The first souvenir sheet appeared in Luxembourg in 1923. Its issue sparked a new collecting craze, sometimes described as “souvenir-sheet mania”, and other countries soon followed. Great Britain held out the longest, issuing its first souvenir sheet only in 1978.
Hungary’s first souvenir sheet was issued on 6 May 1934. At the suggestion of the First Hungarian Association of Stamp Collectors, the Post issued a single-denomination souvenir sheet for the Second National Stamp Exhibition, held to mark the association’s 50th anniversary. This was Hungary’s first souvenir sheet. The sheet design was created by Zoltán Egry, while the portrait of Franz Liszt in the centre was designed by Sándor Légrády.
The souvenir sheet was issued in 50,000 perforated and 105 imperforate examples.
The souvenir sheet was sold only by the organisers of the exhibition held from 6 to 13 May 1934, at the exhibition ticket office and at the “JUBILEHE” branch office operating on the grounds of the Budapest International Fair. The sheet, with a face value in fillér, could be purchased for 90 fillér together with the 70-fillér exhibition admission ticket. The Post itself did not take part in the sale.
Size: 64 × 76 mm
Watermark: IX
Perforation: harrows 15
The market value of a faultless mint never hinged souvenir sheet is around 15,000–18,000 forints. Hinged, gum-cracked or cancelled examples are worth about 50% of this amount. Stamps detached from the sheet sell for around 2,000–3,000 forints.
Joined, unsevered pairs are also known and command a substantial premium, with values around 500,000–700,000 forints.
Because the imperforate examples are extremely rare, they are valued at around 600,000–800,000 forints, while joined pairs are worth approximately twice as much.
Sources:
Monograph of Hungarian Stamps,
Gross-Gryzevsky: The World of Stamps