See Testa vzw (Stan Panis / Prospecting finds), "Sealing labels with the combined mention 'Hungaria' and 'Louvain' were found in Tessenderlo, Halen, Diest and Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, among others. In the middle is almost always the letter combination 'GP'. Hungaria was the name of a mill located at the basin of the Leuvense Vaart. But the meaning of the letters 'GP', which is almost always in the middle of these lead seals, has so far remained unclear.
The Leuvense Vaart was filled with water in 1752 and opened in 1763. After several changes in the 19 thecentury, the channel played an important role in freight transport. On April 24, 1856, Gilles Peters, a grain merchant from Sint-Truiden, bought the Spuimolen, which stood on the place where the river Leuven entered Leuven. Gilles expanded the mill complex with a steam engine. Arthur Peters moved the well-running family business, G. PETERS en Zonen, to the Vaartkom in 1889. Presumably, the company was renamed MOULINS HUNGARIA at that time. On an invoice dated January 26, 1925, offered for sale some time ago on the Delcampe website, it reads "MOULINS HUNGARIA" along with "Anciennement G. PETERS & FILS". From this we can conclude with certainty that the letter combination 'GP' stands for 'GILLES PETERS'.
Gilles Peters was born on February 22 (?) 1804 in Rosoux-Crenwick (province of Liège, near St.-Truiden. He married on November 4, 1830 in St.-Truiden Maria Elizabeth Barbara Bellis, born on November 8, 1803 in St.- Truiden and died on January 13, 1869. Gilles died at the age of 79 on June 30, 1883 in St.-Truiden. His son Pierre Arthur Peters was born on October 30, 1836 in St.-Truiden. Arthur married on September 23, 1862 in Leuven. Marie Catherie Adrienne Anne Gerard, born in Oreye on September 5, 1843. Arthur was a miller by profession.
The Hungarian 'cylinder mills' or 'Moulins Hungaria'
In 1878, the world exhibition in Paris paid special attention to the high quality Hungarian very white flower. The flour was obtained using a new machine that replaced the wind and water mill, the so-called electric 'cylinder mill'. The mill consisted of a number of metal cylinders that rolled together. The number of roles could vary. This mill allowed for more precise grinding because the speed and distance of the rollers could be adjusted, resulting in a quality flour. The principle of the 'cylinder mill' was previously invented but was developed by the Swiss Friedrich Wegmann. He used raw porcelain grinding rollers. Friedrich sold his certificate in Budapest to the Hungarian André Mechwart of Ganz & Cie in 1874,that they made a fortune because they managed to make high quality cast iron cylinders. After 1885, these 'cylinder mills' were also massively installed in the rest of Europe. Arthur Peters probably purchased such mills in 1889 and installed them at the Vaartkom in Leuven. He immediately gave the new company the appropriate name 'Moulins Hungaria'.
Sealing leads MOULINS HUNGARIA
Two variants of the lead front are currently known: MOULINS HUNGARIA LOUVAIN S TE AN (SOCIÉTÉ ANONYME) and HUNGARIA LOUVAIN GP. On the back of the leads are the numbers 0 or 00 or the letter I or the letter combination SS Interestingly, according to the 1925 invoice, '5 sacs farine 00' were sold at 185 fr per bag, probably 100 kg. The company charged an extra 8 fr guarantee for the bag. Flour was sold with a quality '00', a figure that is also stated on some sealing leads.
A third variant
On the internet is a piece of money from the company Hungaria, which was found in Barvaux. The front has the word 'HUNGARIA' at the top, a large number '0' in the middle and a five-petaled flower at the bottom. On the reverse side at the bottom of the border the word 'LOUVAIN' is followed and preceded by a dot and at the top in the middle are the large letters 'G.P'."
