Tips on Stamp Collecting

Switzerland - New issues

Nice postage stamps

In Switzerland some very nice stamps were issued this year on some interesting themes.

NABA 2000

From 21 to 25 June 2000 the national stamp exhibition NABA 2000 will be held in St. Gall. About 300 collections from Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany and Holland will be on display. The Swiss Post will issue two miniature sheets to commemorate this event. The first one was created by students of the St. Gall College of Design under supervision of Hansruedi Buob. The second sheet will be issued in 2000.
Values: 70 + 30, 90 + 30 and 90 + 45 c (total sheet value: 2.50 Chf).
Date of issue: 9 September 1999.
Size: sheet 66 x 86 and stamps 24.1 x 29 mm.
Print: Rotogravure, Courvoisier SA.

UNICEF rights of the child

Annette Maïga of the Swiss Post designed this stamp which features the children from the five continents. They are holding up hearts symbolising loving care and the housing environment, education and training, health, leisure and food.
Value: 70 c.
Date of issue: 24 September 1999.
Size: 33 x 28 mm.
Print: Offset, Swiss Stamp Printers, Bern.

Carl Lutz (1895-1975)

Carl Lutz saved 62000 Hungarian Jews during World War II. In doing so he put his life and career at risk. The Swiss government paid scant attention to this rescue campaign, which he carried out at his own initiative. He was even accused of overstepping his powers.
Value: 90 c.
Date of issue: 24 September 1999.
Size: 33 x 28 mm.
Design: Roland Hirter.
Print: Offset, Swiss Stamp Printers, Bern.

Christian Friedrich Schönbein (1799-1868)

C.F. Schönbein was born in Metzingen (Germany) in 1799. He worked 40 years at the university of Basel where he discovered ozone in 1839. Schönbein is also regarded as the pioneer of the fuel cell, the discovery of nitro-cellulose and synthetic substances.
Value: 110 c.
Date of issue: 24 September 1999.
Size: 33 x 28 mm.
Design: Michèle Berri.
Print: Offset, Swiss Stamp Printers, Bern.

Giovanni Segantini (1858-1899)

Segantini was an outstanding painter of Swiss mountain scenes. He is regarded as one of the main representatives of late 19th century European symbolism and played a fundamental role in shaping Italian divisionism.
Value: 180 c.
Date of issue: 24 September 1999.
Size: 33 x 28 mm.
Design: Swiss Post.
Print: Offset, Swiss Stamp Printers, Bern.

Suvorov's Alpine Campaign

In 1799 the Russian army under General Suvurov crossed the Alps during the war against the French. The first stamp of this joint issue with Russia is designed by B. Iljuchin from Moscow and shows the General, his officers and the monument in Schöllenen Gorge. The second stamp, designed by Courvoisier SA, shows the shore of Lake Klöntal with the Suvorov vanguard under Major General Prince Bagration in the foreground. Values: 70 and 110 c. Date of issue: 24 September 1999. Size: 39.6 x 30 mm. Print: Rotogravure, Courvoisier SA.

Inauguration of the Vereina Line

On 19 November 1999 a new railway line will be opened in Switzerland. To mark this event a picture postcard with a "taxe perçue" (postage paid) imprint will be issued on 24 September, two months in advance of this day. This new line connects Selfranga and Saglianins and is 22 kilometres long. Size: 148 x 105 mm. Print: Offset.

New paper for "A" priority mail stamps

From 29 July onwards stamps of the "A" priority mail stamps will be issued on paper which is not fluorescent but on paper

with yellow and blue luminous fibres. This paper has been used for other stamps since September 1997. Because of differences in the composition of the raw materials and in the manufacturing process, small colour variations may occur. Post offices will receive the stamps on the new paper gradually, when their existing stocks are exhausted.