Hungary – Scott #s 2273-78 & C347

Description

Hungary Scott #2273–2278 & C347 (issued 1974) form a seven-stamp set celebrating the exploration of Mars, issued by Magyar Posta during the height of global fascination with interplanetary spaceflight. This dynamic and visually striking series illustrates key milestones in Mars observation, spacecraft missions, and the legacy of early astronomers. The set culminates with an airmail issue honoring Giovanni Schiaparelli, the 19th-century Italian astronomer whose detailed maps of Mars inspired generations of planetary scientists.

Designs in the Set:

• 40f – “Útban a Mars felé” (En Route to Mars) – depiction of an early interplanetary probe.

• 60f – “Mars 2” – Soviet Mars orbiter approaching the planet’s surface.

• 80f – “Mariner 4” – U.S. spacecraft conducting the first successful Mars flyby (1965).

• 1f – “Felvétel a Marsról, Mt. Palomar” (Photograph of Mars from Mt. Palomar Observatory) – representing Earth-based observation.

• 1.20f – “Mars 3 a bolygón” (Mars 3 Landing on the Planet) – Soviet lander parachuting to the Martian surface.

• 5f – “Mariner 9: Mars, Phobos, Deimos” – showing the planet with its two moons.

• 6f (Airmail / C347) – “G. Schiaparelli, 1886 Mars Térkép” (G. Schiaparelli and his 1886 Map of Mars) – portrait of the astronomer with his famous canal map.

Designed by István Éva, this mint, never hinged (MNH) set combines scientific accuracy with vivid 1970s futurist art, symbolizing mankind’s expanding reach into the cosmos. It’s one of the most popular Hungarian space-themed issues, prized by collectors of astronomy, exploration, and topical space philately.