What is the Society for Hungarian Philately (hungarianphilately.org)?

Updated

The Society for Hungarian Philately (SHP) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1970 and affiliated with the American Philatelic Society as Affiliate #34. It is devoted to the study of every aspect of Hungarian philately and serves an international membership. Its website, hungarianphilately.org, is the club's hub for news, presentations, quarterly auctions, publications, and members-only archives.

Who the organization is

  • Founded: 1970, giving the Society more than 50 years of history.
  • Status: Nonprofit, APS Affiliate #34.
  • Focus: "Every aspect of" Hungarian philately — stamps, postal history, overprints, occupation issues, and related material.
  • Membership: International. The site invites visitors to request information about joining.

What the site offers

Area What you'll find
News & presentations Philatelic articles, upcoming meetings and events, and expert presentations
Auctions Quarterly online auctions benefiting both the club and member consignors, with published lot listings
Publications A monograph series, described as central to the Society's educational mission
Members-only content SHP journal archives and members-only blog content, available after logging in with a membership
Donations Monetary gifts, in-kind and non-cash donations, and planned legacy gifts

Sample content on the site

The Society's blog posts show the depth of material it covers. Two examples:

  • "The 'Magyar Tanácsköztársaság' Overprint Issue" — discusses both sides of an official post card from the treasury department of the City of Sopron, noting that the recipient was eligible for a voucher for 2 cubic metres of firewood if he appeared between 9 and 11 a.m. on July 26, 1919, and that the card is correctly franked.
  • "The First Debreczen Issue of the Romanian Occupation" — describes a newspaper and wrapper franked with a newspaper stamp printed from Plate I of the First Debreczen Issue, cancelled November 24, 1919 at Debreczen 1, with the expertization mark of Mihály Bodor visible below the stamp.

The site also hosts an English/Hungarian and Hungarian/English cross-reference of philatelic terms and pronunciation, plus a glossary of English-Hungarian terms.

When the site is useful to you

  • You collect Hungarian material and want articles, expert presentations, or a specialist community.
  • You want to buy or consign — the quarterly online auctions are open to browse, and past auctions are marked closed to bids once ended.
  • You need reference material — the publications and journal archives are the main draw, but journal archives and some blog content require a membership login.
  • You want to support the Society — donation options include cash, in-kind, and legacy gifts.

Practical notes

Membership is required to access members-only content such as journal archives; the site provides a login for existing members and a "Join Us" path for those requesting membership information. Auction lot listings are viewable on the site, but bidding windows close — the most recent auction shown is labeled "NOW CLOSED TO BIDS," with the next listed as Auction 2026C. No pricing or fee details for membership appear in the available site material, so check directly with the Society before joining.