Moldavian Bull's Heads

Ox head, or aurochs head (Romanian Cap de Bour, English Bull's Head or Moldavian Bulls, French tête de Taureau ) is the name of the first Moldovan and Romanian so stamps, which were issued in 1858.

Barely 18 years after Penny Black, the first postage stamp in the world, was published in Britain, they brought on 22 July 1858 in Iaşi ( Jassy dt ), the capital of Moldova, the first Romanian postage stamps in the Postal Service. Moldavia and Wallachia were at this time still separate principalities, both under Ottoman rule. 1862 they joined together for the new Kingdom of Romania.

The first issue

The first issue in a circle showing the aurochs head with the five-pointed star between the horns, the coat of arms of Moldova. The Posthorn including enclosing the nominal value. Around the bison head found in Cyrillic Romanian version of " Porto scrisori " German " postage ". The four nominal values ​​of this first edition, which was only about 100 days in traffic, are quite strange: 27, 54, 81 and 108 Parale. A special feature are the human-like facial features of the aurochs.

Of the total of 24,000 stamps of the first edition ( 6,000 x 27 para, para 10.000 x 54, 2,000 x 81 x 108 and 6,000 para para) today only 724 pieces, 89 pieces on envelopes.

The second edition

The second output consists of only three, now rounded nominal values ​​of 5, 40 and 80 Parale that made the mental arithmetic easier. The square shape also allowed for a more accurate cut from the sheet. The Romanian version of " Porto Scrisorei " or on the 5 - Parale - ox head " Porto gazetei " ( German " newspaper Porto " ) can be found here in the Latin alphabet. The abbreviated value unit "par" is still in Cyrillic. The reason for this is that the Romanian principalities under Ottoman rule were not characterize own coins. There were several coins from the surrounding countries in circulation, but coins mainly of Russian origin.

The most expensive ox head

The most expensive ox head was for 135,000 Swiss francs (about € 92,078 ) at auction (February 2008). It is a very well preserved, ungestempeltes copy of the first edition, Parale with the nominal value of 27. The stamp is rubberized original and it was very carefully cut out from the sheet: perfectly rectangular, with a large margin around the printed image.

The most expensive newspaper in the world

A copy of the newspaper Zimbrulu si Vulturulu ( "Bison and Eagle", the eagle of the coat of arms of Wallachia was ) is covered with eight Cap-de- Bour - marks, divided into two strips (3 5 ). The value is about 3 million euros today. The postal workers in Iasi had the stamps for eight newspapers a recipient from Galaţi all glued to a newspaper. The receiver sold the newspaper a stamp collector for little money. Since then, the showpiece was sighted once, in 1969 at an exhibition in Sofia. A federal stamp lovers to have bought the newspaper. It is definitely in Switzerland in the locker of a bank (as of February 2008).