was operated in the territories under Rákóczi's rule, operated by János Szepesi, and later Márton Kossovits.
In 1 July 1722 Charles III
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711...
nationalized the postal system, and declared the delivery of messages and the establishment of post offices to be a state monopoly. He placed the coat of arms of the empire on every postal building, regulated postal tariffs, and developed the existing postal routes, subordinating every post office to the court's main post office of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. The language of the administration was German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and most of the employees were Austrian. In 1784 Maria Theresa's Postal Patent further modernized the system, separating normal and mail-coach delivery. The mail-coach service started one year later throughout the empire, establishing a permanent route between Vienna and Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
in 1752.
1800-1867
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
appeared, and was slowly evolving in the same years, but was not widely used until its later development and standardization of language by Samuel Morse. The first telegraph station in Hungarian territory was opened in December 1847 in Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...
attempts were made to create a separate system under the supervision of the Agricultural, Industrial and Commercial Ministry. One of the first task of its minister, Gábor Klauzál
Gábor Klauzál
Gábor Klauzál de Szlavovicz was a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Trade during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 in the first government of Hungary. He studied in Szeged...
was to create a law for privacy of correspondence, and the use of Hungarian language and symbols in stamps and seals. Mór Than designed the first Hungarian stamp, but due to later military developments it never reached the printing stage.
After the failed revolution, the Hungarian post was integrated back into Austrian administration. Franz Joseph I
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
issued his Postal Patent on 26 December 1850, which restored the pre-1848 conditions. Several developments took place in the next years, including the unification of normal and mail-coach delivery, the introduction of stamps and money order in 1850. From 1855 letters were delivered to home addresses, trains started to carry letters, and express delivery was introduced in 1859. Postage stamps were issued for the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary on 1 June 1867 in eight values along with one 1k newspaper stamp
Newspaper stamp
A newspaper stamp is a special type of postage stamp used to pay the cost of mailing newspapers and other periodicals. Although many types were issued in the 19th century, typically representing rates reduced from regular mail, they generally fell out of use in the mid-20th century, as mail...
. Stamps of Austria were withdrawn on 31 May 1867. The dual monarchy stamps were used for just over one year.
After 1867
As ratified in the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, the Hungarian post was assigned back under the administration of the Agricultural, Industrial and Commercial Ministry. Minister István GoroveIstván Gorove
István Gorove was a Hungarian politician, leader of the Liberal Party, which controlled Hungary between 1875 and 1905. Gorove was a minister in Count Gyula Andrássy's cabinet: Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Trade between 1867 and 1870, and Minister of Public Works and Transport until 1871....
appointed Mihály Gervay as the head director of Hungarian post. The law stated that the post of Austria and Hungary was to be treated separately, but under the same principles. The use of Hungarian language and the national symbols was restored. The emblem of the post was created (a tasseled postal horn, under the Hungarian crown) and was used for the following hundred years. The current emblem is a simplified version of this design.
After solving the legal problems of separation, the idea of the Hungarian stamp, as the calling card of the Hungarian Post came up. The University Press was entrusted with the task by the government, but they had no technical background to produce the stamps. Negotiations started with the State Press of Vienna. Initial talks were about a separate Hungarian stamp, but the final version was a common Austro-Hungarian stamp with the same image. Due to Austrian pressure, the Emperor's crown was also placed on the stamp, released in 2 kr, 3 kr, 5 kr, 10 kr és 15 kr form.
The first real Hungarian stamp was released on 1 May 1871, marking a more precise date of separation. The stamp was produced in the State Press of Buda by lithography followed by an engraved set and newspaper stamps.. The first print was of bad quality, most of the result had to be destroyed. Only a small amount of this print was released in August 1873, making it very rare (later it was named pock-marked in philologist circles). Over 2.800.000 pieces was produced of the 1871 issue of the 5 kr stamp, and even more of the 1874 issue (called the Colored number).
In 1869, as a first in the world, the Austrian and Hungarian post began to process postcards, a new type of delivery. The development of the system is signaled by the facts that in 1871, over 2,5 million postcards were delivered, and in 1873 6,5 million. In 1900, an estimated amount of 25 million items were delivered.
From 1870 onwards, woman over 18 years were allowed to work in treasury and post offices, after taking a specialized exam. The Hungarian Post was one of the founding members of the Universal Postal Union
Universal Postal Union
The Universal Postal Union is an international organization that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration , the Postal Operations Council and the...
in 1874. From 1885 smaller packages were delivered straight to addresses.
In 1887 the emperor approved the proposal of minister Gábor Baross
Gábor Baross
Gábor Baross , Hungarian statesman, was born at Pružina near Trencsén on 6 July 1848, and educated at Esztergom. He was for a time one of the professors there under Cardinal Kolos Vaszary. After acquiring considerable local reputation as chief notary of his county, he entered parliament in 1875...
to unify the post and telegraphy services, and to provide the needed amount of experts, the Post and Telegraphy College opened the next year. After 1875 telephone lines began to be built around the empire, later regulated by the 1888 article of telegraphs and electrical signaling apparatus, that also prohibited citizens to set up or operate public phones. The interurban telephone line between Vienna and Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
was finished by 1890, with all major cities following in the next three years.
The first Hungarian car was designed for the Hungarian Post (answering a tender held in 1903), by mechanical engineer János Csonka. Its first test journey was started on 31 May 1905, successfully completing a 2000 km trip of the country. As such, Hungary was one of the first countries to use cars in mail delivery (from 1909), using Csonka's model for the next two decade. For several years, the cars also transported passengers.
20th century
The total independence of the Hungarian Post was declared in article XII of 1908. World War I, and the following military occupations and revolutions caused severe damage to the postal system, requiring a near complete rebuild. The first notable development was the opening of a 250 watt radio phone station in CsepelCsepel
Csepel is the 21st district and a neighbourhood in Budapest, Hungary. Csepel officially became part of Budapest on 1 January 1950.- Location :...
, 1923. The station's original task was to transmit news to the regional offices of the Hungarian news wire agency, but in empty air times music and songs were transmitted on an experimental basis, starting 15 March 1924. From 1933 onwards, regional transmitter stations were opened, also upgrading the Csepel station to a 120 kW·h station (with a height of 314m).
In the early 20th century they mainly depicted the mythical "Turul
Turul
The Turul is the most important bird in the origin myth of the Magyars .It is a divine messenger, and perches on top of the tree of life along with the other spirits of unborn children in the form of birds...
" or Hungary's first king, St. Stephen.
The century saw many changes of the currency including Korona
Austro-Hungarian krone
The Krone or korona was the official currency of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1892 until the dissolution of the empire in 1918...
(until 1927), the Pengő
Pengo
Pengo may refer to:*Pengo , a 1982 video arcade game from Sega*Hungarian pengő, the name of an old Hungarian currency*Pengo language, a Dravidian language spoken in south central India...
(until 1946) and from 1946 onwards, the Forint
Hungarian forint
The forint is the currency of Hungary. It is divided into 100 fillér, although fillér coins are no longer in circulation. The introduction of the forint on 1 August 1946 was a crucial step of the post-WWII stabilization of the Hungarian economy, and the currency remained relatively stable until...
(with the subdivision Fillér
Fillér
The fillér was the name of various small change coins throughout Hungarian history. It was the subdivision of the Austro-Hungarian and the Hungarian korona, the pengő and the forint. The name derives from the German word Vierer that means 'number four' in English. Originally it was the name of the...
until 1999).
The growing workforce required social investments, the post office opened holiday resorts, medical facilities, sanatoriums, canteens and a retirement home from 1920 onwards. In 1927 the first internal regulation for treating mail was printed. In 1936 the parliament assembled article 35 of 1936 as Hungary's first postal law, creating a legal ground to many of the customary laws of earlier times. World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
put many responsibilities upon the Post, like the operation of the military post, or the postal development of the new territories assigned by the first and second Vienna Awards
Vienna Awards
The Vienna Awards are two arbitral awards by which arbiters of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy sought to enforce peacefully the claims of Hungary on territory it had lost in 1920 when it signed the Treaty of Trianon...
. As the war passed trough the country, it destroyed most of the developments the post system that were built in the past decades.
However, the rebuilding was rapid. Mail delivery was operating again from March 1945 in Budapest and from May in the whole country, with money orders starting in June and package delivery, telephone and telegraph in July. In 1 May 1945 the Hungarian Radio Corporation broadcasted again. The real recovery, complete with buildings and personnel lasted until 1952. According to the political climate, the Hungarian Post was gradually nationalized after 1947, with several postal societies and institutions either ceasing to exist, or melting into the national firm.
In accordance to the era's technical developments, the transmitting service was rapidly upgraded in the later decades. Experiments with television broadcast started in 1950, with official (but still experimental) program starting in 1953. In 1958 a television broadcast tower was put in operation on top of the Széchenyi mountain. 1967 saw the introduction of the crossbar technology
Crossbar switch
In electronics, a crossbar switch is a switch connecting multiple inputs to multiple outputs in a matrix manner....
and in 1970 the time-sharing multiplex system, opening the first container telephone station.
Recent years
Starting in 1980 significant changes began in the structure of the Hungarian Post. It became a prime authority in 1983 (named the Centre of Hungarian Post).Hungary is famous for its use of goldleaf in its stamps and is sometimes categorised with the Czech Republic, Serbia and Austria.
After the change of regime in 1989 the institution dissolved into 3 separate entities, namely the Magyar Telekom
Magyar Telekom
Magyar Telekom Nyrt. is Hungary's largest telecommunications company. The former monopolist is now a fully consolidated subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom....
, the Hungarian Broadcasting Company, and the Hungarian Post Company, each continuing a task of the formerly unified firm in the form of independent, self-supporting companies. In his article LIII. of 1992 the minister of traffic, telecommunications and water conservancy declared the Post company to be a state owned joint stock company. The new Post, natively named the Magyar Posta Részvénytársaság started on 1 January 1994, and is the legal successor of the former Hungarian Post (Magyar Posta Vállalat).
Due to legal reasons, the proper native name changed to Magyar Posta Zrt. (shortened) in 2 January 2006.
Postal stationery
The first items of postal stationeryPostal stationery
A piece of postal stationery is a stationery item, such as a stamped envelope, letter sheet, postal card, lettercard, aerogram or wrapper, with an imprinted stamp or inscription indicating that a specific rate of postage or related service has been prepaid...
to be issued by Hungary were postcard
Postcard
A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....
s in 1869 followed by envelopes in 1871 and newspaper wrappers in 1872. Lettercard
Lettercard
In philately a lettercard or letter card is a postal stationery item consisting of a folded card with a prepaid imprinted stamp. The fact that it is folded over gives the writer twice as much room for the message compared with a postal card. The message is written on the inside and the card is...
s were issued in 1886 and aerogrammes were first issued in 1969.
See also
- List of people on stamps of Hungary
- Magyar PostaMagyar PostaMagyar Posta Zrt. is the postal administration of Hungary. Besides normal mail delivery, Magyar Posta also offers logistics, banking, and marketing services.-External links:*...
- Postage stamps and postal history of AustriaPostage stamps and postal history of AustriaThis article deals with the stamps and postal history of Austria.- Monarchy, 1850 - 1918 :The postage stamp issues of Austria began on 1 June 1850 with a series of imperforate typographed stamps featuring the coat of arms. At first they were printed on a rough hand-made paper, but after 1854 a...
Further reading
- Ryan, Gary. "The Hungarian classics" in The London PhilatelistThe London PhilatelistThe London Philatelist was first published in January 1892 and is the journal of the Royal Philatelic Society London.It is published ten times annually and includes coverage of worldwide philatelic and postal history topics...
, Vol. 82 June & November 1973. - Ryan, Gary. "The first stamps of Hungary" in Stamp Collecting, 29 November 1979.
- Ryan, Gary. "1867 - the first issue of Hungary" in The London Philatelist, Vol. 93, March/April 1984.
External links
- Magyar Posta - The official website of the Hungarian Post JSC
- The Hungarian Philatelic Society of GB UK based
- Society for Hungarian Philately USA based