Stamps of the modern age

Column 1
Christmas miniature sheet, 2022
The Hungarian Post also introduced a special version of self-adhesive miniature sheets with Domestic stamps for sending Christmas greetings in 2022. The stamp is illustrated by The birth of Jesus by Carlo Matta. The base stamp of the miniature sheet is complemented by a gold foil.

Aluminium stamp, 1955
The world’s first stamp printed on aluminium foil, issued in 1955 for the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Hungarian aluminium industry exhibition is an interesting printing technology speciality.
The subject was also the reason for the use of 0.009 mm thin aluminium foil layered with paper. The paper was 0.12–0.14 mm thick and free of watermarks. Motifs on the stamp are also associated with aluminium production, the lower part depicts Csepel Iron and Metal Works with its smoking chimneys pointing to the sky. The airplane depicted in the sky is no coincidence, since aluminium is also an important material in aircraft construction. The stamp was issued based on the designs of Zoltán Nagy and functioned as an airmail stamp.

Schweitzer gold stamp, Gabon, 1965
Stamps printed on a special metal foil are clearly intended for collectors, as they are hardly ever glued to a letter, they do not hold stamp ink and their face value is disproportionately high due to the expensive raw material (0.6 grams of gold) and the applied printing process. These include the world’s first edition of a gold foil printed issue commemorating Albert Schweitzer, published in Gabon, Africa, in 1965 in honour of Nobel Peace Prize-winner German polymath—doctor, theologian, pastor, philosopher, organist and teacher.

Nixon jewellery stamp, Guinea, 1972
In the past decades of stamp production, a wide range of different and sometimes unusual materials have been used. However, a stamp is not just an object, it is also a substitute for money, sometimes even by its very material. One of the most special stamps made of gold is the Nixon jewellery stamp. This stamp was issued in Guinea to commemorate President Nixon’s visit to Beijing in 1972. Its distinctive feature is that it is decorated with two tiny rubies.

Holy Crown block, 2001
The Hungarian Post has delighted stamp collectors with a number of specialities in the year of the millennium. The Hungarian Holy Crown block is a real philatelic delicacy, with graphic elements visible to the naked eye and also when exposed to UV light. The Crown is visible to the naked eye, with a map in the background and a list of places where the Crown was once kept. When the block is exposed to UV light, a list of the crowned kings of Hungary appears. The block is unique in that the crown is embossed using 23 carat gold foil. An additional special feature is the laser perforation, which is unique in Hungarian stamp production, as this is the first time a postage stamp has been issued in Hungary with this level of protection. When the block is turned towards the light, the word “POSTA” (POST) appears in the upper left corner, similar to watermarks.

The New Fundamental Law of Hungary block, 2011
The Hungarian Post’s serial numbered philatelic speciality features the Hungarian Holy Crown printed with 23 carat gold foil, which stands out from the paper plane. The frame drawing is decorated with the statue of King Stephen and the arches of the domed hall of the Parliament. When the block is exposed to UV light, the inscription “Let there be peace, freedom and agreement” appears. The special block, numbered in red, features faceted glass crystals in place of the jewels that adorn the Holy Crown.

The 50th anniversary of the Krugerrand stamp, South Africa, 2017
The embossed, gold-foiled Krugerrand stamp series was issued by the South-African Post in 2017 for the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the golden coin for investment purposes. The stamps depict three different issues of Krugerrand: from the years 1967, 2000 and 2017. The Krugerrand coin was initially called the “Trojan” coin, because it contained exactly one ounce of gold. The Krugerrand name came from the merger of the name of President Paul Kruger and the name of the new currency, “rand”.

Column 2

In memoriam 1956 block, 2006
The Hungarian Post commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the 1956 Revolution and War of Independence by issuing a special stamp block.
The main motif of the numbered block is the flag with a hole in it, a symbol of the 1956 revolution and war of independence, and the frame drawing depicts a montage of the events of the time. The special feature of the jubilee stamp block is that there is an actual hole in the flag.

Total solar eclipse in Hungary block, 1999
An extremely rare astronomical phenomenon could be observed in the sky on 11 August 1999: a total solar eclipse. Total solar eclipses are rarely visible from a particular geographical location, could be observed in Hungary in 1842 before 1999, and the next time this unusual phenomenon will only be seen in 2081.
The 1999 forint denomination block issued for the occasion was designed by graphic artist Károly Vagyóczky. The block was offset printed in the Banknote Printing Company using diffraction foil printing ( diffraction foil reproduces the pre-printed patterns in striking rainbow colours when exposed to light). The two motifs of the popular sun design are alternately visible in UV light, as are the stamp paper’s marker fibres and the block’s original red serial number fluorescing in yellow.

Turn of the Millennium – Hungarian mathematicians block, 2000
The block issued to mark the turn of the millennium was a special highlight of the year 2000, whose face value was the same as the year of issue, the last year of the millennium.
It was screen-printed with offset, UV or—for the first time in Hungarian stamp production—OEI colour-changing inks, printed on protected paper, was equipped with a hologram and decorated with motifs visible to the naked eye and only when exposed to UV light.
The main motif is the number 2000 depicted as part of the universe, and the “blue planet”. The Earth is surrounded by elliptical orbits made up of years inscribed using Roman numerals and various number systems. When the block is moved, in the field on the upper right and left side that changes colour from blue to green, symbolising the turn of the millennium, there are Roman numerals “XX” and “XXI” that represent the turn of the century.
The circular, unique hologram features a portrait of Dénes Gábor, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contribution to the discovery and development of the holographic method. When the block is rotated by 90 degrees, a theoretical drawing of the holographic image is displayed in place of the portrait. Another interesting fact is that the hologram was produced exclusively in the same quantity as the block.
When the block is exposed to UV light, the black serial numbering fluoresces in green, and along the perforation of the stamp image the inscription “Great Hungarian mathematicians” and the names of 57 great Hungarian mathematicians appear.

A little Hungarian chess history, 2004
At first sight, the stamp sheet depicts a chessboard showing the starting position of the so-called Hungarian defence. The name of the opening comes from the fact that a correspondence chess match took place between Pest and Paris between 1842 and 1845, where the Hungarians won both games.
To help identify the fields, numbers are shown on the left and right sides of the sheet, and letters are displayed at the top and bottom. The lower sheet side bears the inscription “A little Hungarian chess history”.
The story was underprinted on the stamp sheet by microprinting. The sheet contains a total of 64 stamps, each containing 1600 characters of chess history. Reading them in order from field a8 horizontally to field h1, they summarise the material heritage, significant personalities and important events of Hungarian chess, spanning a millennium, from the earliest written and archaeological remains to the present day.

Column 3

S Netpack stamp, 2014
The Hungarian Post was the first company in Hungary to install parcel machines operating 24/7, offering pick-up and drop-off services. Alongside this, they have also been experimenting with new, hopefully more convenient parcel logistics services that year, one of the products of this experimentation was the PrePaid range.

The PrePaid packaging labels presented here have been created for this purpose in S, M and L versions. As the name suggests, this product range serves the pre-payment of parcel services and is intended to facilitate parcel drop-off.
The optical-whitener-free, self-adhesive film is security scored and the graphics are protected by guilloche motifs visible to the naked eye and only visible when exposed to UV light. Once applied, the labels cannot be removed without being damaged.
On the left side of each label, you will see the letters of the classification (S, M or L), the MPL logo and the words “MPL NETCSOMAG” and information texts.

Protection of polar regions and glaciers block, 2009
After joining an international coalition, the Hungarian Post also issued stamps in 2009 to draw attention to global warming, with a focus on the protection of the polar regions and glaciers. The block is printed using traditional offset printing, combined with the so-called iridescent varnish screen printing used in manufacturing security products, which results in silky, shimmering tiny surfaces scattered across the block, reminiscent of the authentic, frosty ambience of the polar landscape.

Solo: A Star Wars story, 3D block, Spain, 2018
The Spanish Post issued a special stamp to celebrate the release of Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018. The block depicts Han Solo, while the frame drawing depicts a sketch of his spaceship, the Millennium Falcon. The issue was made using special 3D technology.

90th anniversary of the Andorra hydroelectric concession to FHASA, 3D block, Andorra (Spanish), 2019
The special 3D stamp block depicts a daytime view of Andorra from a certain angle, but when rotated, the nighttime view of the city appears. The block was issued for the 90th anniversary of the Andorra hydroelectric concession to FHASA.

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Treasures of Hungarian museums – Calcite Crystal Museum, Fertőrákos, 2013
3D images created with so-called anaglyph (colour filtering) technique appeared on stamps for the first time in Hungarian stamp issuance in 2013, as part of the Treasures of Hungarian museums series. The unique stamp miniature sheets require special glasses in red-cyan pairing. Anaglyph images contain information for both eyes, but the colour filter in the left eye filters out the information that only belongs to the left eye and the one in the right eye filters out the information that only belongs to the right eye, thus achieving a three-dimensional visual experience.

Return of the Seuso treasures, 2014
The Hungarian Post welcomed the return of the Seuso treasures by issuing a special block series. The first block and its stamps on display here show the seven Seusos treasures that have been returned to Hungary: the so-called Hunter’s Bowl, the Geometric Bowl, the Dionysus Jug, the Washbasin Bowl, the Geometric Jug, the Perfume Box and the Geometric Jug.
The silver objects on the block are enhanced by diffraction foil and embossing (the diffraction foil reproduces the pre-printed patterns in striking rainbow colours when exposed to light).The block bears a poetic inscription in Latin and its translation in Hungarian framing the central circular field of the most famous silver hunting bowl, also known as the centrepiece of the treasure, which are visible when exposed to UV light: “HEC SEVSO TIBI DVRENT PER SAECVLA MVLTA POSTERIS VT PROSINT VASCVLA DIGNA TVIS – May this set serve you for many centuries, Seuso, and may your proud descendants use it for a long time” (translated by Imre Kőrizs).

Hungarian veteran motorcycles, 2014
The Hungarian Post issued a miniature sheet called “Hungarian veteran motorcycles” in 2014. The denominations of the miniature sheet containing twelve stamp images feature a vehicle from the Maróti Motorcycle Collection on each of the labels, while the underprint is decorated with a montage of vintage photographs and newspaper articles. A special feature of the miniature sheet is that for the first time in the Hungarian stamp issuing industry, the offset process has been supplemented with a so-called 3D UV coating, which gives the surface of the motorcycles a unique shine, standing out from the paper plane.

Louis Braille was born 200 years ago, 2009
The Hungarian Post commemorated the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille writing system by issuing a bicentenary stamp in 2009, which is unique in that it features the inscription “BRAILLE 200” in Braille.

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85th Stamp day – Kalocsa stamp series, 2012
The Hungarian Post celebrated the biggest feast of stamp collectors with a stamp issue in 2012. The stamp series was also produced in a special version this time.
The 80 forint stamp denomination depicts a Kalocsa embroidery, while the 130 forint stamp denomination depicts a Kalocsa paprika garland and the exterior of the Kalocsa Paprika Museum. The special feature of the 80 forint denomination is that the Kalocsa rose motif is actually embroidered on the stamp, while the paprika motif of the 130 forint stamp was coated by paprika scented glitter lacquer and thus contains the unique scent of paprika in microcapsules.

100-year-old elm trees – stamp printed on wood, Spain, 2020
A stamp made of real wood, with a double cut-out—with the silhouette of a tree trunk on the outside and a very fine elm tree silhouette on the inside. Tree rings can also be seen on the section of the trunk.
The stamp was issued to honour the seven elm trees of Cabeza del Buey, which have been there for more than 150 years.

Lichtenstein turns 300 years old – embroidered stamp, Lichtenstein, 2019
The Principality of Liechtenstein celebrated its 300th anniversary on 23 January 2019. The Liechtenstein Post Office issued a special stamp with the inscription “Liechtenstein is 300 years old” to mark the occasion.
For the first time in the country’s history, the stamp was embroidered, with a sticker on the back and in the shape of a ducal crown. It was made by embroidery company Hämmerle & Vogel in Austria.

Scented fruit stamp, China, 2014
After the first rose-scented stamp produced in Bhutan in 1973, perfumed specialities from different countries were launched, one after the other. The stamp series issued by China in 2014 depicts four different scented fruits: apple, peach, pomegranate and kumquat. Kumquat is a small, sweet-tasting citrus fruit from southern China.

Record stamp, Bhutan, 1973
Bhutan’s stamps include many specialities: embossed plastic plates, dimensional stamps, stamps with gold foil, circular stamps or stamps printed on scented paper. Perhaps the country’s most unusual stamp is the 1973 mini record stamp, which, although intended primarily for collectors, was also suitable for postage pre-paid postal items. These miniature records play Bhutan’s history, national anthem and folk songs on a record player featuring crystal needles.

Fragrant lavender serrated block, 2018
The Hungarian Post issued a special block on the real lavender, which was chosen as the medicinal plant of the year 2018 by the Herbal Section of the Hungarian Herb Society. The block’s graphics are characterised by the purple colour of the lavender flower, evoking the spirit of the sun and the wide lavender fields. Simplistic depictions of folk motifs enhance the elegant appearance of the plant. It is unique in that it was coated by lavender scented glitter lacquer, if you rub it, you can feel the fragrance of the flower.

Column 6

Signing of the Treaty of Accession to the European Union block, 2003
The Hungarian Post celebrated the signing of the Treaty of Accession to the European Union by issuing a special stamp block. The stamp on the block depicts a graphic depicting the signing of the Accession Treaty—a hand holding a feather pen—and the stars representing the EU. Additional decorative motifs on the block include a detail of the Acropolis, referring to Athens, the place of the signature, and a detail of the Buda Castle, representing Hungary, the signatory country. A special feature of the numbered stamp block is that when exposed to UV light, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ EU accession logo fluoresces.

The Fundamental Law of Hungary entered into force and effect 10 years ago, 2022
The Hungarian Post issued a stamp block to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the entry into force and effect of the Fundamental Law of Hungary.
The frame drawing of the block depicts the inner domed hall of the Parliament with the Hungarian coronation regalia in the foreground, of which the Holy Crown was placed on the stamp. Hungarian coronation regalia are one of the best-preserved medieval ensembles in Europe. When exposed to UV light, additional elements appear on the block, like the opening line of the National Anthem. The number 10 in the denomination of the stamp block refers to the tenth anniversary of the entry into force and effect of the law.

József Katona authored Bánk bán 200 years ago, 2015
The stamp depicts a scene of Gertrudis and Bánk on the stage, after a copper engraving by Alajos Rohn. When exposed to UV light, the portrait and signature of József Katona appears on the stamp.

Ingmar Bergman was born 100 years ago, 2018
The Hungarian Post celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ingmar Bergman (1918–2007) by issuing a special stamp. The stamp depicts Bergman and his filmmaking props, with a recurring motif of the so-called “registration mark”, which indicates one corner of the real, edited view of scenes shot with a film camera. The mark in the upper right corner of the stamp is a typographical representation of Ingmar Bergman’s name in the lower left corner. A further printing feature of the stamp is that the face value, Ingmar Bergman’s name and the stamp’s hallmark fluoresce orange when exposed to UV light.

Hungarian Olympic Games – Melbourne 1956 block, 2006
The Hungarian Post greeted the medallists of the Summer Olympic Games held fifty years ago by issuing a stamp block on 13 November 2006. The Olympic Games were officially held in Melbourne from 22 November to 8 December 1956. Hungarian athletes had to prepare for and travel to the Olympic Games during this historically complex period. Due to the events in Hungary, several top athletes were unable to make the trip, many of them were out of shape and almost all of them competed with nerves on edge. The Hungarian delegation was in a challenging situation: there was an undeclared war in their country, thousands had died and fled abroad. Despite the circumstances, our athletes showed a brilliant performance.
The stamp of the numbered miniature sheet issued for the occasion depicts the portrait of boxer László Papp, who won his third gold medal in the Australian city, and the framed drawing depicts other gold medallists. A special feature of the jubilee stamp block is that when exposed to UV light, the frame design shows the names of the gold, silver and bronze medallists and their sports, as well as the inscription “1956 Melbourne”.

Space research anniversaries, events miniature sheet, 2015
The Hungarian Post issued a special stamp miniature sheet in 2015, which is interesting in that when exposed to UV light, it features the current anniversaries and events of space research in text format, the planets of our solar system and the stylised orbits of the two dwarf planets concerned, Ceres and Pluto.