A Review by Ernst M. Cohen
Rohlfs, Rolf, UNGARN-HALBIERUNGEN - Markenteilungen der ersten Ausgabe von Österreich (Hungarian Bisects -Stamp Portions of Austria's First Issue), self-published, © 2000, 158 pp., 8 x 9½", hardbound, colored dust jacket, edition of 400 numbered books, $80 postpaid from author, Sürstedt 6, D 27243 Beckeln, Germany (Fax 01149 4244 2246).
Though primarily an illustrated census, in color where available, of the known bi- and tri-sected stamps of the first Austrian stamp issue as used in Hungary, this beautifully produced book presents a great deal more, of interest not only to collectors of that era and area but also to anyone interested in the postal history of used stamp portions. For that the author has searched and quotes the pertinent postal records.
Thus, part of the 1850 order for prepayment of postage by stamps is quoted to prove that a prohibition of using stamp portions was quite unnecessary, because paragraph 15 speaks only of 'one or several stamps' to be used, but no fractions of stamps. Nevertheless, of the 112 stamp portions on piece or cover, known of the first Austrian issue, 105 originated in Hungary.
That point is considered in some detail by the author, whose findings include the fact that Hungarian postal officials were encouraged by some of the official post-office rules to bi- and tri-sect stamps for paying postal fees. That was particularly true for the very small post offices with little traffic, encouraged to carry only limited supplies of stamps.
To comply, some cut down inventory by cutting up stamps, of which the left-overs also had to be used, of course. Not surprisingly, some other post offices refused to accept such partial stamps as payment and crossed them out with wax pencil, even though they had already been postmarked at the points of origin.
These conditions caused a truly confusing situation as well as making it almost impossible to differentiate between official postal action and purely philatelic play, as the author explains. Quite possibly the special political conditions prevailing at that time in Hungary were largely to be blamed for the high rate of stamp dissection. A specially drawn map shows the places from which one or more dissected stamps are known, later issues included. Whereas none is known from Buda, several are known from Pesth, the two towns on both sides of the Danube that now form Budapest.
It would be interesting to search the philatelic literature from the point of view of determining - if possible - whether Hungarian stamp dissection of the first issue of Austria paved the way for stamp dissection generally, with and without surcharging of resulting fractions, an abuse eagerly welcomed and furthered by ill-advised stamp collectors and money hungry dealers.
The book ends with short sections on fakes; cut stamps of the first Austrian issue from outside Hungary; cut stamps of the second Austrian issue from Nov./Dec. 1858; pseudo bisections (caused by use of return receipts); and the Sárvár provisional.
The book is highly recommended, not just to collectors and students of this Austro-Hungarian specialty, but also to those interested in dissected stamps generally and in the postal history of such items. The specialist will benefit from the map and the illustrations alone, the generalist ought to read German fluently - or perhaps the author would agree to a translation of most of the textual material.
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