Hungary stamps year 1988 Ships / Santa Maria, Mayflower, Jylland / FDC
That’s a well-known thematic set issued by Magyar Posta (Hungarian Post) featuring famous ships!
The stamps you are referring to were issued by Hungary in 1988 and are part of the definitive series titled “Famous Ships” (Híres Hajók).
Here are the details for the stamp set and the associated First Day Cover (FDC):
🚢 Hungary 1988: “Famous Ships” Set
The complete set is composed of five stamps (not just the three mentioned, though those three are the most famous):
| Denomination | Ship Name | Year Launched | Theme/Notes |
| 2,- Ft | Santa María | 1492 | Flagship of Christopher Columbus |
| 2,- Ft | Mayflower | 1620 | Carried the Pilgrims to North America |
| 2,- Ft | Sovereign of the Seas | 1637 | Famous English Royal Navy warship |
| 4,- Ft | Jylland | 1860 | Danish steam frigate (the same ship from the 1983 Denmark stamp) |
| 6,- Ft | Szt. Jupát | 1985 | Modern Hungarian vessel |
- Catalog Numbers (Michel): N° 3966-3970 (for the set of 5 stamps)
- Theme: This set is very popular with topical collectors, especially those focused on Ships, Explorers, and Maritime History.
✉️ The First Day Cover (FDC)
The First Day Cover (FDC) is an envelope bearing the full set of stamps and cancelled with a special postmark on the official date of issue.
- Collectibility: FDCs from the Eastern Bloc countries in the late 1980s are generally very common and were produced primarily for the collector market. They usually feature attractive cachet art (additional artwork on the envelope) depicting the ships.
- Value: Because of the large quantities produced, the FDC for the Hungary 1988 Ships set is inexpensive. The typical market price for a clean, unaddressed FDC is quite low, usually retailing in the range of $3 to $8 USD (or the equivalent in Euros/Forints), though prices may be higher from specialized dealers.
It is a great set that showcases some of the most famous vessels in history on the stamps of the Hungarian Post.
