Production Details
In order to understand why this issue is of special interest, one must understand the manufacturing process used.
The process for producing the plates started in the normal typographic manner. A photographic reproduction of the design with the appropriate denomination numerals pasted into the value tablet started the process. The printers used the same photographic reproduction for both the haléřů and korun denominations by simply pasting the appropriate currency designation into the value tablet.
The templates created by the above process, typically 130 by 111 mm, were photographed and from them were manufactured master printing blocks of a single stamp image in the actual released size. These master blocks were used to produce single black prints which were pasted together in ten rows of ten which was then photographed. This photographic negative was chemically transferred to a metal matrix for printing. What makes this issue so interesting is that for some denominations, as many as three master blocks were created, so that as many as three types can be found on a single pane of stamps.
In most cases, a single metal matrix was made and galvanized plates taken from the matrix. Unlike the Hradčany, there are no control numbers under each column of stamps on the pane, and metal stress bars were placed at the top and bottoms of the plates. These produced the groups of parallel lines seen in the upper and lower selvage areas. For more information, see Plate Identification.
The Monografie [Volume 4, page 341] illustrates the different sources for the plates used to print the 1Kč panes. From the original matrix, produced in the normal manner, this denomination was printed for the years 1932-1934. However, two new matrices were later constructed, one used for the 1935, 1937, and 1938 printings, the other for the 1936 printing. For more information, see Production of the 1 Koruna Stamp.
While many (but not all) of the negatives, matrices, and galvanized plates are archived in the Prague Postal Museum, little is know about the layout of the plates on the printing press.