We have had so many beautiful stamps shown here lately that I am almost embarrassed to show this rather crude engraved issue, particularly as it is not a postage stamp but a telegraph stamp but my justification is that it hints of there being a larger story behind it.
These were originally printed by lithography at P9.5 but in 1874 they were reissued engraved and the perforation was changed to P13. Needless to say, I would love to know who the engraver was.
The first Hungarian stamps were printed in Vienna by typography but in 1871 printing seems to have been moved to the State Printing Works in Budapest where it stayed.
The first issue in January 1871 was printed by lithography but it was so unsatisfactory, it was ordered destroyed. Just one sheet was kept, presumably for reference purposes but somehow, in 1873 this sheet was accidentally used to frank a batch of printed matter in Pest. Some survived but if you want one it will cost you many thousands of whatever your favourite currency happens to be.
In 1874, Hungary issued newspaper stamps, the ones with the little envelope in the middle and a number on the envelope. These replaced the earlier litho newspaper stamps with recess printed stamps engraved by Ferenc Haske and at the same time the telegraph stamps were also replaced with this recess printed issue. Did Haske get the job to engrave these as well?
Having seen both types, I don't personally think the recess printed stamps are better than the litho ones which shows I can't be as biased as I thought I was. Somebody told me that attaining a high standard with lithographic prints depends on having a supply of good quality stone. I would have thought that the Austro-Hungarian Empire would have been able to get that but perhaps not.
One has to wonder what the reasoning behind the change was. It has been far more common to see recess printing replaced by lithography. It's nice to see it go the other way sometimes.
I wish somebody would hurry up and invent that time machine. I have so many unanswered questions.
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Posted 11/27/2016 8:12 pm
