Fischer 2-5 | Michel 2-5 | Scott 11-14 | Year of issue 1918 | Pre-war Poland
Overprints on non-issued Warsaw city postage stamps from 1916. The text "Poczta Miejska" (city postage) is overprinted with "Poczta Polska" (Polish postage). Polish Fenigów denominations are used (100 Fenigów = 1 Marka), derived from the German Pfennig and Mark.
2 Zygmunt column
3 Syrena on a baroque shield
4 Polish eagle
5 Jan III Sobieski monument in Łazienki park
Glossary
The Zygmunt column is A 22 meters high statue of Zygmunt III Waza on the Castle Square in Warsaw, erected in 1644. The bronze monument represents king Zygmunt III Waza in a coronation cloak over a suit of armour, a sabre and a cross in his hands. Zygmunt III Waza was king of Poland (1587-1632) and Sweden (1592-1599). His Swedish name is Sigismund Vasa. He moved the capital from Kraków to Warsaw.
The Royal Castle is a baroque castle in Warsaw. The castle was the seat of the king and the parliament until 1795, of the tsars until the 19th century and from 1918 the residence of the presidents of Poland. Today the castle is a museum.
The mermaid figure is the coat of arms of Warsaw, called Syrena (Syren). Syrena in the Polish mythology is a draconian snake goddess or half woman, half fish being who protects the Vistula river and the Polish capital city, Warsaw.
The eagle is the coat of arms of Poland. Baroque is a highly decorated style which was fashionable in art, buildings, music etc. in Europe during the 17th century. Jan III Sobieski was elected king of Poland in the 17th century after defeating the Ottoman Turks in the Battle of Vienna in 1683. Łazienki is a romantic park-and-palace complex in Warsaw. Warsaw (Warszawa in Polish) is the capital of Poland.
A Grosz in Poland, since 1367, is 3.2 grammes of silver.
Translations
Poczta Miejska = City postage. Poczta Polska = Polish postage. FEN = abbreviation for Fenigów, Polish currency. Groszy = Polish currency. Warszawa = Warsaw.
