This day, exactly 174 years and 210 days after the issue of the first rectangular postage stamp in the world, the foundations of philately rocked and the world for the first time ever saw a round postage stamp featuring one of the 136 possible portraits of the genius of Jára Cimrman.

As a teacher in the Galician village called Nipple, Jára Cimrman met a local postmaster’s daughter Erika T. She soon became Cimrman’s girlfriend and also the recorder of his ideas and principles.

We know from Erika T.’s records that Jára Cimrman presented to the Austrian Imperial and Royal Post Office his plan of using field artillery for the delivery of express mail. This innovative plan had the benefit of delivery within several seconds to a given address. The disadvantage was that it vastly reduced the number of addressees. The service was cancelled on request of the Galician population. Inspired by the round postmark, Jára Cimrman also designed a round postage stamp for these express consignments.

About the stamp

The typeface used in these My Own Stamps was designed by academic painter and graphic artist Petr Foltera; the pictures used in the stamps and print sheets were designed by Jaroslav and Michal Weigel.

The issue contains a definitive A- and Z-stamp. These stamps printed on a print sheet are used for a specimen issue of My Own Stamps with this layout.

The letter A corresponds to the current price of the domestic service Ordinary Letter - Standard up to 50 g (as per the current version of the Pricelist of Basic Postal Services - CZK 13 as of the date of issue). The A-stamp comes out in the volume of 2.5 million.

The letter Z corresponds to the current price of the international priority service International Ordinary Mail up to 50 g to non-European countries (as per the current version of the Pricelist of Basic Postal Services - CZK 30 as of the date of issue). The Z-stamp comes out in the volume of 0.5 million.

The stamps are on sale at selected larger post offices and philatelic counters.

You can also order them on our website in the Philately section.