Articles on the 15h
Studies and finds on the 15h and on the other values of the issue. The links lead to the full text.
Find: an imperforate 15h from plate VI postally used
A postcard cancelled KOŠICE 2 on 13 July 1920 carries an imperforate 15h — and plating (plate classifier + position model, confirmed by point flaws) attributed it to field 34 of the sixth plate. Imperforate sheets are common only for plates 1–2; a postally used imperforate stamp from plate 5 or 6 is a rarity.
Cracked printing plate at 11/II
Field 11 of the second plate shows a pronounced crack in the upper-left corner, probably caused by damage during routine plate cleaning. The crack developed in five phases — from a faint deformation to its final state — and is documented imperforate as well as in perforations A, B, C and F. Stamps with this flaw are scarce.
Damaged frame at 60/VI
The Monograph lists field 60 of the sixth plate as carrying a selected plate flaw — a protrusion on the right frame edge. A study of trial prints showed the object evolved during printing: plate maintenance caused damage that deformed the original protrusion. The damaged state is documented in perforations B and C; the two variants occur roughly 1:1.
A cover: treasure for a song
Jozef Džubák described an ordinary letter from Smíchov to Pavlice (August 1920, 60 h rate) franked with four 15 h stamps — each from a different printing plate: 67/III, 30/V, 34/IV and 70/VI, in two different perforations (B and C). The exceptional combination probably arose from re-use of uncancelled stamps — a reminder that treasures hide in seemingly ordinary material.
Smears and spots (plate II)
A continuously updated catalogue of production spots and smears on the second plate — documented at fields 5, 13, 16, 19, 50, 55, 61, 82, 88 and 95, some in several development phases.
A proof of the 15h and what happened to the plate next
A blue proof on coated paper, stamp field 96 of the first printing plate. The impression is sharp throughout — the plate was not yet worn. A comparison with the production impression of the same field shows that the design was worked on between the two: the spiral changed from open (Is) to closed (IIs), and the fan at the right-hand dove was altered as well. The full account and the details are on the Proofs page.
Articles on other values of the issue
Studies on the 5h, 10h, 100h, 120h, 300h and 500h, and the overview of smears and spots across the issue, are on the main site of the issue — in the Articles section.