(Editor: a question from reader Petr from the Czech Republic:) Do you know who is the stamp designer of the North Korean stamp 1984 year Scott Nr 2429-2431, Michel 2522-2524? The stamp with Tereskhova is important for me, that is with a value of 10. In my exhibit about Tereskhova, I have two original artworks of this stamp and information about the author is missing now.
The artwork and the stamp from the exhibit:
Please leave your answer in the comment field below.
According to the official North Korean stamp catalogue the designer of this stamp was Kim Tong Han. And indeed, that is the name written on the paper slip (in the box to the right) shown in the exhibit: 김동한.
This is one beautiful stamp!
Truly a design style that is sorely missed in this super safe and sanitised corporate world we all are now living in.
Thank you Petr for asking your question and giving us all the opportunity to enjoy this wonderful work of art.
Agree wholeheartedly with your comment Simon. Thank you Petr for sharing.
Unfortunately this artwork is reproduction but not original. The signature is incorrect.
Petr, who originally asked the question, sent us another example:
I must 2nd the opinion of Mr. Chen. I have seen a lot of NK stamp artwork that was clearly reproductions. The government stamp bureau has many such enterprises especially faking postally used covers (complete with date stamps) and stamp mixtures with 1970s stamps on them. They are easily detected by brightly colored paper envelopes or pieces of envelopes which were simply unavailable in the D.P.R.K. at that time.
Paper is often a key in determining reproductions in NK material. Their paper production quality until recently was so low that it couldn’t be replicated by modern machines. Wood chips, dirt, and poor chemical processes are almost a fingerprint of authentication in much of pre 1970s stamps and covers.