The Republic of Czechoslovakia was proclaimed on 28 October 1918 and Tomáš Masaryk was elected its first president.

Mucha was keen to do whatever he could to help the creation of the new state and readily agreed to design the first Czechoslovak stamps and banknotes. The first banknote came out in 1919 and many others followed in later years.

Besides banknotes and stamps, Mucha designed all manner of paraphernalia for the state, from the national emblem to police uniforms.