Noted stamp engraver Czeslaw Slania dies at 83

STOCKHOLM, Sweden. 21 March 2005

The Swedish Post Office announced the famous stamp engraver, Czeslaw Słania, died in the night of Thursday, 17 March.

Born in Czeladź, Poland in October 1921, he was trained at the Kraków School of Fine Arts from 1945. While still a student, he was hired by Poland's printing bureau and began a career as an engraver, producing his first postage stamp for Poland in 1951.

In 1956 Słania moved to Sweden, where three years later he began work for the Swedish Post Office and became their chief engraver. He produced over 1,000 stamps for Sweden and 28 other countries. His work is of such recognized quality and detail that he is one of the very few "household names" among philatelists. Some specialize in collecting his work alone. His 1,000th stamp was the magnificent "Great Deeds by Swedish Kings" by David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl in 2000, which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. He was also engaged in engraving banknotes for many countries, recent examples of his work including the Prime Ministerial portraits on the front of the new Canadian $5 and $100 bills.

Słania was active until the end of his life, delivering his last completed stamp that commemorated the 60th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly, in February 2005.

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