Hungary Classics

Since I've had some time off I thought that I would sort through Hungary today and cull the classics from the non-classics. Up to this point I don't think I've ran across a country with so many overprints. Specifically that group of Scott 631 through 698. I don't have all of them, and have yet to go through them individually, but did see that they were just outside that classic period. I'm going to go ahead and mount them anyway after I run off that album page set (thank you Steiner pages). As I was sorting I was surprised to find the stamp pictured below. This was the same stamp that my friend sent me to help identify and posted earlier on another topic. The difference I see is that this one had the date at the bottom. I don't remember my friend's stamp having that. It is a little on the dirty side though....

I`d say this one belongs to Austria. First Hungarian revenues appeared in 20 June 1868. Any earlier Austrian revenue used in the territory of the Hungarian Kingdom belong to the Hungarian collection (and not only revenues). This one is probably an 1868 issue (or later).

Wadmalatz - If the date on the stamp is 1870 and you indicated that the first Hungarian revenues appeared in June of 1868, why wouldn't this stamp be considered Hungarian?? What is it about this stamp that is making you lean toward Austria?

Maybe my confusion stems from the fact that I don't really know the true definition of a revenue stamp...

Came across this one just a bit ago. At first glance I didn't see the snake. Then, after getting out the glass, I noticed a swastika on the back of the snake's head. Seems like an unusual stamp and it would have to have been issued after WWII if my thinking is correct. And I wonder what that FIR stands for...

This is what I found online. Bear in mind that this definition came from a 1979 Soviet encyclopedia.


Fédération Internationale des Résistants (FIR)
international grouping of national associations of former fighters in the Resistance Movement, guerrillas, prisoners in fascist concentration camps, persons who were interned, relatives of victims, and all who participated in the struggle against fascism.

The federation was formed on July 3, 1951, in Vienna. In 1972 the FIR had 55 member organizations from Austria, Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, the German Democratic Republic, Greece, Denmark, Israel, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Rumania, the USSR, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Czechoslovakia, and West Berlin (total membership of more than 5 million). The FIR wages a struggle for peace, is against the rebirth of fascism in all its forms, and defends the rights and interests of Resistance fighters. The highest body of the FIR is the congress (between July 1951 and November 1973 there were seven congresses). At the congresses a president, vice-presidents, and members of the bureau and general council are elected. The executive agency is the secretariat. The headquarters of the organization is in Vienna. The FIR publishes a monthly journal in French (Resistance unie) and German (Widerstandskämpfer).

Tinus,

Thanks for that information. After reading it and seeing that there were seven congresses I started looking more closely at that design. The "V" I figured stood for the Fifth Congress. Seeing that the final congress was in 1973 I started working my way back in the Scott catalog from 1973 and found the stamp was from 1965 - Scott 1725. I would have never thought that the stamp was as recent as that without your information. Thanks!

Your stamp is not dirty,
it is part of the moire or burelage, or design of the fiscal stamp,
maybe it has yellowed through age.

The double headed eagle. After the `rebellious` Hungarians reconciled in 1867 with the Austrian Empire after a war for freedom (1848-49), the Empire became the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. (Austrian Empire + Hungarian Kingdom). The emperor was crowned with St. Stephen`s crown, and Hungary got an own parlament, some laws, money and stamps. Firts revenue in 1868. And after 20 years of opression the Hungarians were eager to use their national symbols. Pretty fast the Austrian stamps (postage and revenue alike) were replaced. Here is a Hungarian early revenue:



Notice St. Stephen`s crown, + inscription(only) Hungarian `Husz krajczar`= 20 KREUZER. 100 kreuzer= 1 FLORENZ (Hug. FORINT)- on Hungarian revenues you`ll find FT. instead of FL (Austrian).
Collecting classic Hungary means that part of the collection are Austrian stamps issued bw. 1850-1867(5 issues- carrying the d.headed eagle or the portrait of the emperor), if they carry a postmark of Hungary. Bear in mind, that Hungary was much bigger, after I. WW Hungary lost about 2/3 (!) of it`s former territories. So it`s a bit tricky (just one example: `HERMANNSTADT` cancellation on a... let`s say 1861 Austrian stamp= belongs to Hungary. Why? HERMANNSTADT it`s the german name of former SZEBEN city, now SIBIU, in ROMANIA ). In fact it`s rather collecting cancellation, than stamp. It sounds difficult, but if any question, I`ll help.