Czech Scout Post Forgeries
Telegram & Newspapers
Frederick P. Lawrence, PhD

During the operation of the Czech Scout Post, Scouts carried telegrams addressed to the provisional National Council Government from the Wireless [Telegram] Station to the National Council offices in the Hradcany Palace.  Genuinely carried and marked telegrams are quite scarce, for the following reason.  At the Wireless Station, incoming telegrams were first folded in half horizontally, then folded again into thirds in such a manner that the top center one-sixth of the original telegram was visible from the front of the folded telegram.  Then the back flaps of the folded telegram were bound together by a square paper seal which was pasted over the overlapping back flaps.  Folded and sealed telegrams were then collected in bundles for pickup by Scouts.  Scouts then delivered the bundles of telegrams to the Scout Post operations center collocated with the National Council offices.

Genuine Scout Carried Telegram
Genuine Scout Carried Telegram

At the Scout Post operations center, before the bundle of telegrams was broken open an adult Scout leader applied Scout Post stamp(s) to the telegram on the top of each bundle of telegrams, tied the stamp(s) with the POSTA SKAUTU or the NV handstamp, applied the two-line "Dopis od skauta...prevzal..." [Delivered by Scout...received by...] handstamp and wrote in the name of the Scout who had delivered the bundle of telegrams and the date of delivery.  Since only the top telegram of each bundle was franked, genuinely carried and marked telegrams are quite scarce.

Forged Telegram
Forged Telegram

Next is a forged newspaper usage.  The underlying newspaper, a copy of the Prague newspaper VENKOV of the November 13, 1918, a date within the period of the operation of the Scout Post.  The Scout stamp is also genuine.  The POSTA SCATU and "Dopis od skauta...prevzal..." handstamps are forged, and the entire newspaper usage is fabricated.  Collectors of Czech Scout Post should understand that all such newspaper usages to date are fabrications involving forged handstamps, and they should be only collected as such.

Forged Newspaper
Forged Newspaper

Note that adjacent to the stamp appears a German expert's permanent forgery marking: "Marke echt/Stempel falsch/MAHR BPF" [Stamp genuine/Handstamp forged/(Max) Mahr Bundesprufer Federation].


SOSSI Journal, Volume 44, Number 3, May/June 1995