SOKOL

If only I had paid more attention during my Czechoslovakian classes, I wouldn't have had to browse the internet all morning to find out about the 8th Slet Vsesolkolsky in Prague in 1926.

:-)

But I didn't, or more precisely, I never had any, so I had to, if you can still follow me. But that way I was able to find out that the Sokol movement was basically some form of precursor of the scouting movement, starting in the 1860 and ending up as a symbol of Czech nationalism. The gatherings were very popular, with all sorts of gymnastics being displayed. This issue is to mark the 8th such gathering, in 1926.

I found this great website with all sorts of Sokol memorabilia, like stamps and postcards and what have you. Great!

:-)

Adrian

JACK

When I got my Czechoslovakian air mail stamps which I showed you the other day, they came with the next air mail set down the line.

This set was issued some two years after the previous one, on 15 June 1922. As you can see, the plane itself is rather similar, but the rest of the overprint layout is different. I like the two propellers obliterating the old value! A different kind of stamp was used for the overprints, the "Allegory of Economy and Science" definitives. As far as I know these stamps were not issued for specific flights. They were reprinted in 1970 on thick paper (with facsimile on the back) so do not confuse these with the real thing! Also, forgeries exist, which may be distinguished because the shading of the plane is patchy and the jack (is that the right word for that round thingy on the wings?) is round rather than oval.

:-)

Adrian

STAYING UP

It's funny how you take things for granted that were so incredibly special just a few decades ago. Air mail for example; nowadays you wouldn't probably even know which stamps were for air mail unless it specifically says so on the stamp. I don't think there's many proper air mail issues anymore now. But you don't have to go that far back in time to find that things were very different. In the late 1910s, early 1920s the first air mail stamps were issued, and these were not general air mail stamps like so many of the later issues, these were issues for a few or sometimes just even one specific flight route! Which is really amazing when you think of it! Take for example this stamp here:

It is from a set of three air mail stamps issued in Czechoslovakia on 11 August 1920. Each value was issued for a specific route. This 28kc on 1000h was issued for flights from Prague to London. It came with a special air mail label with the route on. I would love to have a cover with those stamps plus labels on! If I get one, I'll show it to you! What I do have is a Swiss cover from the same period. It has the very first Swiss air mail stamp on.

This stamp was issued on 30 April 1919, and was issued for flights between Zürich, Bern and Lausanne. The covers from those period had a special air mail cancel on the back, because the stamps themselves were cancelled with an ordinary circular date cancel. I haven't scanned that cover yet, but I will show it to you soon, probably tomorrow.

:-)

Adrian

IT'S NOT RIGHT, BUT IT'S OKAY

And this is the stamp I'm referring to:

So what's not right about it? Well, if you have a Czechoslovakian catalogue, you'll find that this stamp was only issued imperforate! You see, the thing was that Czechoslovakia had just been founded and was still in a state of utter mess just after the first world war. When it started producing stamps, material, machines and knowledge was still lacking. So the first stamps were issued imperforate.

Later, additional values and some existing ones were perforated, but not this 40h. However, large companies and banks found the imperforate stamps rather a nuisance and started perforating them themselves. Although this was not officially authorised, the practice was condoned by the postal authorities. This 40h has therefore a private perforation (as opposed to what is sometimes called a ministry perforation). Now it would be interesting to know whether certain private perforations can be linked to certain companies or banks! I suppose this could be done, or maybe even has been done, when enough examples have survived on cover!

Hmm, let's do some more research!

:-)

Adrian

IN THE EXTREME

Do not adjust your computer screen. No need either to rush out for new glasses. This is basically just Hradcany collecting in the extreme!

And nope, they're not unique proofs.

As far as I know it's just printer's waste, donated to Czechoslovakian philatelic societies by the printers way back in the 1920s (if I remember rightly).

A colourful aside to the main thing. And there's even various designs printed on top of each other.

Nice!

:-)

Adrian

BACK OF BOOK

Life can be full of surprises. And the best ones are when you bid on a larger lot (as opposed to just the one stamp or set) and you get so much more than what you bargained for. That happened to me when I placed a bid on a Czechoslovakian lot, described as back of the book Hradcany material (I love that term!). To my surprise it contained lots of other goodies, like this beautiful sheet.

It was issued in 1943, when Czechoslovakia was dismembered. The Czechoslovakian government in exile authorized this sheet, which was designed and printed by Waterlow & Sons Ltd in London, where the Czechoslovak stamp exhibition was held. It is basically just a souvenir sheet and it has no postal value, with designs based on existing stamps. Apart from promoting the stamp exhibition, the souvenir sheet also celebrates 25 years of Czechoslovakia.

Isn't it a beauty?

:-)

Adrian

APOLOGIES

Yes, I know, there should be a little thingie on top of the c, but I cannie find it so it'll have to do without!

What am I on about? well, Hradcany Castle of course! I've recently been delving into the subjectmatter of Czechoslovakia's first definitives, depicting that castle. I had never really looked at it but it's a feast for collectors with thousands of varieties to search for. If I'm not mistaken almost every stamp on all the 70 (?) odd plates can be plated so that's you busy for the rest of your life! I wasn't going to go that far, but the least one can do is distinguish the five main types (six in some schools). And what's nice is that these types can not only be found on stamps but on postal stationery as well. I managed to get a couple at Congress the other day. Here's one.

This is actually design type 5. The bush which had been present in the foreground on all previous types has disappeared, giving St Nicholas Church much more prominence. Here's a close-up of the stamp bit.

Not sure what I'm on about yet? Well, here's a close up of a type 1 postal stationery design.

As you can see, there is that bush I was talking about. Note also how the wording has been placed in a frame around the castle design.

I'm hooked!

:-)

Adrian

PEACEMAKING

I've been reading Margaret MacMillan's book "Peacemakers" lately and have been enjoying it very much. The book deals with the 1919 Paris Peace Conference and the resulting Versailles Treaty. Not only is it a fascinating part of European history, it's also a fascinating era as far as philately is concerned. All those new countries being formed, old empires falling apart, territories being fought over, split in the middle, changing hands and so many of these developments being undone in the run up to the second world war or even as recent as in the 1990s.

So last night I thought what a great idea it would be to set up a collection of this era. Record all the changes proposed at the Conference, their philatelic consequences and maybe even the eventual results. There are heaps of provisional stamp issues and although it must be hard to find, postal history must be even more rewarding, with cancellation of mail and explanation of routes painting a picture of Europe in turmoil.

I'm all excited and ready to go but I haven't got the time yet to really delve into the subject matter. Oh well, it's going to be a long-term project anyway! But I'll keep you posted!

And to give you a little sneak preview: I've just been reading up on the first definitives of Czechoslovakia, the Hradcany issue, and some of these stamps are overprinted SO 1920, like this one.

This refers to Silésie Orientale, or East Silesia, which is the area around Teschen, in between Czechoslovakia and Poland. It is one of those disputed areas on which no agreement could be found. Eventually, the Allied Powers divided up the area, with part going to Czechoslovakia and part to Poland. Both countries then issued stamps with the SO 1920 overprint.

Riveting stuff!

:-)

Adrian