MAGYAR KIRALYI POSTA (HUNGARIAN ROYAL POST OFFICE) / 2 FILLER HADISEGELY (MILITARY AID) / KÖZTÁRSASÁG (REPUBLIC) / Stamp

Postage stamp issued by Hungary in 1916. It was part of a series of stamps that were issued to raise funds for the military aid of Hungary during World War I. The stamp has a value of 2 fillér, which was the smallest unit of the Hungarian currency at the time. The stamp features the inscription “MAGYAR KIRALYI POSTA” or “HUNGARIAN ROYAL POST OFFICE”, which indicates that it was issued during the reign of King Charles IV, the last king of Hungary before the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The stamp also features the inscription “HADISEGELY” or “MILITARY AID”, which shows the purpose of the stamp. The stamp has a red overprint with the word “KÖZTÁRSASÁG” or “REPUBLIC”, which was added in 1919 after the Hungarian Soviet Republic was proclaimed. The overprint was meant to invalidate the stamp and prevent its use by the counter-revolutionary forces1.

The stamp is part of a series of four stamps that depict different aspects of Hungarian history and culture. The other stamps feature coins, medals, and seals.