Origin of the book
Book
The historian Pavel Černý describes the dramatic events preceding the 28th of October 1918 in a stirring manner. Days when the Czechoslovakian statehood was born minute by minute. The effort of Czech and Slovak people to self-determination within the Austrian monarchy and later to create an independent state, took decades. But this day changed everything literally. And five men revolved around history.
Apart from describing the events on the key day in our history, the book also includes portraits of the main participants. You will find a set of period photographs and documents here, too.
Medals
The collection includes five massive medals with portraits of the key participants on the 28th of October. The medal is a coin type with very high relief, with plasticity that was common 100 years ago. Every medal has its certificate, went through a thorough check and bears the assay of the Assay Office. The medals are minted of pure material, with a purity of 999/1000 and a weight of 1 troy ounce (1oz = 31.1035 g). The material is refined, cleaned and reworked in the Czech refinery, especially from old jewelry and coins of that time. The medals have got a manually minted registry number.
Antonín Švehla (1873–1933)
„Democracy is not just a right, but also an obligation. Choose your leaders to whom you entrust your destiny, carefully.“
Alois Rašín (1867–1923)
„There is no charge for homeland service!“
František Soukup (1871–1940)
„Austria will be either a democratic league of independent nations – or it won’t be!“
Jiří Stříbrný (1880–1955)
„There will be no deal with nationalism in the independent state after the war, we have to hold on to socialism then.“
Vavro Šrobár (1867–1950)
„The question of Czechoslovak mutuality is the question of the cultural unity of the Czech-Slovak nation. And since we understand all the psychic and material state of whichever nation under the term culture, therefore the Czechoslovak mutuality is an extremely complicated question concerning the whole life of the nation.“
Stamps
The set of post stamps completes the collection of medals, that already has the ambition of becoming the collector’s item. It’s a sheet with 8 stamps, again with portraits of the Men of the 28th of October, which are completed with 3 other stamps with historical themes. Stamps in the letter value A are printed in a minimal limited edition in the Poštovní tiskárna cenin and won’t be in the free circulation.
Production
Information, literary and collectible value of the edition is completed with its unique processing. Without exaggeration, a work of this caliber and rendition hasn’t been created not just in Czech lands yet. The creators put special emphasis on precise handwork using traditional craft methods and the finest materials.
The front of the book’s boards is of Czech oak with carved plastic motif, ironwork and decoration of rare metals and gemstones. It can be made to measure according to individual requirements and decorated e. g. with moldavites or Czech garnets. The Men of the 28th of October medals are set in the back of the book cover.
The book is printed on hand paper with watermarks. A lot of printing techniques were used while printing the book: classic printing, offset printing, relief printing – hot stamping, blind printing, digital and inkjet printing. The binding was realized by true masters of bookbinding craft.
Medals, stamps and historic publications are stored in a made to measure luxury case where you will also find silk gloves, magnifying glass, and relevant certificates. The case ensures keeping constant temperature and humidity to maintain ideal conditions for a long-term deposits, as well as for studying the collector’s material.
An extraordinary collection which can be adapted individually in the main details according to specific requirements of the taker is the result of the two-year effort of the team of artists and craftsmen.