Introduction 1882 - I 1887 1891 - II 1895 - III 1898 1899 1900 1901 - IV 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 - V 1908 1910 1911 1912 - VI 1913 1914 1915 1916 1918 1919 1920 - Local Events 1920 - VII 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 - VIII 1927 1928

SOKOL POSTCARDS and Poster Stamps 1923 (Click on any image to view an enlarged version) SLET SOKOLSKÉ ŽUPY ŠUMAVSKÉ V DOMAŽLICÍCH 1923     Above, at left, postcard of a painting by František Michl, produced for a Slet run by the Sokol District of the Bohemian Forest in Domazlice, posted from there on 22.XII.23; addressed to Prague II, and bearing its unit cachet applied in lilac; and another card for the same Slet, with another painting by Fr. Michl. The Slet was held over three days: 15th July 1923: Young children's displays: 22nd July 1923: Main events and displays: 29th July 1923: Day of the armed Sokol riders. ------ Local Sokol in Lanškroun Below, Postcard showing the Arms of State and a Sokol rider produced for a meeting of Sokols from the 3rd district of West Bohemia in Lanškroun in 1923. Posted from Lanškroun with its bi-lingual postmark cancelling a 50h. "chainbreaker" stamp dated 11.VI.23, it is addressed to Chrudim. (Note amended date from 1921.)   Artist: Kikinese ------ Praha - Nusle || Prague - Nusle The title of this card is "BRAVERY," and it shows the Sokol Praha-Nusle group during its morning training. Nusle is a district within Prague. It was an independent village until 1922, when it merged with its larger neighbor, so by the time of this performance, it was part of Prague. Its Sokol group was founded in 1888.   ------ Prague, Capital of the Kingdom (And Siberian Soldier stamps!)   Artist: Karel Šimůnek The image side of this is a pretty standard Sokol Czech patriotic painting of a heroic woman symbolizing Prague sitting on a huge marble throne inscribed in Latin PRAGA CAPUT REGNI or "Prague, Capital of the Kingdom." Standing in front of her holding the Sokol flag, a Sokol soldier. I'm not sure about the significance of the brazier. The symbol beneath the brazier, with three towers, is part of the coat-of-arms of Prague. No date anywhere, or reference to a specific event, so we cannot say this card belongs here, per se. But the address side is more interesting. Sent from Smichov to Jihlava(?), the card has a violet handstamp with the dates September 29 & 30, 1923, and announcing the Jubilee celebration of 50 years of the Czechoslovak Post Officers Association. During the celebration, there was an exhibition of Legionary and Siberian post. And that last part explains the blue and red stamps. The postage is paid by the valid green Czech 50 haler stamp at top left. The other two stamps are just decoration. They are Czech Legion stamps - probably counterfeit, but in any case having no postal validity. That Wikipedia article mentions and pictures two of the sixteen or so different stamps issued to pay for transport of mail on the Siberian Railway areas under control of the Legion in 1919 and 1920. The ones on this card were designed and printed professionally in Prague, while the earlier issues were produced in Russia, and are somewhat crude. Authentic copies of some of these command high prices!

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