A Tale for the Eve of All Hallows (Story)

The "Death mask stamp" from a "phossick Box"  of junk I bought years ago.

Is a cousin to "Hitler in the Roses" of Austria, a "nude woman"   in another stamp of Austria which I cannot recall.

The  Serbian issue destroyed the reputation of the brillant engraver Mouchon, (engraver of the beautiful French Sower)  and he refused to engrave any further stamps.

There is one interesting postcript to the Mouchon story. One of his
last commissions was for Servia, and provided a head of King
Alexander I. Following success with that, he was given a double
portrait to engrave, showing Karageorgevich and Peter I, in a
montage effect. What follows cannot be substantiated, but is
generally regarded as authentic. When the stamps were delivered, it
was found that the design showed a "ghost" face between the
monarchs, the details provided by the lines of engraving in the double
portrait. This is supposed to be the deathmask of a young king who
was murdered along the way, and is claimed to have been arranged
by his mother, Dowager Queen Natalie, with the connivance, of
course, of the engraver. Mouchon indignantly denied any complicity,
but (it is said) was so upset by the accusation thar he refused any
further stamp engraving commissions.