Österreichischer Sammlerverein der Liechtensteinischen Philatelie
Swiss Inventions – Toilet Duck: When Swiss Ideas Make Waves A duck for the toilet, a digger that can climb, and burrs that inspired fashion – Switzerland is full of ingenious inventions. The Stamp of the Month for September 2025 honors the Toilet Duck, a symbol of inventive spirit and humor. It shows that Swiss Read More …
Sometimes it’s the most inconspicuous covers that tell the most fascinating stories. At first glance, this domestic printed-matter item from 1961 seems quite ordinary: a simple mailing, franked with a 5-rappen stamp from the “Landscapes (II)” series. The stamp, designed by Liechtenstein artist Josef Seger (1908–1998) and issued on May 30, 1961, features an evocative Read More …
I, a Letter from Avignon: Sent in 1859 from the wine merchants J. E. Giraud Fils in Avignon to the perfumers Cavaillier Brothers in Grasse, this folded letter linked the trade in wine alcohol with the perfume industry of Provence. Stamped with Napoleon III’s 20-centime issue and sealed with red wax, it embodies the orderly Read More …
The stamp of the month for August took me on a journey into the past – to a man whose name is scarcely known today, yet whose invention still shapes our everyday lives: Nicolas-Jacques Conté (1755–1805). An artist and technician, both visionary and practitioner, to whom we owe the pencil in its modern form. An Read More …
Just in time for summer, when beaches are crowded and surfboards dominate the scene, Spain released a special issue. The new 3-euro stamp features Basque surfer Nadia Erostarbe performing a spectacular backside off-the-lip move (in this maneuver, the surfer rides with her back to the wave up to the lip and then sharply directs the Read More …
Chicory, often dismissed as a mere “street child,” reveals itself on closer inspection as a remarkably versatile plant. Its flowering follows a strict rhythm of light, and its pollinators are inconspicuous yet efficient. Since antiquity, it has shaped medicine, nutrition, and even the history of chicory coffee. At the same time, it carries a poetic Read More …
I grew up with the images from this Liechtenstein stamp series, and they still strike a chord with me today. As a child from a wine-growing village in Baden, I know what they depict: while my schoolmates ran to the swimming pool on hot days, I stood in the vineyard on the steep slope – Read More …
On 5 June 2025, Deutsche Post issued a special stamp to mark the International Year of Quantum Science. The occasion is the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics – a theory that plays a central role in modern research and technology. The stamp was designed by Frank Philippin, based on an illustration by Johan Jarnestad for Read More …
An unassuming envelope from 1943 shows how trade, propaganda, and control intertwined in the Nazi state. Fernet-Branca’s advertising eagle meets the Wehrmacht’s Reich eagle — a symbol of civic aspiration versus totalitarian surveillance. The sender’s address references Hans Schemm, a Nazi education ideologue and namesake of many streets and schools. Schemm was a key figure Read More …
This month, I’m presenting a particularly beautiful postal item from Liechtenstein – at least in my eyes – submitted by Clemens: a registered postal stationery card from Nendeln to Gamprin-Bendern, sent on September 7, 1978. At first glance, the piece impresses with its vibrant colors and exceptionally clean postmarks. But it also has plenty to Read More …