Postai és Távközlési Múzeumi Alapítvány Évkönyve, 1996
Rövid tartalmi összefoglaló angol nyelven
The variant perforations are examined by period and by denomination. Blemishes in the printing can be distinguished according to whether they occur on all or only some of the stamps on the sheet. The number, runs and times of the reprints are established for each denomination, to show the demand pattern and ascertain which denominations were in the most and the least demand. Some have not needed reprinting for several years, while others are still being reprinted. The study is designed to meet the needs of philatelists. It comes at a time when reprints of the series are gradually ending. A new chapter in the history of Hungarian definitives has opened with the appearance of the Folk Costume series. Erzsebet Angyal: Preparations for a Philatelic Bibliography Hungarian philately has long lacked a proper bibliography. Some efforts were made in this direction from time to time, but with little result. The sources required to compile such a bibliography are available or can be obtained. Philately, since its early days, has changed and become differentiated in many respects in its content and methods, but its basic character as a pastime that anyone can pursue remains. Philatelists vary widely in their expertise, age, and experience as collectors, exhibitors and writers on the subject, but they all read and contribute to philatelic literature, which is as heterogeneous as they are. Bibliographical analysis of this specialist literature raises special problems, besides those common to bibliography as a whole. These need clarifying before the collection of material begins, so that a bibliography of even depth, aspiring to completeness, can be compiled. Although most philatelic literature takes the form of articles in periodicals, it would be worth beginning the survey, for practical reasons, with works that have appeared as separate publications in book form. This raises the first question to clarify: What should the bibliographer treat as a book, when most items fail to meet the standard criteria of length, format etc.? Some of the other questions are these: What should count as a publication, in terms of print run, availability, method of production etc.? What procedure should be followed with the variants of these, some of them not even altered by the author? Moreover, the distinction between a book and a periodical is not clear, especially in cases where monographic studies appear as a numbered issue of a periodical. A decision also has to be reached on what counts as Hungarian philatelic literature, and on where the dividing line mns between actual philatelic and mere background literature. The production of a bibliography that conforms with carefully clarified criteria and withstands the test of practical use can be followed by regular updating and by an expansion to include articles in periodicals. Gabriella Nikodém: The Stamp Museum’s Collection of Commemorative Postmark Stamps The Stamp Museum has a collection of 9174 cancelling stamps for special occasions. Apart from some stamps that were discarded or recarved, the collection can be considered as complete. Each is a unique, well-documented item in good condition. They make 316
