In 1973 the lithography shop of Balabanovo match factory fulfilled just another order - had printed the pages of new two-color set "Moscow. Armory chamber", consisting of 22 different labels and sent them two sixteen match factories. The set was not used only by Balabanovo, Gomel and "Iskra" (Blagoveschensk) factories and Baltic factories, that did not use the services of Balabanovo lithography.
Soon some, now unknown, historian quite accidentally found, that three of the labels were incorrectly dated (on two of them there were printed XVI century instead of XVII and on one the samovar of 1801 was dated by XVII century) and on one the broth kettle called "tea kettle".
Turinsk match factory
On the left - labels with mistakes, on the right - corrected ones.
And that despite the thorough check made by Moscow "Arts Counsel" that checked the drawing of every label!
In the same year the set was reprinted with corrections and without any fuss sent to the match factories. Both editions were used for match production and changes in the second issue went on unnoticed!
This publication is the first mention about two issues of the set that seem to be presented almost in every collection of Russian phillumenists.
"Baikal" match factory
On the left - labels with mistakes, on the right - corrected ones.
It is impossible to give an exect number of color and factory variations of the set, but the most complete information (but does not mentioning the existance of two sets) is in the "List of the USSR match labels issued in 1973" by Milan Heil (in Czech).
Color variation (by factories) in the "List" by Milan Heil
Factories numbers in the "List" by Milan Heil
It is remarkable that even now most collectors do not know about this mistake of Balabanovo match factory (now - "Plitspichprom").
Note: Balabanovo match factory printed the labels for other factories from 1953 till 1994, In 1959-1990 all the factories (except Baltic ones) used only printed in Balabanovo labels. .
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