This is the proposed Polish stratosphere flight mini-sheet issued 15 Sept 1938, Scott B31.
The balloon, named Gwiazda Polski (The Star of Poland), containing two pilots, was meant to be launched on Sept 15 but was delayed due to weather conditions till Oct 14. Unfortunately, the balloon burst into flames on take-off & was destroyed although the pilots & gondola were saved.
Commemorative postcards were prepared by the organisational commitee of the flight. Mini-sheets were applied to the reverse and a commemorative cancel applied. A two line handstamp was applied to the front indicating the card had been carried by balloon.
After the balloon burnt up a rectangular handstamp was applied explaining the abandonment of the flight, and the cards were sent by normal post.
The mini-sheet on the reverse bears the cancellation date — 24 IX 38
Commercial usage was rare as out of a cost. of 2 Zloty only 75gr. applied for postage.
1939 13 July. Katowice to Pecs, Hungary. Registered
Hungarian letter rate - 45gr. Reg. fee - 45gr.
The reverse bears a "Foreign Currency Control" label. In the immediate pre-war years Polish currency was prohibited from being sent abroad. The labels were used by the authorities to indicate that no Polish currency was enclosed.
The commem. cancel was forged in the 1970s. In 1977 the proprietor of the Syrena stamp Co. in Toronto, Canada was jailed for forging numerous Polish cancels of this era. He took photos of genuine cancels & produced rubber versions so the features of the forgeries were somewhat thicker than the originals.
In this case the stamp is the give-away. The cancel is 15 Sept 1938, but the stamp, part of the 20th anniv of Polish Independence set, wasn't issued till 11 Nov 1938!
Posted 11/24/2016 4:02 pm
