Postage stamps 1871–1899

Hungary · Franz Joseph heads and numeral types, in krajcár · 129 stamps

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Common< 5Low5 – 50Medium50 – 500High500 – 5 000Exceptional5 000 +left column mint, right column used · USD, catalogue

1871

1871 King Franz Joseph - Lithographed

Issued: 1. May
Watermark: None
Perforation: 9¼ x 9½
Printing: Lithography

After the Compromise of 1867 Hungary gained its own post, and on 1 May 1871 its own stamps, printed by the State Printing Office in Buda. The lithographed portrait of Franz Joseph came out poorly, the 2 krajcár so badly that over eight million were ordered destroyed.

From 31 August 1871 the same design by János Unrein was reissued engraved.

Sources: Wikipedia: Postage stamps and postal history of Hungary, Big Blue 1840-1940: Hungary 1871 litho vs engraved

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour
1	1a	A	2 K	orange
1a*	1	A1	2 K	yellow
2	2	A2	3 K	green
3	3a	A3	5 K	rose
3a*	3	A4	5 K	brick-red
4	4	A5	10 K	greenish blue
4a*	4b	A6	10 K	pale blue
5	5	A7	15 K	brown
6	6	A8	25 K	violet
1‑6				Set (* Stamp not included in this set)

1871 Post Horn

Issued: 1. May
Watermark: None
Perforation: Imperforated

For the cheap posting of newspapers Hungary issued its own newspaper stamps in 1871 too – showing the Holy Crown of St Stephen and a post horn, with no inscription and no value; they paid 1 krajcár for newspapers and journals sent in an address wrapper.

Like the first postage stamps, they were at first printed in a hurry by lithography. Transferring the original, which had been made for letterpress, onto the stone produced a mirror image: the cross on the crown leans wrongly to the right and the mouthpiece of the horn is on the right. When letterpress took over, the drawing was correct – the cross leans left and the mouthpiece is on the left.

Sources: Bélyegmúzeum: Az 1871. kőnyomású és könyvnyomású Hírlap bélyeg, Stamp Encyclopedia: Hungary – back of the book issues

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour	Mint	Used
7	7	B	1 K	red

1871 King Franz Joseph - Engraved

Watermark: None
Perforation: 9¼ x 9½

The engraved stamps (in Hungarian 'réznyomat' – copper print) share János Unrein's design with the lithographs, but production could only start once new printing presses had arrived from Germany in spring 1871.

The lines are finer and the portrait more three-dimensional – look at the eyebrows and the beard. They were printed in far larger numbers and many times over, with the ink mixed afresh each time, so Gyula Madarász's monograph distinguishes 34 shades. The design names no country; Hungarian statehood is shown only by the Hungarian arms with the Holy Crown above.

Sources: Bélyegmúzeum: 1871. Réznyomat címletei, Bélyegmúzeum: 1871. Réznyomat színváltozatai, Bélyegmúzeum: Az 1871-es kiadás története, Big Blue 1840-1940: Hungary 1871 Litho vs 1871-72 Engraved

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour
8	8	A9	2 K	yellowish
9	9	A10	3 K	green
10	10	A11	5 K	carmine
10a*	10	A12	5 K	brick-red
11	11	A13	10 K	blue
12	12	A14	15 K	brown
13	13	A15	25 K	bluish violet
13a*	13	A16	25 K	reddish violet
8‑13				Set (* Stamp not included in this set)

1872

1872 Post Horn Pointing Right

Watermark: None
Perforation: Imperforated

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour	Description	Mint	Used
14	14	C	1 K	red
14a	14	C1	1 K	brownish red	Bluish paper

1874

1874 Kingdom of Hungary; Definitive Issue - Coloured Values, Not Watermarked. See also No.21-25

Issued: 1. October
Watermark: None
Perforation: 13

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour
15	15 A	D	2 K	violet
16	16 A	D1	3 K	green
17	17 A	D2	5 K	red
18	18 A	D3	10 K	blue
19	19 A	D4	20 K	grey
15‑19				Set

1874 Newspaper Stamp - Not Watermarked, See also No.26

Issued: 1. October
Watermark: 1 – Ellipses and the letters “Kr”
Schematic – shows the device, not its exact proportions
Perforation: Imperforated

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour	Mint	Used
20	20a	E	1 K	orange
20a	20c	E1	1 K	reddish orange

1881

1881 As Number 15-19, Watermarked. K in WM 13 mm High

Issued: 1. January
Watermark: 1 – Ellipses and the letters “Kr”
Schematic – shows the device, not its exact proportions
Perforation: 11½ & 12 x 11½

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour
21	21 Aa	D5	2 K	violet
21a*	21 Ab	D6	2 K	greyish blue
22	22 A	D7	3 K	green
23	23 A	D8	5 K	rose
24	24 A	D9	10 K	blue
25	25 A	D10	20 K	greyish black
21‑25				Set (* Stamp not included in this set)

1881 As Previous - Different Perforation

Issued: 1. January
Watermark: None
Perforation: 13, 12½ x 13 & 11½ x 13

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour
21A	21 Ba	D11	2 K	violet
21Aa	21 Bb	D12	2 K	greyish blue
22A	22 B	D13	3 K	green
23A	23 B	D14	5 K	rose
24A	24 B	D15	10 K	blue
25A	25 B	D16	20 K	greyish black

1881 Newspaper Stamp - See also No.20

Issued: 5. April
Watermark: 1 – Ellipses and the letters “Kr”
Schematic – shows the device, not its exact proportions
Perforation: Imperforated

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour
26	26a	E2	1 K	reddish
26a	26b	E3	1 K	yellow
26b	26c	E4	1 K	greenish yellow

1888

1888–1898 Definitive Issue - Black Values

Watermark: 1 – Ellipses and the letters “Kr”
Schematic – shows the device, not its exact proportions
Perforation: 12 x 11½

The design showing an envelope inscribed MAGYAR KIR. POSTA had replaced the king's portrait, with his consent, at the end of 1874; in 1888 it was reissued with its numerals in black.

Sources differ on the year the post and telegraph were merged – 1887 or 1888.

The series, with many values from 1 krajcár to 3 forint, came with the merger of the letter post, coach post and telegraph, and it was printed by letterpress, much cheaper than the copper plates used before. The 1888 printing came from stereotype plates, replaced from 1889 by electrotypes; on the values from 8 krajcár upwards the stamp was printed over a coloured background of fine vertical lines.

Sources: A bélyeg (belyeg.ewk.hu): a magyar bélyegek története, Hungarian Stamps: 1888-99 issues, Big Blue 1840-1940: Hungary 1871-1916, Bélyegbarát: Könyvnyomtatás

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour	Description
27	27 B	D17	1 K	greyish black
28	28 B	D18	2 K	violet
29	29 B	D19	3 K	green
30	30 B	D20	5 K	red
31	31 B	D21	8 K	orange
32	32 B	D22	10 K	blue
33	33 B	D23	12 K	brown
34	34 B	D24	15 K	purple red
35	35 B	D25	20 K	grey
36	36 B	D26	24 K	brownish violet
37	37 B	D27	30 K	green
38	38 B	D28	50 K	brick-red
39	39 B	D29	1 Ft	grey	Value in red
40	40 B	D30	3 Ft	purple	Value in red
27‑34					Set
27‑40					Set

1888–1898 As Previous - Different Perforation

Watermark: 1 – Ellipses and the letters “Kr”
Schematic – shows the device, not its exact proportions
Perforation: 11½

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour	Description
27A	27 A	D31	1 K	greyish black
28A	28 A	D32	2 K	violet
29A	29 A	D33	3 K	green
30A	30 A	D34	5 K	red
31A	31 A	D35	8 K	orange
32A	32 A	D36	10 K	blue
33A	33 A	D37	12 K	brown
34A	34 A	D38	15 K	purple red
35A	35 A	D39	20 K	grey
36A	36 A	D40	24 K	brownish violet
37A	37 A	D41	30 K	green
38A	38 A	D42	50 K	brick-red
39A	39 A	D43	1 Ft	grey	Value in red
40A	40 A	D44	3 Ft	purple	Value in red

1898

1898–1899 Definitive Issue - New Watermark

Watermark: 2 – Ellipses and crown
Schematic – shows the device, not its exact proportions
Perforation: 12½ x 11½

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour
41	41 X A	D45	1 K	greyish black
42	42 X A	D46	2 K	purple
43	43 X A	D47	3 K	green
44	44 X A	D48	5 K	red
45	45 X A	D49	8 K	orange
46	46 X A	D50	10 K	blue
47	47 X A	D51	12 K	brown
48	48 X A	D52	15 K	purple
49	49 X A	D53	20 K	grey
50	50 X A	D54	24 K	brownish violet
51	51 X A	D55	30 K	green
52	52 X A	D56	50 K	brick-red
41‑52				Set

1898–1899 As Previous - Different Perforation

Watermark: 2 – Ellipses and crown
Schematic – shows the device, not its exact proportions
Perforation: 11½

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour
41A	41 X B	D57	1 K	greyish black
42A	42 X B	D58	2 K	purple
43A	43 X B	D59	3 K	green
44A	44 X B	D60	5 K	red
45A	45 X B	D61	8 K	orange
46A	46 X B	D62	10 K	blue
47A	47 X B	D63	12 K	brown
48A	48 X B	D64	15 K	purple
49A	49 X B	D65	20 K	grey
50A	50 X B	D66	24 K	brownish violet
51A	51 X B	D67	30 K	green
52A	52 X B	D68	50 K	brick-red

1898–1899 Definitive Issue - New Watermark

Watermark: 3 – Circles and crown
Schematic – shows the device, not its exact proportions
Perforation: 12½ x 11½

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour
53	41 Y A	D69	1 K	greyish black
54	42 Y A	D70	2 K	purple
55	43 Y A	D71	3 K	green
56	44 Y A	D72	5 K	red
57	45 Y A	D73	8 K	orange
58	46 Y A	D74	10 K	blue
59	47 Y A	D75	12 K	brown
60	48 Y A	D76	15 K	purple
61	49 Y A	D77	20 K	grey
62	50 Y A	D78	24 K	brownish violet
63	51 Y A	D79	30 K	green
64	52 Y A	D80	50 K	brick-red
53‑58
53‑64				Set

1898–1899 As Previous - Different Perforation

Watermark: 3 – Circles and crown
Schematic – shows the device, not its exact proportions
Perforation: 11½

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour
53A	41 Y B	D81	1 K	greyish black
54A	42 Y B	D82	2 K	purple
55A	43 Y B	D83	3 K	green
56A	44 Y B	D84	5 K	red
57A	45 Y B	D85	8 K	orange
58A	46 Y B	D86	10 K	blue
59A	47 Y B	D87	12 K	brown
60A	48 Y B	D88	15 K	purple
61A	49 Y B	D89	20 K	grey
62A	50 Y B	D90	24 K	brownish violet
63A	51 Y B	D91	30 K	green
64A	52 Y B	D92	50 K	brick-red

1898–1899 Newspaper Stamp. Black Value - New Watermark

Watermark: 2 – Ellipses and crown
Schematic – shows the device, not its exact proportions
Perforation: Imperforated

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour	Mint	Used
65	53 X	E5	1 K	brick-red

1899

1899 Newspaper Stamp. Black Value - New Watermark

Watermark: 3 – Circles and crown
Schematic – shows the device, not its exact proportions
Perforation: Imperforated

SW	Michel	Type	Value	Colour	Mint	Used
66	53 Y	E6	1 K	brick-red