Magyar Posta is releasing its miniature sheet issued to mark the 150th anniversary of the first Hungarian stamp issue also in special and limited printing technique editions and in the form of an exclusive stamp set. The stamps and the stamp set were produced based on the designs of the graphic artist Attila Elekes using source material provided by the Stamp Museum. The new issues will be available while stocks last at Filaposta in Hungary from 25 August 2017, but may also be ordered by e-mail at philately@posta.hu.
When the first Hungarian postage stamps were issued 150 years ago, customers knew that these miniature graphic artworks would become part of everyday life but they could not be certain that this occasion marked the start of a series of events lasting for centuries. Releasing the special editions of the miniature sheet entitled 150 Years of Hungarian Stamp Issuance for circulation expresses Magyar Posta’s pleasure and pride in looking back at its stamps issued to date.
On this occasion a red-numbered, imperforated and a green-numbered perforated edition of the miniature sheet and a special stamp set are being issued.
What makes the red-numbered and green-numbered versions interesting is that the first two stamps were made by letterpress (book) printing – the same printing technology as used in that period – while the third and fourth stamps were produced by intaglio printing, following the example of the classic stamps printed in 1871 and 1874.
The stamp set includes, in addition to the red- and green-numbered editions, numbered copies of the standard edition and the black print of the miniature sheet. These are unusual as they were numbered by hand using numerals ranging from 1 to 1,000. All the sheets in each of the 1,000 sets issued bear the same number, and the numbered version of the standard edition as well as the black print are only available in this compilation. The stamp set sold in a resealable plastic case comes with a numbered Certificate in Hungarian, English and German bearing an embossed postal seal verifying its originality.
The red- and green-numbered miniature sheets are available outside the set as well and were produced by automated numbering with numerals ranging from 1,001 to 5,000.
Magyar Posta’s stamps have won or have been amongst the prize-winners at numerous international stamp contests over recent decades, which is one form of confirmation of the route Hungarian stamp issuance has followed to date.
