Magyar Posta is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Universal Postal Union with a stamp issue. Forty thousand copies of the black numbered perforated souvenir sheets and 4,000 copies of the red numberedimperforated souvenir sheets designed by the graphic artist György Kara were produced by the banknote printing company Pénzjegynyomda. The new issue goes on sale at Filaposta, philately specialist services, certain post offices and www.posta.hu from 24 July 2024.
The Universal Postal Union, or Union postale universelle in French, (UPU) is a world forum of great importance for international postal cooperation and one of the oldest-existing specialised agencies of the United Nations. Its aim is to ensure the organisation and improvement of postal services and to promote the development of international cooperation in this field. During the events celebrating its 150th anniversary, the UPU will focus on its role of enabling communication and empowering peoples across nations.
On 9 October 1874, 22 countries, including Hungary, gathered in Switzerland to sign the Treaty of Bern, establishing the General Postal Union, which aimed to harmonise and further improve the operation of the international postal services. The growing number of bilateral postal treaties between pairs of countries in the 19th century created an unmanageable situation. The practicality of the new postal treaty attracted many countries, and the number of the Postal Union’s members grew rapidly in the years after its foundation. In 1878, the organisation adopted a new name, Universal Postal Union. Since 1948, it has operated as a specialised agency of the United Nations. On the initiative of the UPU, 9 October, the date on which the organisation was established, has been celebrated as World Post Day since 1970.
The main motif of the graphic composition on the souvenir sheet is the postal horn, a device used from the Middle Ages onwards to signal the arrival of mail, which has become the symbol of the postal service worldwide. The design is completed by letters in the national colours of Hungary and the 150th anniversary logo of the UPU together with a detail of it. Official UPU image elements appear on the commemorative first day cover. The imprint of the postmark on the special first day cover shows the logo for the anniversary .
