40 Years of the Romanian Postal History 1830–1869

Călin Marinescu, Romania’s most prolific philatelic researcher, has published over 400 articles and 16 volumes since 1984, establishing himself as a central figure in the study of Romanian postal history. A dedicated seeker of truth, he grounds his work in meticulous archival research, offering carefully verified information that has supported, clarified, and inspired many other scholars.

His most recent achievement is the bilingual two-volume study 40 Years of Romanian Postal History 1830–1869 (Bucharest, 2024), a monumental work totalling 948 A4 pages and representing a landmark contribution to understanding the development of postal services in the nineteenth-century Romanian territories. Drawing on original postal documents, official archives, maps, forms, and contemporary references, Marinescu reconstructs routes, markings, organisational structures, and postal regulations from both the pre-stamp and early stamp periods.

The study not only clarifies several key historical aspects but also offers an ordered and accessible overview of Romania’s postal evolution. It also examines the postal relations maintained by the Romanian principalities with neighbouring countries during the studied timeframe, placing local practices within their immediate regional context. As a rigorously documented and comprehensive work, it serves as a reliable and indispensable reference for collectors and postal historians interested in nineteenth-century Romania.

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