JAN JESSENIUS WAS BORN 450 YEARS AGO

The foreign philatelic releases of the joint issue

 

The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia commemorated the 450th anniversary of the birth of Jan Jessenius by issuing a joint stamp with a label.

The countries involved in the issue are linked by hundreds of years of history, an example of which is the life and work of Jan Jessenius from the village of Nagyjeszen in present-day Slovakia, who lived at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. The joint stamp issue also underlines the historical background of the participating countries that is the same in many respects and their similar cultural community.
The stamps with a label were made using the same graphic design. The stamp features a portrait of Jan Jessenius by the Nuremberg engraver Lucas Kilian made in 1618 and the label shows the title page of Jan Jessenius’ work Anatomy published in Wittenberg in 1601.
The Czech, Slovak and Hungarian issues were printed using the gravure process in the Postal Printing House of Securities Prague Inc. (Poštovní tiskárna cenin Praha a.s.). The use of this printing technique means that the portrait on the stamp has extremely rich tones and details.

 

The four countries involved in the joint issue have released not only their own stamp with a label on Jan Jessenius but also other philatelic products related to him, which Magyar Posta offers for sale in its internet store and at Filaposta.
The hand that appears on the Czech and Slovak first day cover is based on a detail of a human body depicted with astrological symbols from the early 17th century. The Polish first day cover employs a contemporary anatomical illustration of the upper part of the human body.

The postmarks on the first day covers of all four countries show a book cover from the age of Jan Jessenius.

 

Besides the stamp with the label and the first day cover, the Slovak Post also issued a numbered black print, a commemorative card and a special set of stamps. Apart from the black print, Magyar Posta only sells the special set of stamps. The set contains the stamps of all four countries as well as a mint Slovak black print in a mount. The product made of exclusive card contains a brief description of Jan Jessenius’ life in English and Slovakian, and the issue also shows the special postmark of the four postal administrations participating in the joint issue.

Magyar Posta sells the issues while stocks last.