The exhibition will be held in the Municipal House from October 28 to November 5, and visitors will be able to see unique philatelic items that otherwise normally rest in safes. ČTK reported about it on behalf of the organizer Patrik Kozlík.
The exhibition is organized by the Czech philatelic club Prestige Philately Club Prague (PPCP) in cooperation with the visiting Vindobona clubs and the famous philatelic organization Club de Monte-Carlo. “It is an honor for us that a number of very rare stamps will arrive in Prague, together with important personalities of world philately. Our goal is to bring the magic of this field closer not only to collectors, but mainly to the general public. The Czech Republic has a huge philatelic tradition, and we set ourselves the goal of raising it again,” said PPCP club president Tomáš Mádl.
According to him, visitors to the exhibition will have a unique opportunity to learn about the history of stamps that are among the last to be preserved. One such unique is a block of 20 Saxon triples worth almost 50 million crowns. This exhibit will be on public view for the first time in 60 years. The Saxon troika from the middle of the 19th century is one of the most famous and sought-after European stamps, in this case it is the only extant specimen found in a Bavarian castle stuck to a wardrobe door. Today it is in the private property of one of the biggest philatelists of today, the organizers say.
Another example of a stamp that has no parallel is the Labuan 10 dollar. This only known piece in the world is now owned by a Czech collector. It is a specific stamp with a high denomination. These stamps were not used much, so very few were printed. When the island of Labuan became part of the British colony of the Straits Settlements, the stamps were invalidated by the stamp.
The exhibition will also feature the Ultramarine newspaper stamp from 1877, of which there are only three surviving pieces. Viewers will see, for example, the largest block of the world’s first Penny Black stamps; the value of this copy, where there are 12 stamps, is 12 million crowns. Amundsen’s letters from the South Pole will also be exhibited.
The organizers provide more information about the exhibition and tickets on their website ppcp.cz/biennale-2023/.
