Polish Stamp History and Collecting
While a postal service was around in Poland from the sixteenth century, postal marks were not begun until the mid 1700s. In 1582 Sebastian Montlup and his brother in law, Walery Montelupi, were granted a contract to run the postal service for five years. When making the contract the King, Stefan Batory, announced the first uniform postal rate in the world. The three divisions of Poland in the 1700s made the individual nation of Poland to pass. The postal services in the areas occupied by Germany and Austria were immersed into those countries own postal services.
In 1772 the vicinity occupied by Austria was turned into the Kingdom of Galicia, a element of the Austrian Empire. The Duchy of Warsaw was established in 1807 by Napoleon I of France from Polish territories ceded by the Kingdom of Prussia under the conditions of the Treaties of Tilsit. In 1815, after Napoleons’ defeat in 1813, the Congress of Vienna established the Congress Poland out of the Duchy of Warsaw.
Congress Poland was put in the charge of Russia and the postal service was handed autonomy in 1815. In the mid 1800s the postal service was placed under the charge of the Russian post office department territorial office in St Petersburg. A few years later control was restored briefly to the Congress Kingdom, but subsequent to the uprising in 1863 yet again came under Russian management in 1865 and continued until the first World War. In 1918 the Second Polish Republic was established.
In 1772 the vicinity occupied by Austria was turned into the Kingdom of Galicia, a element of the Austrian Empire. The Duchy of Warsaw was established in 1807 by Napoleon I of France from Polish territories ceded by the Kingdom of Prussia under the conditions of the Treaties of Tilsit. In 1815, after Napoleons’ defeat in 1813, the Congress of Vienna established the Congress Poland out of the Duchy of Warsaw.
Congress Poland was put in the charge of Russia and the postal service was handed autonomy in 1815. In the mid 1800s the postal service was placed under the charge of the Russian post office department territorial office in St Petersburg. A few years later control was restored briefly to the Congress Kingdom, but subsequent to the uprising in 1863 yet again came under Russian management in 1865 and continued until the first World War. In 1918 the Second Polish Republic was established.
The initial Polish stamp was issued for the Congress Kingdom in 1860. The design was similar to the contemporary Russian stamps with the arms of the Congress Kingdom in the centre. The engraving was accomplished by the Polish Bank engraver of that day. The plans he used were found in the archives at St. Petersburg, however the artist's name remains unidentified. The stamps were printed by the government printers in Warsaw by the orders of the Congress Kingdom postal service. The printing of the stamps was carried out with no consultation with the Russian postal service.
These first stamps could be used only within the Congress Kingdom and to Russia. Letters sent to other countries needed to be paid for in money and were unstamped. It is thought that about three million of these stamps were produced. After the stamps were withdrawn from use in 1865 over 200,000 of these stamps were destroyed.
For folks who are interested in Polish stamp collecting, a visit to a philatelist web site that is an authority on Poland stamps is essential. For those enthusiasts Bieniecki Int'l, Inc (BII) is the primary source of Polish stamps.
The year 1958 was the Four-hundredth anniversary of the Polish postal service and was commemorated with an issue of 7 stamps, a book "400 Lat Poczty Polskiej", a miniature sheet, a stamp exhibition in Warsaw and a number of commemorative postmarks.
These first stamps could be used only within the Congress Kingdom and to Russia. Letters sent to other countries needed to be paid for in money and were unstamped. It is thought that about three million of these stamps were produced. After the stamps were withdrawn from use in 1865 over 200,000 of these stamps were destroyed.
For folks who are interested in Polish stamp collecting, a visit to a philatelist web site that is an authority on Poland stamps is essential. For those enthusiasts Bieniecki Int'l, Inc (BII) is the primary source of Polish stamps.
The year 1958 was the Four-hundredth anniversary of the Polish postal service and was commemorated with an issue of 7 stamps, a book "400 Lat Poczty Polskiej", a miniature sheet, a stamp exhibition in Warsaw and a number of commemorative postmarks.