Postage stamps 1871–1899

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

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

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

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

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