StampSnap

Rare Hungarian stamps

Rare Hungarian stamps and what they are worth

The rarest Hungarian stamps are the lithographed Franz Joseph issue of 1871, especially the 3 krajcár, the 1921 Madonna with its center printed upside down, the 1918 airmail overprint with inverted surcharge and a handful of scarce printings and errors from the 20th century. Most Hungarian stamps sell for small sums, so the exact printing matters more than age.

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Which Hungarian stamps are rare?

Hungary issued its own stamps from 1871, after four years of sharing a common issue with Austria. Its rarities are mostly specific printings and errors rather than whole issues: a lithographed set that was quickly replaced, a first printing released in small numbers, an inverted center, an overprint with the surcharge upside down.

Many of these have common look-alikes. The lithographed 1871 stamps share their design with the engraved set that replaced them, and the Inverted Madonna is a variety of an ordinary stamp. Identification has to come before any talk of value.

8 notable rare Hungarian stamps

Listed roughly in date order, not ranked by price. Figures are only given where a named source records them.

  1. 1871 lithographed Franz Joseph issue ('Spotty Joes')

    1871

    Why it is rare
    The lithographed set was a stopgap, soon replaced by an engraved version of the same design. Magyar Posta describes these stamps as among the most highly prized Hungarian rarities, and the 3 krajcár is the scarcest value.
    What drives the value
    Value, condition and certification. Cheap engraved stamps are often offered as lithographed ones, so a certificate is what makes a lithographed copy sellable at a premium.
    How to recognize it
    Franz Joseph above the Hungarian arms, values in krajcár, no country name. On the lithographed stamps the head looks flat, the chin shows a white patch without shading lines and the pearls around the medallion are crude. The lithographed 10 krajcár is light blue and the 25 krajcár violet, against deep blue and lilac on the engraved stamps. Both versions are perforated 9½ with no watermark.
    Documented figures
    Magyar Posta notes that a complete unused pane of the 1871 lithographed 3 krajcár was once held by a single collector, and that today the whereabouts of only a few of its pieces are known.

    Sources: Magyar Posta, Magyar Posta, Big Blue 1840-1940 (Jim Jackson)

  2. 1871 engraved 2 krajcár, first printing

    1871 (released 1873)

    Why it is rare
    Only a small quantity of the first impression was released, in August 1873, and stamps from it are rare. Later printings of the same 2 krajcár are common.
    What drives the value
    Proving the printing. The first impression is distinguished by its dark yellow shade, which is hard to judge from a photo, so expert opinion is essential.
    How to recognize it
    The engraved Franz Joseph design of 1871 in dark yellow. Compare with a certified copy or a specialized catalogue; shade alone is easy to misjudge.

    Sources: Wikipedia, First Issues Collectors Club

  3. Turul 50 fillér with '35' error of value

    1913 · SG 128Aa

    Why it is rare
    One position in the 50 fillér sheet (position 13) carries a 35 instead of a 50. Specialist dealer Tony Clayton describes used copies as very rare indeed.
    What drives the value
    A pair or block with normal stamps, which proves the error, and a certificate.
    How to recognize it
    The Turul bird design, 50 fillér lake on blue paper, but with the figure 35. Turul stamps carry crown watermarks, and their perforation changed from 12 x 11¾ to 15 in 1905.

    Source: Tony Clayton, Hungarian Stamps

  4. 1918 REPÜLŐ POSTA airmail overprints

    1918 · Scott C1–C2

    Why it is rare
    Overprinted for the military air service between Budapest and Vienna, which ran only from July 4 to 23, 1918. 70,000 of each value were prepared. The 1.50 korona is known with the surcharge inverted, and only 100 copies of that error exist.
    What drives the value
    The inverted surcharge, flown covers from the three-week service, and condition. One cover to Lemberg was among only 157 letters sent there by the service.
    How to recognize it
    Stamps surcharged REPÜLŐ POSTA with new values: 1.50 on 75 fillér and 4.50 on 2 korona. Perforated 14½ x 14, on paper watermarked with a double cross.
    Documented figures
    70,000 of each value prepared; 100 copies of the 1.50 with inverted surcharge (Society for Hungarian Philately).

    Sources: Society for Hungarian Philately, Society for Hungarian Philately

  5. Inverted Madonna, 5000 korona

    1921 · Scott 386a; Michel 379 I

    Why it is rare
    The Madonna and Child center is printed upside down inside the frame. Fewer than 100 examples are reported, and at least 38 of them are in museums, according to Spink's lot description.
    What drives the value
    Centering of the inverted center, gum, faults and an expert certificate. The copy Spink sold carried a Friedl certificate.
    How to recognize it
    The 5000 korona Madonna and Child design with the central picture upside down relative to the frame and inscriptions.
    Documented figures
    Spink USA sold a certified copy for $10,000 (sale 162, lot 567). Cherrystone sold one for $12,650 including buyer's premium in August 2022, against a Scott catalogue value of $16,000.

    Sources: Spink USA, Matthew's Stampazine (Matthew Healey)

  6. Holy Crown 8 and 16 fillér postal forgeries

    1926

    Why it is rare
    Hungary's best-known stamp forgery case: fake 8 and 16 fillér stamps made to defraud the post. More than 90% of the used counterfeits found are punched with the P.M.K.B. perfin, and copies without it may be only 1–2%.
    What drives the value
    Forgeries made to cheat the post are collected in their own right. Copies without the perfin are the ones specialists look for.
    How to recognize it
    No watermark, yellowish gum, line perforation 15½ (genuine stamps are comb perforated 15) and missing shading on the pillow under the crown.
    Documented figures
    More than 90% of used counterfeits carry the P.M.K.B. perfin; copies without it make up perhaps 1–2% (Society for Hungarian Philately, 2013).

    Source: Society for Hungarian Philately

  7. Lilac souvenir-sheet pair ('lila blokkpár')

    1951

    Why it is rare
    Printed in lilac as gifts for the 80th anniversary of Hungarian stamps, only 1,060 pairs were made. A 2001 Hungarian press report called it the most expensive modern Hungarian stamp.
    What drives the value
    Completeness of the pair, condition and provenance. Because the color is the whole point, a certificate is essential.
    How to recognize it
    A pair of 1951 souvenir sheets for 80 years of Hungarian stamps, printed in lilac. Check a specialized Hungarian catalogue before assuming a lilac sheet is the gift printing.
    Documented figures
    At a Profila auction in 2001 a pair opened at 220,000 forints and sold for 40,000 forints more, according to Világgazdaság.

    Sources: Világgazdaság (economx.hu), Világgazdaság (economx.hu)

  8. Unissued 1954 World Cup stamp

    1954

    Why it is rare
    A stamp prepared for the 1954 World Cup was never issued. One sheet of 100 of the partly printed stamp was preserved, and copies have appeared at auction since the early 1990s.
    What drives the value
    Its unissued status and a supply limited to a single sheet.
    How to recognize it
    A partly printed football design of 1954 that does not match any issued Hungarian stamp. Anything offered as this stamp needs a certificate.

    Source: Society for Hungarian Philately

What are most Hungarian stamps worth?

Most Hungarian stamps sell for small sums. Even within the 1871 issue, the engraved stamps are common and inexpensive while the lithographed ones are scarce, which is why the two get mixed up so often.

The 1946 hyperinflation stamps are the classic case of famous but not scarce. The red 5 million adópengő was issued on 26 July 1946 and was valid for five days. By July 31 its face value equaled 12.5 x 10^27 pengő, worth about 3 US cents, and the forint replaced the pengő on 1 August 1946. It makes a great story, but famous is not the same as rare.

Post-1945 Hungarian stamps were produced in large numbers. Whole sets of that period are usually worth little unless they are scarce varieties or special printings such as the lilac 1951 sheets.

How to identify Hungarian stamps

These checks narrow a stamp down to the exact issue. That matters because a rare variety and a common one often share the same design.

1

Spot the shared 1867 issue

Stamps issued from 1 June 1867 served both Austria and Hungary and name neither. They were used in Hungary until 31 July 1871. A Franz Joseph stamp in kreuzer with no country name may be this issue rather than Hungarian.

2

1871: krajcár and no country name

Hungary's own first stamps show Franz Joseph above the arms, with values in krajcár, perforated 9½ and without watermark.

3

Use the currency

Krajcár until 1900; fillér and korona from 1900 with the Turul issue; pengő and fillér from 1926; adópengő, milpengő and B.-pengő in 1946; forint from 1 August 1946.

4

Read the overprints

Köztársaság marks the Republic of November 1918. Magyar Tanácsköztársaság marks the Soviet Republic of 21 March to 1 August 1919.

5

Watermark and perforation on Turul stamps

Turul stamps have crown watermarks. Perforation was 12 x 11¾ until 1905, then 15. A line perforation of 11½ is scarce.

6

Inscriptions

Kingdom-era stamps commonly read MAGYAR KIR. POSTA (Royal Hungarian Post). Later stamps read MAGYAR POSTA.

For a broader walkthrough, see the stamp identification guides by country and the checklist on how to identify rare stamps.

Fakes, reprints and forged overprints

Forged overprints are the biggest problem. The Society for Hungarian Philately describes forgers producing the 1918–1921 Transylvania occupation overprints first in Romania, then in Budapest and finally in Paris, where Géza Tarján and Heinz Pape flooded the packet market with forgeries from 1921.

The 1956 Sopron overprints have been forged too, together with their MEFESZ Sopron and BÉVI guarantee marks, and expert signatures on the back of a stamp have been faked as well. A modern certificate with a photo is safer than a signature.

With the 1871 issue the usual trick is selling cheap engraved stamps as the lithographed ones. Check the head, chin and pearls described above.

Rare Hungarian stamps FAQ

What are the rarest Hungarian stamps?

The lithographed 1871 Franz Joseph issue, especially the 3 krajcár, the 1921 Inverted Madonna (fewer than 100 reported), the 1918 airmail with inverted surcharge (100 copies) and special printings such as the lilac 1951 souvenir-sheet pair (1,060 pairs). There is no single agreed answer, because Hungarian rarities are mostly varieties rather than whole issues.

How much is the Hungarian Inverted Madonna stamp worth?

Recorded sales sit in the low five figures. Spink USA sold a certified copy for $10,000, and Cherrystone sold one for $12,650 including buyer's premium in August 2022. Condition and certification decide where a copy falls.

Is the 1946 Hungarian 5 million adópengő stamp valuable?

It is famous rather than rare. Issued on 26 July 1946 and valid for five days, its face value reached 12.5 x 10^27 pengő by July 31, about 3 US cents at the time. It is collected for the story, not for scarcity.

How can I tell a lithographed 1871 stamp from an engraved one?

Look at the portrait. Lithographed stamps have a flat-looking head, a white chin with no shading lines and crude pearls around the medallion. The 10 krajcár is light blue rather than deep blue and the 25 krajcár violet rather than lilac. If in doubt, get a certificate.

Sources & References

A useful estimate, not a professional appraisal

Stamp values are estimates for general reference. Actual value depends on condition, centering, cancellations, gum, authenticity, provenance and current collector demand. For rare or potentially valuable stamps, consult a qualified philatelic expert or appraiser.

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