1871 SG8 Sc7
1916 SG267-8 Sc104-5
King Charles IV and Queen Zila
1918 SG271 Sc-C1
1913 SG136 Sc-B1
Flood Relief
1921 SG-O428 Sc-O1
1903 SG-D170 Sc-J1
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| [1st May 1871] 1871 SG8 Sc7 |
Commemorative 1916 SG267-8 Sc104-5 King Charles IV and Queen Zila |
Airmail 1918 SG271 Sc-C1 |
Charity 1913 SG136 Sc-B1 Flood Relief |
Official 1921 SG-O428 Sc-O1 |
Post Due 1903 SG-D170 Sc-J1 |
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| First real airmail 1924 SG433 Sc-C6 |
Prior to WW1, Hungary was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Austrian stamps were first issued in 1850, Austro-Hungarian in 1867 and both were used in Hungary, but (following a set of newspaper tax stamps in 1868) on 1st May 1871 the first stamps designed specifically for Hungary were issued showing emperor Franz Joseph. The first printing was withdrawn because of the poor printing quality of the portrait; a stamp from the third (engraved) printing is shown as these are significantly cheaper than the second (litho) printing. The full set of stamps (including the quaint pair of coronation commemoratives for King Charles IV and Queen Zila) come from several of the country’s eras.
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| People’s Republic | Hungarian Soviet Republic | National Republic | Regency | Provisional Government | Republic | People’s Republic |
| 1916 SG282 Sc153 | 1919 SG324A Sc198 Karl Marx |
1919 SG348a Sc306 | 1920 SG369A Sc-B69 Returning PoWs |
1945 SG786A Sc631 | 1946 SG902 Sc723 | 1949 SG1067A Sc857 |
Continuing with the changes of administration, these began with the People’s Republic in 1918, following WW1. This was followed in June 1919 by the short-lived Hungarian Soviet Republic (stamp depicting Karl Marx), established by the Socialist-Communist coalition led by Béla Kun who fled to Vienna a few months later as Rumanian troops advanced on Budapest. By November 1919, Rumania had withdrawn and the Hungarian army entered the city under Admiral Horthy to establish the National Republic.
| 1942 SG721 Sc600 Mourning for Stephen Horthy |
1942 SG723 Sc-B148 Stephen Horthy’s widow |
In 1920 the newly elected National Assembly decided that Hungary was still a kingdom and appointed Horthy as regent. Towards the end of WW2, Horthy abdicated (vice-regent Stephen Horthy had been killed in 1942). A provisional government was established in December 1944 under ‘Soviet auspices’, a Republic in 1946 and the People’s Republic (soviet style) in 1949.
While working through the Hungary listing looking for administration changes, it was noted that a surprising number of first issue commemoratives for other countries were issued (presumably to attract thematic collectors): these will be explored overleaf.