Emacs visits RCS file read-only

[phr-2002]

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In GNU Emacs 21.2.1 (i386-redhat-linux-gnu, X toolkit, Xaw3d scroll bars)
 of 2002-04-08 on porky.devel.redhat.com
configured using `configure  i386-redhat-linux --prefix=/usr --exec-prefix=/usr 
--bindir=/usr/bin --sbindir=/usr/sbin --sysconfdir=/etc --datadir=/usr/share 
--includedir=/usr/include --libdir=/usr/lib --libexecdir=/usr/libexec 
--localstatedir=/var --sharedstatedir=/usr/com --mandir=/usr/share/man 
--infodir=/usr/share/info --with-gcc --with-pop --with-sound'
Important settings:
  value of $LC_ALL: nil
  value of $LC_COLLATE: nil
  value of $LC_CTYPE: nil
  value of $LC_MESSAGES: nil
  value of $LC_MONETARY: nil
  value of $LC_NUMERIC: nil
  value of $LC_TIME: nil
  value of $LANG: nil
  locale-coding-system: nil
  default-enable-multibyte-characters: nil

Please describe exactly what actions triggered the bug
and the precise symptoms of the bug:

I have a file called db.py, which contains the line:

# Version: $Id: db.py,v 1.4 2002/08/02 07:17:50 phr Exp phr $

(generated from a $Id$ command).

Even though I have the file checked out (actually checked in with ci
-l), giving me an RCS lock on the file, and write permission on the
file, when I visit the file with Emacs, it gets visited in read-only
mode.  Using C-x C-q to turn off read-only mode asks me if I want to
steal the lock from phr (i.e. from myself) and if I say yes, I have to
then send myself email explaining why I broke my own lock.

If I delete the version header, then I can visit the file in read-write mode.

This did not happen in Emacs 20.7!  It seems to be new behavior in Emacs 21.

Am I doing something silly, or did Emacs's treatment of RCS somehow change?