This article was originally published in "Stamps of Hungary", number 124 / March 1996; it was then updated and reprinted (in Romanian) in "ABB" Bulletin from Timisoara, number 15 / November 1996. The following text is an English updated version of the original article.

I. THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.

1. The Romanian Army crossed the Carpathians into Transylvania on 20 November 1918, soon after the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Following this all Transylvanian territory as far as the Apuseni Mountains was occupied until 22 January 1919. This territory is coded in the article and on the map as 'Ta'. The dates when the Romanians entered the main towns are: Marosvásárhely / Târgu Mures; 25.11.1918, Szászregen / Reghin 28.11.1918, Brassó / Brasov 7.12.1918, Nagyszeben / Sibiu 12.12.1918, Kolozsvár / Cluj 24.12.1918, Nagybánya / Baia Mare 14.01.1919, Mármarossziget / Sighetu Marmatiei 18.01.1919, Zilah / Zalău 01.1919.

Following the Romanian counter-offensive against Béla Kun's Red Army on 16 April 1919, the Romanian Army also occupied the rest of Transylvania up to the frontier that exists today. This territory is coded 'Tb', the main towns were occupied as follows: Mariaradna 17.04.1919, Belenyes / Beiush 19.04.1919, Nagykároly / Carei 19.04.1919, Szátmarnémeti / Satu-Mare 19.04.1919, Nagyvárad / Oradea 20.04.1919.

2. The Banat was entirely occupied by the Serbian Army soon after the Belgrade Armistice from 13 November 1918. In January 1919 the Serbians withdrew from the eastern part of the Banat ('BE' on the map), namely the district KRASSO-SZÖRENY / Caras-Severin and a little part from TEMES / Timis. Here their place was taken by the French Army.

The Serbian occupation in what is today the Romanian Banat lasted until 26 July 1919 (in the Western part 'BW' on the map, districts TORONTAL (partially) and TEMES with TEMESVÁR / Timisoara). From 28 July 1919 the entire Banat came under Romanian administration, being gradually occupied by Romanian troops up to 20 August 1919.

3. The town of Arad had a special situation. It was initially occupied by the French from 30 December 1918, but with the Hungarian civilian administration preserved (the Post Offices were supplied with Hungarian stamps from Budapest until the end of March 1919, when the relationship with the new Republic was broken). The Romanian Army entered only half the city on 17 May 1919 (when a Romanian censoring office was installed near the French one). The city was taken over entirely by the Romanians only on 12 July 1919. The city of Arad is further coded as 'AR'.

II. THE POSTAL-HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.

On 2 Dec 1918 a Provisional Government of Transylvania (in Romanian "Consiliul Dirigent") was established. It had a special "Communications, Post and Telegraph" section which took the first steps for keeping the postal service in the liberated areas ('Ta') functioning. Only on 25 January 1919 did the Military HQ order the taking over of the post offices by the Bucharest's General Postal Directorate through the newly established Central Postal Directorate from Sibiu. Four days later, on 29 January 1919, the post offices from the Ta' districts were taken by the Romanians from the Hungarian Administration.

The period 2 December 1918 - 29 January 1919 can be defined as a "Precursory Period" of the Romanian Postal Service establishment in Transylvania.

Thus the Romanian Postal Administration in 'Ta' began on 1 February 1919; in 'Tb' on 20 April 1919; in Arad on 10 July 1919; and in BW on 20 August 1919.

Thus on 1 February 1919 begins what is known in Romanian postal history as the "Provisional State" period (namely the first stage of the "transition" period of the Romanian Postal Service in the former Hungarian territories.) This 'provisional' period is characterised by the use of former Hungarian postal materials as Romanian provisional ones. The main reason for this was the economic situation in post-war 1919 in Romania , when supplying the wide territory of Transylvania and Banat (here coded as 'T&B') with Romanian postal items in time was a difficult task.

This 'provisional' period does not have an unique and finite ending date for the whole territory. One can say that it ended in each Post Office as soon as the Romanian postal items were supplied, but this can be relative as we will see. In some places the postal items were entirely "Romanised" only in the late 1920s or even in the 1930s!!. Maybe the date of the withdrawal of the main Hungarian postal materials (stamps and postal stationery) from each Post office is a better way of marking the ending of these "individual provisional periods"? This is a problem open to discussion

THE POSTAL RATES.

Together with the establishment of the Romanian Postal Administration in each of the 'Ta', 'Tb', 'AR', and 'B' zones, Romanian postal rates were introduced. (These were the same rates that had been in use in the old Romanian Kingdom between 1 June 1918 and 31 July 1920).

The Hungarian currency was retained until 10 September 1920 at the following exchange rates:-

1 Leu = 1 Forint until the end of June 1919, and
1 Leu = 2 Forint from July 1919.

The use of Hungarian stamps for franking mail was allowed according to these rates
See Table 1 in which one can see an extensive overview of the rates in both currencies.

TABLE 1. The Postal rates used in 'T' & 'B' in the provisional period.

Note: These Romanian postal rates were valid also in the territory of the Romanian occupation in Hungary.

In the 'BW' (occupied by the Serbs), the Postal Directorate in Temesvar published special rates for postage, beginning on 1 July 1919. These were also in use for nearly a month under Romanian military administration (between 28 July and 19 August). As I have mentioned above, in Banat the Romanian rates were introduced from 20 August 1919. However, one can also see mail with the old "Serbian" rates up to the end of September 1919 (latest known date 25 September). See Fig 1.

In the table are recorded the Hungarian issues more frequently seen in 'T&B'. Please note that the Republican issues are frequent only in 'Tb', 'AR' and 'B'. However, some of the Köztarsasag stamps (issued on 23 November/15 December 1918) were delivered to some Post Offices from the western part of 'Ta', before the Romanian take over. But obviously all Köztarsasag stamps used in 'Ta' are scarce. "Magyar Posta' stamps (issued after February 1919) cannot be found in 'Ta'.

The lack of stamps in some offices led to the use of all stamps available, even those that had been invalidated; thus stamps of the War Charity and Turul issues can be found here. Fig 6.

The white figure Harvester issue (SG 243/244-MBK 211/212) and the third War Charity stamps (SG 264/266 - MBK 233/235) have not been seen by me on Romanian mail from 'T&B', but their use is both possible and therefore probable.

Postage due 'Porto' stamps were also used, but such material is scarce. See Fig 4.

All other issues, not mentioned here, must be seen as rarities (or exceptions) when used on Romanian mail from 'T&B'.

In Table 2 the values (together with their MBK numbers) most frequently used in various combinations are also given. Of course all other values up to 40 filler were less frequently used in various combinations. The high values (over 1 korona) are really rarities, seen mainly on external mail.

The official withdrawal of Hungarian stamps was made in two stages:

- in 'Ta', 'Tb' and 'AR' on 30 September 1919.

Cases when the stamps were used after this date have been reported, see fig. 12.
Of course the majority of the Post Offices ceased the use of Hungarian stamps much earlier, as the first Romanian stamp was reported in 'Ta' on 25 February 1919 (by Mr. Gheorghe Cserni in the "Ardeal-Banat-Bucovina Bulletin" issued in Timisoara No.10 June 1995).

- in Banat on 15 March 1920.

I have found the latest date here to be 1 March 1920 (in Mehadia).

Please note that there are also some items in circulation unfranked, due to the absence of stamps of any "nationality' at some offices. This obviously happened when the Hungarian stamps were exhausted and the Romanian ones were not yet received. These items, posted from necessity without stamps, did not receive any postage due markings.

Here is a list of the items seen so far, identified with Simady catalogue numbers.

- Republican postcard 10 filler (No 59)- Postcard 8 filler (No 47) and 10 filler (No 55) - used in the whole of Transylvania (at least).

• Lettercard 20 filler (No 41) - used only in 'AR' and 'Tb',
• Envelope 15 filler (no 39) - used in 'Ta' and 'Tb' (at least)

It is interesting to note that postal stationery used in Banat had not been reported until recently. The latest date of use of Hungarian postal stationery recorded to date:

29 November 1919 in Arad. (Fig 3)

Under the Romanian administration here are the combinations seen so far:

-Hungarian stamp + Romanian stamp; possible between Feb 1919 and March 1920 in all zones; (Fig. 13)

-Hungarian stamp + Serbian first Temesvár issue: seen in 'BW' between Aug-Sept 1919 (see fig.11).

-Hungarian stationery + Romanian stamp; possible between Feb-Nov 1919 (at least) in all zones, but seen only in 'AR', 'Tb'. (See Fig 3).

Here also are the possible combinations not yet discovered:

-Hungarian stamp + Romanian stationery; their existence is theoretically possible, but unlikely.

-Hungarian stationery + Serbian "Temesvár" stamp: possible in 'BW'.

At the beginning of the Romanian administration in each zone ('Ta', 'Tb', 'AR', 'B'), the Hungarian cancellations were used without alteration. Then the cancels were modified by reversing the order of the date sequence; instead of the Hungarian "year-month-date", the order was "day-month-year" according to the Romanian system. In both cases the placename remained unchanged with the Hungarian version.

The new Romanian cancels were largely introduced beginning with the second half of 1920. There is a recorded instance of an early date of 23 October 1919 in Brasov-2, but this is an isolate case.

Here are the earliest/latest dates seen so far:

- for Hungarian cancels not modified: latest "921 JUL 27 / TENKE" (today Tinca, Bihor district / 'Tb') and also "920 JUL 29 / BESZTERCE" (Bistrita, 'Tb').

- for modified Hungarian cancels: Earliest date 1 JAN 920 / TEMESVÁR (Timisoara 'BW') Fig 6.
L'atest date BOZOVICS 1931, LOVRIN and DETTA 1924 (all in 'BW'), according to Mr. Martin Tiron in "Ardeal-Banat-Bucovina Bulletin" No 2, p.19 (See also Fig 7).

Hungarian style labels have been reported on items even as late as the autumn of 1921 (September), and later use is possible. these were then replaced with Romanian "Registered" cancels or by hand markings.

Such as telegrams, money orders receipts etc. Further studies need to be carried out to obtain any definite conclusions.

Generally these were used up to 1921, but their usage later on is probable.

One can see Hungarian telegrams with Romanian censor markings although these are scarce (Fig 8) or with Romanian telegraph cancels (Fig 9) and one can see also Romanian telegram forms with the old Hungarian telegraph cancels (Fig 10), and these are only a few examples illustrating a very interesting "provisional" period of Romanian postal history,

To conclude I must say that for some collectors it would be of interest to find old Austro-Hungarian picture postcards (overprinted with the text translated into Romanian) but in circulation even in 1951! Or, for censorship collectors, finding Romanian censor markings from Transylvania using the Hungarian place name. For example:-

"CSIKSEREDA / CENSURAT /....19 / Semn"
or "KEZDIVASARHELY / CENZURAT /....1919".

All Hungarian postal material used after the dates of the establishment of the Romanian postal administration in 'Ta', Tb', 'AR', or Banat are, historically, Romanian postal history. The stamps, stationery and postal forms used in these territories (bearing cancels which allow the identification of the dates and places as being under Romanian administration) ought to be included in the future editions of national and international catalogues as forerunners of the Romanian Postal Service in the former Hungarian territories. Of course, these are of great interest also for Hungarian postal history collectors, but they are Romanian postal history material.

For other details of this period see also the author's articles in Romanian Postal History Bulletin USA (RPHB) No.12, pp 5-15 and RPHB No.17, pp 14-35.

Fig.1: Late usage of the 'Serbian' rate in Temesvár / Timisoara (30 filler Karl + Magyar Posta): 25 September 1919. Romanian censor marking 'Cenzura Română / Timisoara'.

Fig.2: Typical example of a 'provisional' item: Hungarian 20 filler republican lettercard (Simady No. 41) with supplementary Hungarian franking Zita 40 f + Magyar Posta 20 f (in all 80 filler = 40 bani, the rate for a registered lettercard). Cancelled Borojenő / Ineu, 15 September 1919 ('Tb'). Hungarian registration label, Romanian censor. However, this is a pure Romanian postal history item !

Fig.3: Mixed franking (5 bani Romanian stamp on a 10 filler republican postcard, in all 5 bani + 10 filler/2 = 10 bani). Cancelled ARAD / 29.11.1919 (Late usage for Hungarian stationery). Romanian censor marking 'Cenzurat Mărul-Rosu' (then in Arad).

Fig 4: Postcard sent on June 21 1919 franked 10 fillér, but seen as insufficiently franked (due to altering of the currency's exchange rate from 1:1 to 1 Leu = 2 Forints). Porto 20 fillér stamp cancelled with the oval marking "N.V.2 ( = Nagyvárad 2) Porto". Framed Romanian censor marking Censurat Oficial/Oradea-Mare" (Under the Porto stamp).

Fig.5: A late usage of unmodified cancels (Bistrita, 29.07.1920).

Fig.6: The earliest date known so far for modified Hungarian cancels (Timisoara 1.01.1920) on 16 filler Turul stamp (issue which was withdrawn from use in 1917). Underfranked 4 filler.

Fig.7: A late usage of the modified cancels- PANKOTA ('Tb') 16 MÁJ 1922.

Fig.8: Hungarian telegram form used in June 1920, with Romanian censor marking 'Cenzura Română / Timisoara'.

Fig.9: Hungarian telegram form with Romanian telegraph marking.

Fig.10: Romanian Telegraph form, with Hungarian telegraph marking.

Fig.11: Mixed franking 10 filler Karl + 10 filler 'Temesvár' Serbian issue, TEMESVÁR 7.09.1919. Romanian censor marking in Timisoara.

Fig.12: Late usage of Hungarian stamps in Transylvania: 31.12.1919 in MAROSVÁSÁRHELY / Târgu Mures. Romanian censor marking from Reghin ('Reghinul Săsesc')

Fig.13: Mixed franking, Romanian 5 bani stamp + Hungarian 15 filler stamp (in all 5 bani + 15/2 = 12,5 bani), cancelled with a TPO marking (ALVINCZ - NAGYSZEBEN 256) in August 1919. Romanian censor marking in Sibiu.

(c) Grecu Dan 2000-2003.

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