500 on 5000 Koruna Overprint, Inverted

Czechoslovakia · 1919 · 500 Koruna

This definitive stamp features an inverted red overprint of '500' on a 5000 Koruna stamp from the Austrian Empire. The original Austrian stamp, designed by Koloman Moser, depicts a stylized crown. This overprint was part of the first series of stamps issued by the newly formed Czechoslovak Republic.

Issued shortly after Czechoslovakia's independence in 1918, this stamp represents the nation's effort to establish its own postal system by repurposing existing Austrian imperial stock. The inverted overprint is a famous and valuable printing error.