Printing plates for sheet Michel #5 "20th anniversary of the first Czechoslovak stamps".

This sheet from 1938 has a catalogue value of €4,- (Michel) in ** condition. However, just a few people collect it in detail according to the printing plates. Mr. Miloslav Hauptman, an experienced Czech philatelist and publicist, checked 1,300 sheets (out of the stated issue of 230,000 pieces) and identified 10 printing plates. Only two of these sheets had no identified characteristic features. This may mean that either there were additional printing plates, or the sheets are from an early printing when the relevant characteristics of the individual plates were not yet apparent. The full Hauptman’s article was published in Czech magazines Filatelie 4/2022 and Merkur Revue 2/2022, the most important data are published here with Mr. Hauptman's permission:

Plate A:

 - blue spot in the leaves to the left of the heel of the left lion

 - blue line below the figure's right elbow

 - blue dot between the digits 9 and 1 of the year 1918

Plate B:

- blue vertical line between the left line of the frame and the stem of the branch at the level of the figure's elbow

- double moulage of the first digit 1 of the year 1918 (according to POFIS the second type) 

Plate C:

- blue arc between the two ends of the tail of the left lion

- blue spot above the centre of the crown of the left lion

- blue dot above the letter Ě of the word VÍTĚZÍ between the leaves

Plate D:

- blue oblique line in the upper paw of the left lion

- a faint blue dot between the letters Z and Í of the word VÍTĚZÍ

- a thick blue dot in the second toe of the left foot of the right lion

- a blue horizontal line above the first digit 1 of the year 1918

Plate E:

- blue spot above the left part of the crown of the left lion

- faint blue lines over the leftmost petal

- blue spot in the upper left part of digit 9 of 1918

- blue dot in the oval of the numeral 9 of 1938

Plate F:

- faint blue dot between the tails of the left lion

- blue line across the leftmost petals

Plate G:

- blue arc over the left part of the right lion's crown

- blue dot in the lower right part of the numeral 3 of the year 1938

Plate H:

- a tiny blue dot in the oval of the numeral 9 of 1918

- a distinctive blue dot at the bottom between numerals 2 and 8 of „28“

Plate I:

- faint blue dot in the upper toe of the right foot of the right lion

- blue vertical line above the second letter A of the word PRAVDA

Plate J:

- a faint blue dot at the top between the digits 2 and 8 of „28“

- blue dot in the foot of the numeral 9 of the year 1918

All plates:

- faint blue dot in the lower left part of the numeral 9 of the year 1918

- a tiny blue dot at the top in front of the numeral 3 of the year 1938

Just for the record, an engraving of the large coat-of-arms of the Czechoslovak Republic was later used on the London 1943 exhibition sheet:
 

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