Polish Stamps - Definitives of 1946-1949

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Polish Stamps

Definitives of 1946-1949

There have been many colorful Polish stamps for commemorative, promotional, propaganda, and fund-raising purposes, since the formation of the People's Republic. However, there have very few definitive stamps, that is, a series of stamps, with a variable range of denominations, that are available for paying the postal rates on different types of letters and packages.

The four pictorial definitive Polish stamps shown above were issued on September 1, 1946. The 6 Z. denomination is perforated 10 1/2, and the other denominations are imperforate.

The theme of these pictorial definitive stamps is Historic Monuments.

The major designs, in the order that they appear in the set, are as follows:

Bedzin Castle. The stone castle was constructed during the 14th Century, and it was predated by a wooden structure from the 11th Century. It was an important fortification of both the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Tomb of Duke Henry IV of Silesia in Wroclaw. Henry IV The Pious (1257-1290) was the Duke of Silesia at Wroclaw from 1266-1290 and the High Duke of the Province of Krakow from 1288 to 1290. Having died at the age of 33, it is believed that Henry was poisoned.
Lanckrona Castle. The castle was built during the early 14th Century by King Casimir III The Great, for the purpose of protecting the road to Krakow. Having been heavily damaged by military conflicts over the centuries, it has since been allowed to fall into total ruin.

The catalog attributes are as follows:

05 Z. (1946 - Sc. #392) - Olive Gray.
05 Z. (1946 - Sc. #393) - Brown.
06 Z. (1946 - Sc. #394) - Gray Black.
10 Z. (1946 - Sc. #395) - Deep Blue.

The eight pictorial definitive Polish stamps shown above were issued between March and May 1947.

The theme of these pictorial definitive stamps is Polish Culture.

The major designs, in ascending order by denomination, are as follows:

Jan Matejko, Jacek Malczewski, and Josef Chelmonski. Jan Matejko (1838-1893), Jacek Malczewski (1854-1929), and Josef Chelmonski (1849-1914) were all Polish painters.
Saint Albert and a Child. Adam Chmielowski (1845-1916) was a painter, and later, a Catholic priest. He was the founder of the "Servants of the Poor" in 1888, an organization providing shelter and food for the poor, as well as nurseries and institutions for homeless children and youth. He was sanctified by Pope John Paul II in 1989.
Frederic Chopin. Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) was a Polish born composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic Era. He lived in Paris during the final years of his life, and it was there that he died from complications of Tuberculosis in 1849.
Wojciech Boguslawski, Helena Modjeska, and Stefan Jaracz. Wojciech Boguslawski (1757-1829), Helena Modjeska (1840-1909), and Stefan Jaracz (1883-1945) were all Polish actors.
Alexander Swietochowski, Stephen Zeromski, and Boleslaw Prus. Alexander Swietochowski (1849-1938), Stephen Zeromski (1864-1925), and Boleslaw Prus (1847-1912) were all Polish writers.
Marie Sklodowska Curie. Marie Sklodowska Curie (1867-1934) was a physicist and chemist who pioneered research on radioactivity. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911.
Stanislaw Wyspianski, Juliusz Slowacki, and Jan Kasprowicz. Stanislaw Wyspianski (1869-1907), Juliusz Slowacki (1809-1849), and Jan Kasprowicz (1860-1926) were all Polish poets.
Adam Mickiewicz. Adam Miekiewicz (1798-1855) was a Polish poet, dramatist, educator, and political activist.

The catalog attributes, for stamps that are perforated 11, are as follows:

01 Z. (1947 - Sc. #396) - Blue.
02 Z. (1947 - Sc. #397) - Brown.
03 Z. (1947 - Sc. #398) - Prussian Green.
05 Z. (1947 - Sc. #399) - Olive Green.
06 Z. (1947 - Sc. #400) - Gray Green.
10 Z. (1947 - Sc. #401) - Gray Brown.
15 Z. (1947 - Sc. #402) - Sepia.
20 Z. (1947 - Sc. #403) - Gray Black.

The catalog attributes, for stamps that are imperforate, are as follows:

01 Z. (1947 - Sc. #403A) - Blue.
02 Z. (1947 - Sc. #403B) - Brown.
03 Z. (1947 - Sc. #403C) - Prussian Green.
05 Z. (1947 - Sc. #403D) - Olive Green.
06 Z. (1947 - Sc. #403E) - Gray Green.
10 Z. (1947 - Sc. #403F) - Gray Brown.
15 Z. (1947 - Sc. #403G) - Sepia.
20 Z. (1947 - Sc. #403H) - Gray Black.

The eight Polish Culture pictorial definitive stamps were re-issued in new colors between May and October 1947. They are all shown directly above.

The catalog attributes, for stamps that are perforated 11, are as follows:

01 Z. (1947 - Sc. #405) - Slate Gray.
02 Z. (1947 - Sc. #406) - Orange.
03 Z. (1947 - Sc. #407) - Olive Green.
05 Z. (1947 - Sc. #408) - Olive Brown.
06 Z. (1947 - Sc. #409) - Carmine Rose.
10 Z. (1947 - Sc. #410) - Blue.
15 Z. (1947 - Sc. #411) - Chestnut Brown.
20 Z. (1947 - Sc. #412) - Dark Violet.

A souvenir sheet containing all of these stamps (Sc. #412a) was issued on June 10, 1948. The souvenir sheet sold for 500 Zloty. I have been unable to determine the purpose of the rather excessive 438 Zloty surtax on the purchase of the souvenir sheet.

The catalog attributes, for stamps that are imperforate, are as follows:

01 Z. (1947 - Sc. #412B) - Slate Gray.
02 Z. (1947 - Sc. #412C) - Orange.
03 Z. (1947 - Sc. #412D) - Olive Green.
05 Z. (1947 - Sc. #412E) - Olive Brown.
06 Z. (1947 - Sc. #412F) - Carmine Rose.
10 Z. (1947 - Sc. #412G) - Blue.
15 Z. (1947 - Sc. #412H) - Chestnut Brown.
20 Z. (1947 - Sc. #412I) - Dark Violet.

The four pictorial definitive Polish stamps shown above (Sc. #413-416) were issued on August 20, 1947.

The theme of these pictorial definitive Polish stamps is Occupations.

The major designs, in ascending order by denomination, are as follows:

Laborer.
Farmer.
Fisherman.
Miner.

The nine portrait definitive Polish stamps shown above (Sc. #436-444) were issued in 1948 and 1949. These stamps are unwatermarked and perforated 11 or 11 1/2.

The common design features a portrait of Boleslaw Bierut (1892-1956), the first President of the People's Republic of Poland, and the General Secretary of the Polish United Worker's Party (Polish Communist Party).

Fischer Poland Specialized Catalog

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