While researching for the third part of my article on Soviet Head Artist Ivan Dubasov (plug!) I came across this salutary tale, featuring that most prolific of Russian stamp designers, Vasiliy Zavialov.
Zavialov had been designing stamps since 1925: by 1958 he had more than 500 stamps to his name, more than anyone else, and had introduced two sons, Alexander and Leo, to the business. No problem, then, to design the stamp commemorating the Moscow Postal Conference of Socialist States in May, 1958 - coincidentally celebrating his elevation to the status of 'Honoured Artist of the RSFSR'. Here is his stamp:
But Zavialov had slipped up. He was still only 52, but perhaps his workload had taken its toll. There was a glaring mistake. Perhaps people took offence. Whatever the case, the award of 'Honoured Artist of the RSFSR' was immediately withdrawn. Zavialov had to wait ten long years for the honour to be resubmitted, accepted and finally awarded.
Meanwhile, the mistake had to be rectified. That November, no doubt long after the Conference delegates had returned to their various countries, the stamp reappeared, looking (correctly) like this:
Now, can you spot the difference?
(Russia collectors may well know this story already; if so, of course you know the difference, and my apologies for repeating it!)
There appears to be actually two mistakes. The lower flag on the outer left shows the red field with a wider marking than the first stamp. And, the biggest mistake is the red and white stripes on the third stamp in the third column of flags are flipped.
The Albanian flag of 1946-1992 definitely has the yellow star, as you might expect from a socialist country, even one which leant towards China rather than the USSR at least in the latter part of that period.
Less explicable is the North Korean flag (lower left) which Lindale has spotted. In the original, this appears to be in proper order, with the proportions of the stripes correct. However, in the revised version the lower white stripe has been blotted out by the central red stripe, and the whole thing looks a mess.
My source for this story was the Russian version of Wikipedia, which mentions the major Czechoslovak flag error but not the Albanian one. (Stanley Gibbons notes the two separate issues without comment, which I hadn't noticed.)
So, here are some options, assuming that Zavialov (and not some underling) was in total charge of the designs. One: he was having a really bad period in his life, and kept on making mistakes, and the North Korea error was overlooked. Two: the Czechoslovak and Albania errors duly corrected, VVZ was so piqued at the withdrawal of his lifetime award that he deliberately defaced the North Korean flag!
Three: the lower white line really is there, and the 1958 multi-colour printing system at Goznak was a bit rubbish, and someone, though not VVZ, was probably sent to the salt-mines...
I suppose the third is slightly more likely than the first two.
Well spotted, everyone!
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I'd not heard of this before.