Polonica
Polish Millennium

Christianity        Millennium        Monte Cassino         Warsaw

The Polish State Millennium has been celebrated by various groups by issuing commemorative seals engraved by Czeslaw Slania.  A Danish collector, Mr. Stig Løvenkrands, has sent me a scan of a little known and rarely seen engraving, which I am pleased to present to the public on this page.   The label is private property.   It is shown largely oversized for a better view.  Please read below for more information.  

The Polish Combatants Organization of the United States, in 1964, on the occasion of the Polish Millennium, had printed a sheetlet of nine seals.  Designed by Dana Jarry of France, and engraved by Czeslaw Slania, the dimensions of the sheetlet are 153 x 197 mm, printed in green, individually perforated 14. Each label is 35.2 x 21 mm.  All sheets are numbered, but the total number is unknown.  The engraver also printed several examples in different colours, perforated 11½. 

The seal depicts the Royal Castle in Warszawa, dated from the 17th century, and built in barock style, a statue of King Sigismund III Vasa in Warszawa, a gothic monastery from the 16th century in Czestochowa, and the Town Hall in early Gothic style at Wroclaw.  These buildings symbolize the State and the Church.  To the left of the architectural memorials are three crests:  the Polish Coat of Arms, Maria (Madonna) Ostrobramska in Wilna and the Coat of Arms of the city Lwow.  

The inscription SPK -- in Polish STOWARZYSZENIE POLSKICH KOMBATANTOW -- means "Association of Polish Combatants in USA".   In Close-Up No. 3/2003 is shown a b/w scan of the full sheetlet, reduced to 50%.  

Similarly, the Polish Combatants of Sweden issued a label commemorating the Polish Millennium, based on a watercolour designed by Czeslaw Slania and printed in offset.   It measures 50 x 29 mm on white, gummed paper.  The number issued is unknown.  It is printed in sheets of eighteen, the sheet size being 200 x 264 mm.  Scan submitted by Mr. Lars Nyberg (Sweden).

Christianity        Millennium        Monte Cassino         Warsaw

Sources:

• Close-Up No. 3/2003, pg. 8-9.

• Mr. Jerzy Krysiak (Sweden).