Poland 2002-2003

Konopnicka has gained a huge popularity and authority thanks to her patriot and social lyric in which she has been describing with bitter irony the flagrant symptoms of poverty and human harm. Maria Konopnicka died the 8^th October 1910 in Lvov.

On the day of introduction of the stamp in circulation will be issued for sale an FDC, cancelled special issue in use of the Post Office Warszawa 1.

Technical information:
No. of stamps: 1
Face value: 1.10PLN
Printing technology: steel engraving and rotogravure
Paper: fluorescent
Sales sheet: 50 stamps
Size of the stamp: 31.25 x 43 mm
Issue: 400,000 pcs
Designer: Andrzej Heidrich
Engraver: Czesław Słania
Date of circulation: 23.05.2002

The seventh visit of Pope John Paul II in Poland will take place in the days from 16th to 19th of August current year. The Pope will visit among other the sanctuary of Calvary Zebrzydowska, celebrating its 400 years anniversary. The pope will also consecrate the basilica of God's Mercy in Łagiewniki in Cracow.

NB ! - On 4th August 2002 Mr. Jerzy Krysiak (Sweden) has informed me that Slania has not made the two small stamps, but only the sheetlet. But since the stamps are part of the set, they are shown here for those interested.

Lithoed (Not by Slania)

Scott # 3649

Polish Post, as by previous years, will commemorate the consecutive pilgrimage issuing at this occasion three post stamps. They represent:

face value 1, 10 PLN - the pope John Paul II on the background of the basilica of Virgin Mary of the Angel from the sanctuary in Calvary Zebrzydowska. The sanctuary has been erected at the beginning of the XVII c. as the foundation of Mikołaj Zebrzydowski and is to-day in Poland one of the most interesting architectural and landscape site as well as the most frequented pilgrimage place in Poland. With this sanctuary was strongly bound The Saint Father John Paul II, who was coming here frequently.
face value 1, 80 PLN - the pope John Paul II on the background of the sanctuary of God's Mercy in Łagiewniki. It is situated on the estate of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Virgin Mary's Mercy. The convent of this congregation was well known to the pope. Already during the occupation times, going to his work in Solvey he was passing by the site and was calling at the monastery's chapel.
face value 3, 20 PLN - the silhouette of the pope John Paul II on the background of the Wawel castle. The hill of Wawel in Cracow was from the dawn of the Polish history a centre of the authority secular and ecclesiastic. In the year 1000 has been created in Cracow the seat of the episcopate and soon after has been erected on the Wawel hill the first cathedral. The Wawel castle was used by the sovereigns of Poland as a residence from the first half of the XI century up to the beginning of the XVII c. It got its present shape in the years 1504-1535 by the times of the kings Aleksander Jagiellończyk /1501-1506/ and Zygmunt Stary /1506-1548/.

Technical information:

No. of stamps: 3
Face value: 1.10 PLN, 1.80 PLN, 3.20 PLN
Printing technology:
  face values 1.10 PLN, 1.80 PLN - offset
  face value 3.20 PLN - steel engraving
Paper: fluorescent
Sales sheet: 20 stamps
Size of the stamps:
  face values 1.10 PLN, 1.80 PLN - 43 x 31.25 mm
  face value 3.20 PLN - 39.5 x 31.25 mm /stamp/, 74 x 59 mm /block/

Issue:
  face value 1.10 PLN - 8 000 000 pcs
  face value 1.80 PLN - 2 700 000 pcs
  face vaue 3.20 PLN - 400 000 pcs
Designer:
  of the stamps - Janusz Wysocki
  of the stamp in form of block - Maciej Jędrysik
Engraver - Czesław Słania
Date of circulation:
  of the stamps - 05.08.2002
  of the stamp in the block - 16.08.2002

On the day of introduction of the stamps into circulation will be issued for sale three types of FDC, cancelled with two daters special issues, in use of the Post Office Kraków 1.

XVIII General Convention of the Delegates of the Polish Philatelic Association in Ciechocinek

In the days 4-6 October will take place the mentioned event. The object of the taking place every four years convention is the election of the new authorities of the Association. In the convention will participate 54 delegates, honour members of PPA and the representatives of Polish Post.

The post stamp brought into circulation which commemorates this event represents the Well-room of Mineral Waters. Constructed from timber in Switzerland style it has been erected in the years 1880-1881 according to the design of Edward Cichocki.

Ciechocinek - called the Pearl of the Polish Health Resorts is one of the most famous resort. It is hold in estimation thanks to its natural healing springs and microclimate. The wealth of Ciechocinek are salt waters having therapeutic proprieties.

The turning point in the history of Ciechocinek was the year 1836, when in the local inn have been installed four therapeutic copper bath tubs. This has initiated the Spring Plant which was the origin of the resort. With the time Ciechocinek has been growing more and more popular, have been erected pension houses for the more and more numerous visitors. The resort was expending and developing. It ended by granting to Ciechocinek in 1916 the rights of a city.

As before Ciechocinek attracts to-day bathers and holiday visitors not only because of its healing properties but also for its picturesque landscape, the green of the numerous squares and stroll areas.

Scott # 3653

The sheet exists also imperforate as Scott # 3653a

On the day of introduction of the stamps into circulation will be issued for sale an FDC, cancelled special issue in Post Office Ciechocinek

Technical information:

No. of stamps: : 1 in the form of a block
Face value: 3.20 PLN
Printing technology: steel engraving - rotogravure
Paper: fluorescent
Size of the stamp: 54 x 40.50,
of the block 74 x 105 mm

Issue:
perforated version - 400,000 pcs
non perforated version - 90,000 pcs
Designer: Andrzej Heidrich
Engraver: Czeslaw Slania
Date of circulation: 01.09.2002

In 1999 Poland initiated a series of stamps, named "Polonica" which reproduce stamps of other nations honouring accomplished Polish natives. Two of four stamps in this series, issued on December 12, 2003, include Swedish stamps which were engraved by Cz. Slania.

The Swedish stamp issued in 2000, honouring Wislawa Szymborska for her winning of the 1996 Nobel Prize (Scott 2399a) is shown on the 1.20 Zl-stamp. The other stamp, a value of 2.10 Zl, shows the stamp issued in 1986, depicting the presentation of the Nobel Prize by King Carl XVI Gustav to Czeslaw Milosz (Scott 1598).

Both of the original Swedish stamps were engraved by Slania. The Polonica set is designed by Maciej Jecrysik and printed in sheets of 25 by lithography, not intaglio.

Click on the links -- or the images -- to see the original Swedish stamps for 1986 and 2000 respectively. The links will open in a new window.

The screened images are faithful to the designs, showing the strong engraving lines of the originals and the signature of Slania. These stamps, while not printed from die created by Slania, should be considered Slania-related items, because they include designs which were originally executed by him. On the upper selvedge of the Polish stamps is printed the word "POLONICA" (not shown here).