We discovered this highly-informative article by W. L. Russell on the popular “Chainbreaker” issues of Czechoslovakia, which originally appeared in the “Australian Stamps News” (February 1, 1947). It gives detailed lists of the amounts printed and finally issued. There is even a useful list of the plate flaws. It makes for fascinating reading…

Has it ever occurred to you that, of all the allegorical designs shown on the stamps of Czechoslovakia, none more aptly portrays the spirit of October 28, 1918, than the “Chainbreaker?”

It reminds me of Macaulay’s lines, “Burst the curb and bounded, rejoicing to be free.” I confess to a fondness for this design, out of all proportion to its philatelic worth. Let’s see what we can discover about it.

Designed by Professor Vratislav Hugo Brunner, the “Chainbreaker” was first issued on June 18, 1920, and printed flat-bed by the United Czech Printing Co.. Originally it was proof-printed in gravure, but either because of protests by the designer, or because gravure was found unsuitable, the design was surface-printed. Four plates comprised the forme in each printing, each plate consisting of 100 subjects.

Czechoslovakia 1920 “Chainbreaker” issue

The allegory shows a figure of a woman, dressed in Slovak national dress, in a joyful posture of thanksgiving. In the background at base are shown Mount Rip (Bohemia) and Mount Krivan (Slovakia). The design is always found with the initials V.H.B. outside the southern frame of the stamp. These initials, by the way, are slightly larger on the 40h. and 250h. values than on the others.

Brunner’s design was first submitted in June, 1919, at a competition. Curiously enough, although it won first prize, it was not used. At that time it had a horizontally lined background and the date of the revolution on the left-hand side. At a later competition (3/2/1920) the design was again entered. This time it had a full-coloured background, two sets of value-figures. and no date.

Issued. Valid Till. Originally Printed. Finally Issued.
20h. red 22/6/20 30/4/21 61,070,000 58,370,000
25h brown 18/6/20 30/4/21 13,920,000 9,220,009
30h. violet 22/6/20 31/12/25 91,260,000 91,260,000
40h. brown 16/8/20 31/12/25 165,860,000 166,860,000
50h. red 17/9/20 31/1/23 41,840,000 41,839,900
60h. green 23/1/28 31/12/25 469,990,000 469,990,000
60h. blue 16/8/20 31/12/25 268,530,000 268,530,000
100h. brown 15/10/20 31/1/23 197,940,000 191,580,000
160h. red 10/4/22 31/1/23 10,000,000 6,070,000
185h. orange 17/9/20 31/1/23 21,100,000 10,800,000
250h. dk. green 15/10/20 31/1/23 24,900,000 24,900,000

Table 1

So far as I have been able to discover, the values, dates of issue, and quantities were as shown above (see table 1).

The variation in the last two columns of figures is due to certain stamps being later overprinted for Postage Dues.

The 40h. is the only value that exhibits two types–one with and one without a small white dot over the lowest leaf of the Linden branch at right. Most of you will already know the explanation for the two types, but it  is worth repeating. The plates for the “Chainbreaker” series were produced by the photo-engraving process, whereby the original large sketch of the design was, with the aid of photography, reduced and reproduced in the form of a zinc block.

There was only one original sketch for all the values in this series (excepting, of course, the 25h. value which had a lined background), and it showed the figure “30.” For the other values in the series the same sketch was used, the figure “30” being simply covered over with a black patch on which the other figures of value were sketched in white.

By accident, during the photographing of the 40h. value, the covering shield was slightly misplaced, so that under it the lowest point of the “3” at the right-hand side (which extends over to the lowest leaf of the Linden branch) peeped forth and appears on the 40h. as a white dot. This was later corrected.

The “Chainbreaker” series is fairly rich in plate errors. I have worked out a plan, based on those recorded in the specialist handbooks, together with others which I have established myself as being constant, which should enable you to easily locate them in the different values.

I don’t imagine that the list is a complete one, but it shows all those that I have seen, or know of. If there are others which are constant, I shall be glad to hear about them. For example, I have read that the 50h. red appears “without head,” but hesitate to record it, as a similar error in the 20h. was found to be a forgery.

One finds two kinds of paper in all stamps of the “Chainbreaker” series. It is either smooth white, or porous yellowish. The latter is caused through gum in the porous paper.

Perforation is usually comb perf. 14, but line perf. 13¾ is found in all values as well, not only in those which were prepared for stamp booklets and consequently are found tete-beche. Imperf. stamps cannot be regarded as other than essays, despite the fact that some did, for a short period, find their way to the Post Office unperforated (the 30h. in Brno and the 40h. in Pardubice).

Czechoslovakia “Chainbreaker” errors

Personally, I should like to see a re-issue of the “Chainbreaker” now that the Germans are driven from the country. The original design, steel engraved, and rotary printed, would very adequately proclaim the new-found freedom, and would also be a link with the happy days of 1920.

The Plate Errors.
No. on diagram. Description of Plate Error. No. on diagram. Description of Plate Error.
20h. RED.
1 P of POSTA filled in. 26 Angle of left 2 filled in.
37 Right hand without fetter. 21 Left hand with “glove.”
35 Right hand with “glove.”
Inscription blurred.
32 CESKOSLOVENSK (without final A). 24 White ring above left value.
21 Left hand with six fingers. 37 “Burning” fetter.
46 Right figure 20 blurred. 17 No P in POSTA.
30h. VIOLET.
20 Four fingers on left hand. 23 White “stone” hanging to chain at left
39 Head and neck joined at right by thick white line. 33 ENSKA joined to fingers.
26 3 and 0 joined at left. 46 3 and 0 joined at right.
20 Double line on the left hand. 37 Right arm without fetter.
46 White line across right 30.
40h. BROWN.
12 Broken frame above V of SLOVENSKA (T. I). 34 “Burning” chain under SLOV (T. II).
8 Broken O in CESKO (T. II). 25 Dot over 40 at left (T. II).
38 “Pimple” on arm at right (T. I). 10 Long L in SLOV (T. II).
6 C of CESKO joined to chain (T. II). 14 E of ENSKA joined to fetter (T. II).
Blurred inscription.
44 Right 4 with line through it. 36 White “C” shaped fleck above right chain.
50h. RED.
43 Ring above right 50. 15 White dot under S of SKA.
30 Egg in girdle. 37 Arm without fetter.
11 SLQV. 15 SK in SKA joined.
3 SLA instead of STA.
50h. GREEN.
30 Egg in girdle. 5 Dot between A of POSTA and C of CES.
35 Right hand white. 45 Coloured dot in front of right 50.
60h. BLUE.
Inscrption blurred.
21 Six fingers on left hand. 2 Small ring in O of POSTA.
18 K and A joined with white line. 27 Broken outline to left 0 of 60.
29 Inner frame line broken at left below 60. 19, 35 Both hands white.
22 White dot under left hand. 1 P of POSTA filled up.
40 Hair extending right to frame. 9 White dot over head.
42 White ring above right 60. 46 No incline to right 60.
44 Broken 6 at right. 27 Broken 0 of 60 at left.
100h. BROWN.
4 Semi-circle under A in POSTA. 10 L missing from SLOVENSKA.
48 Second 0 in right 100 broken at base. 35 Four fingers on hand at right.
25 First 0 of left 100 with white dot above. 49 Broken inner frame below right 100.
19, 35 Both hands white. 20 Fourth and fifth fingers joined at left.
4 Long A in POSTA. 26, 44 No serifs to 1’s in both 100’s.
43 White dot over first 0 in right 100. 28 White dot under first 0 in left 100.
35 “Boil” on right hand.
150h. RED.
18 Left hand with long thumb.
185h. ORANGE.
25 8 open at top (left). 44 8 closed at top (right).
35 White hand at right. 13 White dot in V of SLOV.
250h. DARK GREEN.
28 Double line under left 250. 31 Broken knee.
26 Dot between 2 and 5 at left. 7 Dot under K of CESKO.
41 Mutilated breast. 47 “Burning” branch.

Table 2