Again and again I discover some really nice items from Czechoslovakia.
My 25 year in Philately give me nice knowledge about this country, but with time and by daily work, human lose sense of catching on first sight something beautiful, here was it case.
I have this item/s in my stock for long time, but never have time to examine it in proper way, and with "sense" for detail, which are quiet lot on this m/s.
Let start from catalog information:
date of issue is Jun 3, 1986. Michel catalog marked it by number Block 67A (existed also B and C version), POFIS catalog marked it by number K2747A and Scott by 2689 s/s.
Prices are very different for, because Scott didn't favoring it like Michel or POFIS - but we can more or less, come to one market value by evaluating this parameters. Scott have it on 5.00 $, Michel keep it for some years on 10.00 euro, and POFIS is much low of 40.00 Kron (more or less today 2.00 $). Where is middle? Somewhere between 8.00 to 10.00 US$ I think will be very fair catalog price, which will resulted on market about exactly full Scott catalog prices. Hardly acceptable for US collectors? Probably! But, go around, and see in any US collectors collection if they have this beauty inside! No, You will find very-very almost no-one samples there!
date of issue is Jun 3, 1986. Michel catalog marked it by number Block 67A (existed also B and C version), POFIS catalog marked it by number K2747A and Scott by 2689 s/s.
Prices are very different for, because Scott didn't favoring it like Michel or POFIS - but we can more or less, come to one market value by evaluating this parameters. Scott have it on 5.00 $, Michel keep it for some years on 10.00 euro, and POFIS is much low of 40.00 Kron (more or less today 2.00 $). Where is middle? Somewhere between 8.00 to 10.00 US$ I think will be very fair catalog price, which will resulted on market about exactly full Scott catalog prices. Hardly acceptable for US collectors? Probably! But, go around, and see in any US collectors collection if they have this beauty inside! No, You will find very-very almost no-one samples there!
Now, because some "varieties" in this issue, You can well made one small exhibit on this issue. first, this issue have three option. "A" is for s/s perforated in way that You have one stamp, and two tab, "B" is for partially perforated, mean, perforation between stamp and tab are missing, and "C" option is for imperforated s/s. All three option resulted in very different price tag for one issue, where "A" will give just 10.00 euro, "B" go to 20.00 euro, and "C" option to 40.00 euro - nice difference!
Examine POFIS catalog, You will find additional six (6) type for it, because some "repair" in printing process, where engraver work are done to repair "used" printing plate, that occurred in printing process. You must take in account that this issue have around 600 000 pieces printed (all three option together) which resulted in some minor damage to printing plate. Where is difference for this sub-types? In some minor "line" on fingers, face, envelope and post horn, but even that it is "minor" it bring us technically different stamp on market!
And what is even more interesting, that option "B" with imperforated between stamp and tab, give us ONE stamp (if detached from s/s and used on envelope) totally different from "original" stamp (that have just symbol of FIP, globe, Praga 88 logo on it). When we eliminate this perforation between stamp and tabs we have one great design, that have from left side reproduction of one painting from XVIII century, of Post master General Karol Josef hrabe Paar (1654-1725) and from right side is one post history items from Post Museum (post horn, cancel, old mail).
I can say just "great" - great artist work, great history use on postage stamp, and great item that must be included in any serious collection!
