Hradčany Castle, Prague

Czechoslovakia · 1918 · 5 h

This is the first postage stamp issued by the newly formed nation of Czechoslovakia. The design, by renowned Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha, features a stylized view of Hradčany Castle in Prague, a symbol of Czech statehood, framed by linden leaves. The sun rising behind the castle symbolizes the dawn of a new, independent nation.

Issued in December 1918, just weeks after Czechoslovakia declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire following World War I, this stamp represents the birth of the new republic.