New York World's Fair Archive from the Czecho-Slovak Pavilion, 1939

In addition to Czech glass, I also collect coins, and I happened on the medal shown in the first photo and was profoundly moved by the images on the obverse - a Czech worker chained between two serpent wrapped pillars with swastikas and topped with German army helmets, flanked by his family and the words in Czech - "Truth Prevails". On the bottom, in English - Czechoslovakia Will Be Free Again". On the reverse the date March 15, 1939 - the date that the German army invaded Czechoslovakia. The medal and the stamp booklet (see last two photos) were distributed at the World's Fair in order to support the opening of the unfinished Czecho-Slovak pavilion and to help fund the Czech resistance. These pieces are stark reminders of the fearful early days of World War II and how they changed entire populations' lives suddenly and forever.