Allegories III Agriculture and Science (Hospodářství a věda 1920)

Transcription

1 Czechoslovakian Postage Stamps of the First Republic Essays from the Monografie Allegories III Agriculture and Science (Hospodářství a věda 1920) Jan Karásek, Antonín Michele, Dr. Bohuslav Svoboda Monografie Československých Známek Díl II Pages Translated for The Society for Czechoslovak Philately by Mark Wilson KNIHTISK Scottsdale Arizona 2008

2 Translation 2008 by M. Wilson. Original Ing. Jan Karásek, Knihtisk is the imprint of Mark Wilson, of Scottsdale, Arizona. Knihtisk is a labor of love. Its publications represent the volunteer work of fellow collectors and are sold at prices that merely sustain production. Manufacturing or accepting unauthorized copies undercuts the efforts of contributors and may discourage further work. Please support this effort to bring out-of-print, highly specialized, or materials hidden behind the veil of other languages into the hands of collectors by refusing to accept copies from unauthorized sources. Of course, you may make print or electronic copies for your personal use, but you must never release or keep a copy to avoid payment. ii

3 Agriculture and Science (1920 Issue) History of the Stamp The proposed stamp submitted by Jacob Obrovský to an appeal by the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs bore the slogan Slovak Science and Agriculture. Although the artist assumed it would be printed by photogravure, in the end typography was used. The proposal for the definitive high-denomination stamps in completed form was 165 x 140 mm with an empty value tablet, into which Obrovský drew the numerals 200. Its theme was an allegory for the statement mentioned in the title. The original proposal as well as the sketch are archived in the Prague Postal Museum. The Czech Graphic Union printing house produced a series of trial prints by photogravure neotype but later transferred the preparation work to a part-time printer. A new template was used to do the definitive typography. Once the design was completed, the stamps were issued in two stages, in the year 1920 and in 1923, the latter with a modified and simplified design (in three denominations on yellowish paper). The printing was done by the Czech Graphics Union in Prague. Their release was announced in the Bulletin of the Ministry of posts and Telegraph No. 83 on June 18, 1920: Forthcoming on 26 June 1920 will be a release of new (definitive) stamps: 100h Green 200h Purple 300h Red 400h Dark brown The 100h through 400h denominations display the chosen design by the academic master Jacob Obrovský, an allegory of Agriculture and Science. In the center sits a young man in national costume holding sheaves of grain in his left arm; his right arm holds a book, in front of which are growing linden leaves. At the top a ribbon with the legend POŠTA ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ winds out of an oval at its left end containing the denomination numerals. A post horn is in the upper right corner and in the lower right corner is a sword driven into the earth with a decorative sprig. The printing will be done by typography using a galvanized plate, the design is 26.5 mm wide and 22.5 mm high. The stamps are perforated. 362

4 From No. 45 August 7, 1920: For the postal rates changed on August 1, 1920 (Order No. 23 in Postal Ministry Bulletin No. 32/1920), to be issued serially starting on August 15, 1920, will be new denominations which are: the second in the Agriculture and Science series: 500h green 600h purple A considerable number of these stamps were printed and were not used up by the time they were withdrawn. At the beginning of 1922 three denominations were surcharged for the second airmail issue: the 100h and 200h, which were nearing obsolescence, and the 400h which had been withdrawn. After January 1, 1923 these stamps were obsolete and the remaining stock of all six denominations were used as surcharged postage due provisionals. The philatelic window at the main Post Office sold remainders of them for about 10 years after they were withdrawn: the 100h until September and the 400h until October of 1934, the 500h until January and the 300h until April 1935, and the 100h and 200h until June of Table 65: Major Facts about the Agriculture and Science Issue Denomination Color Size Printing Technique Issued Withdrawn 100 green 200 purple 26.5 x 22.5 mm typography from galvanized plates 300 rose red June gray brown 500 gray green 600 purple typography from etched plates June April 30, 1921 August January

5 Table 66: Quantities. Denominatio n Initial Release Airmail Overprint Postage Due Overprint Remainders ,160,000 2,600,000 3,930,000 11,630, ,620,000 4,350,000 3,470,000 7,530, ,540, ,000 21,554, ,880,000 2,720,000 4,770,000 2,390, ,120,000 8,200,000 3,920, ,800,000 8,010,000 3,790,000 Fig It is interesting to consider the particulars about the release of the first four stamps. The Bulletin contained a date of June 18, 1920 and stated that the following stamps would be released on the 26 th of June. In fact however, the stamps (100h and 200h) were released a day before the Bulletin s announced date on June 17, The 300h and the 400h were release on June 23, 1920 three days before the announced date. 364

6 Printing the Stamps The 100h to the 400h The initial design was intended to be printed by photogravure. Anyway, a set of trial prints were made using that technique and perhaps those were printed from an engraving. Eventually, however, it was decided to use the same typographic technique as was used for the 500h and 1000h T. G. Masaryk design, that is, to print them from galvanized plates. The original drawing was taken to a part time print shop, which did not have the appropriate equipment to do the etching and subsequent engraving for a printing block, so for that reason the print shop made out of the drawing a temporary woodcut for printing. An appropriate number of printing blocks were made for the needed galvanized blocks. From these, strips of ten were made, which were arranged into ten lines to form an entire printing plate of 100 stamps. This process is indicated by the lack of control numbers at the lower edge of the pane. Two printing plates were manufactured for each denomination which were then placed under one another; these, with a similar pair of another denomination, were placed in the printing form. Fig The 100h and 200h plates were coupled in one printing form, the 300h and 400h in another (fig. 679). Because it is evident that invariably one printing form was used for every denomination without any plate marking, one may infer that the printers used the applicable printing form for each denomination. It is apparent the huge number of stamps to be printed was unanticipated, so that it is possible that several plates and forms were used. The vertical space between the stamps ranged from 4mm to 4.5 mm, and the horizontal distance between 3.5mm to 5.5mm. The distance between both plates of the same denomination in a single form was about 27.5 mm, for the 100h denomination about 28.5mm, and between plates of different denominations (different colors) about 67.5mm. The design for each denomination was the same, the first denomination numeral alone distinguished one stamp from another. This difference not only occurred for the numerals 1 through 6, but especially the shape of the zero for each denomination. Considerable variation occurred for the numerals 200 and 400, where it is obvious that the value tablets were modified before production and also during the printing run before the plates were worn. 365

7 It is interesting to note that all of the zeros in the numerals of 200 are of equal size, whereas the two zeros in the numerals for 400 are slightly smaller. At the same time, there are large differences between the zeros on the 400h, in that they have unequal internal areas and were likely created from two different templates. The outlines of the zeros and more modification of the shading was transferred from these templates. By this means we can explain why there is a thin and a wide zero in the 400h; these are identified as Type I and Type II. The two different setups of the wide and thin zeros confirmed the theory that there were two plates. Instances of the two sizes of zeros from both plates are shown in figs From the illustration it is apparent that the thin zero (Type I) occurred in six rows on Plate I (60 times), while the wide zero (Type II) was used in four rows (40 times). In Plate II, the thin zero occurred in seven rows (70 times) and the wide zero in three rows (30 times). The ratio of Type I to Type II stamps was 130:70. Fig Thin Second Zero. Fig Wide Second Zero Fig Plate I. Fig Plate II 366

8 Two stamps of Type I and Type II form a joined pair type, but they are only found in a vertical direction. Rather frequently one finds a block of 400h stamps with two joined types 1. Other changes are know for the 100h numerals and in it especially the numeral 1 which is found in many variations. Likewise, the 300h stamp had several manipulations, in particular a short second zero in the value tablet. Here, apparently production was stopped by a check during printing, possibly this instance could be considered a printing house repair a retouch. Fig. 683a. Three Joined Types, Including a Wide Zero (I + II + II) 1 From both plates, obviously. Joined vertical identical pairs of either Type I or Type II only come from Plate II, while horizontal identical pairs can come from either plate. Joined identical pairs with wide zeros are found only infrequently. 367

9 The 500h and 600h Denominations Both denominations were manufactured and released two months after the initial part of the issue. The setting up and manufacture of the plates from galvanized blocks this time was by the normal photochemical technique. The template, which was copied by engraving, was multiply photographed (100 times) and transferred to a plate which was etched in preparation for printing. Information published in the Bulletin (see page 363) that indicted their printing would be from galvanized blocks is absolutely wrong. Both denomination have the name J. Obrovský in the lower left corner. The design is partially modified, with a somewhat rougher appearance and a bit bolder than that of the first four stamps in the issue. Most of all, the main difference are: the value tablet and its ornamentation, the ribbon with the inscription POŠTA ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ is broader, the letters are slightly altered, several shading lines are missing, and the expression on the face of the allegorical figure is slightly more expressive. The plates were again manufactured in ten strips of ten to make 100 stamps and did not have control numbers in the lower part. The printing forms were like those of the previous issue, and the plates were without identifying marks. The horizontal and vertical spacing between the stamps was like that of the earlier issue, but they were distinguished a bit by the distance between the plates for different denominations. This was about 72.5mm, while the spacing between plates of the same denomination was 27.5mm. There were several differences in the value tablet for the numerals 5 and 6, in which most noticeable is the treatment of the numeral 5. The changes to the zeros was not substantial. Fig. 684 Colors The Bulletin did not precisely assign colors to the stamps but they were later recorded in the catalogs and professional literature. The 300h was announced as being red, but was issued in a color called rose-red and the 500h green was called gray-green. The color for the 400h was not mentioned in the Bulletin. While they were announced as dark brown the color used was light brown, later called gray-brown. 368

10 Several shades of color are known for each denomination, excluding fading, the most substantive are: 100h light green, dark green, olive green. 200h light purple, dark purple, gray-purple, brown-purple. 300h dark red. 400h gray. 500h blue green, dark-green, dark olive green. 600h light purple, reddish purple, dark purple, brown-purple. Paper Every denomination of the stamps have thick white, smooth yellowish, or grayish to porous paper. The gum is colorless, white, or yellowish. Perforations All of the stamps are line perforated 13½. Rarely are the 300h, 500h, and 600h comb perforated 13¾ x 13½. How they acquired this second form of perforations is not exactly understood. A conjecture is that, considering its extremely large release, another perforating machine was required to do the 300h stamp, and that it was by chance a comb perforating machine. The 500h and 600h stamps were likely done in the final stages of production when an great many panes were hurriedly used that must have for economic reasons been stored. Likely these panes of the 500h and 600h were intended to be overprinted for the provisional postage due issue of Evidently, these stamps received this additional comb perforation by sheer chance quite late in their life, and most of the three denominations are found as used stamps. The evidence for this is that comb perforated 500h and 600h stamps are quite scarce in mint condition. Fig The 600h Stamp rarely occurs perforated 13¾ x 13½. Some quantity of these stamps with this perforation may be found with an imprint on the gummed side, that is, unissued stamps, which were discarded but subsequently discovered by the public, but the philatelic value of these stamps is substantially lower than stamps normally printed and comb perforated. 369