GLEICHSTELLUNG (Equality)
An interesting stamp of the November issue is the “Equal=Equal” special stamp. The stamp symbolizes equality in all spheres of society. Equality means measures of adjustment of life situation of equal heterogeneous groups within the population (e.g. man-woman; hetero- and homosexual, poor-rich, hearing-deaf, seeing-blind). Only if we regard the differences as equal, we show true greatness – already said by Laotse in the 6th century.
Philately Liechtenstein has now created a very impressive special stamp (CHF 2.40) that illustrates this principle of equality using the example of the equality sign. This sign is depicted on the neon yellow stamp once in Braille and once in black lettering. To ensure that the stamp also corresponds to Braille, the upper two dots of the equal sign were punched in the Braille grid and the lower four dots were embossed.
Face value: CHF 2.40 - Size: 45 x 35 mm
- Perforation: 12 ¼ x 12 ¼
- Sheet size: 146 x 208 mm
- Designer: Isabella Gassner, Diepoldsau
- Print: Offset 2-color + Blind embossing and die cutting
- Printer: Gutenberg AG, Schaan
- Paper: Postage stamp paper PVA 110 g/m2,
- Gum: gummed
- Print run: 30 000
KULTURGÜTER (Cultural property)
This special stamp (CHF 1.10) depicts a cultural asset from Liechtenstein – a so-called “Beigla”. These are carved woods on which in the western Alpine region forest and grazing rights shares in mountain pasture cooperatives are engraved. They were in use in Liechtenstein until the middle of the 19th century. The name probably comes from the Alemannic and means notch.
For example, the distribution of shares in the “Alpgenossenschaft Grosssteg” can be traced. In addition to the notches of the shares, there are also carved house signs that refer to the respective owners. Changes in the notching – thus changes in ownership – were only allowed to be carried out in the presence of the priest, the judge (head of the community), the church keeper and the jury as well as the alpine wardens. The woods, strung on a string, were kept in a drawer in the sacristy of the parish church.
Face Value: CHF 1.10 - Size: 40 x 40.5 mm
- Perforation: 14 x 13 ¼
- Sheet size: 208 x 146 mm
- Designer: Isabella Gassner, Diepoldsau
- Print: Offset 2-color + Steel engraving
- Printer: Royal Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem
- Paper: Truwhite PVA 110 g/m2,
- Gum: gummed
- Print run: 36 000
WEIHNACHTEN (Christmas)
This year’s Christmas stamps have been designed by the Liechtenstein artist Jadwiga Falk-Ley. She is the only daughter of the dancing couple Alexander Camaro and Gisa Ley and spends her childhood in Radebeul. She became interested in dance and painting at an early age and after the war studied painting, fashion, weaving and goldsmithing in West Berlin. After some time in Spain, she comes to Liechtenstein in 1960, where she lives to this day. Her painting and her colages are characterized by bright colors. Nevertheless, her works are not too colorful, because in the individual works usually only two colors dominate on a single background. This principle is also implemented on this year’s Christmas stamps. The motifs show four angels of peace: “View from the Universe I” (value CHF 2.30), “View from the Universe II” (value CHF 0.90), “Angel of Peace in Gold” (value CHF 1.10) and “Angel of Peace in Silver” (value CHF 1.80). It is important to the artist to give space for the interpretation of this theme, especially the various paths to peace.
Face value:
- CHF 0.90 View from the Universe II 1
- CHF 1.10 Angel of Peace in Gold 2
- CHF 1.80 Angel of Peace in Silver 3
- CHF 2.30 View from the Universe I 4
- Size: 32 x 38 mm
- Perforation: 12 ¾ x 12 ¾
- Sheet size: 146 x 208 mm
- Designer: Jadwiga Falk-Ley, Vaduz
- Print: Offset 5-color + hot foil stamping blue
- Printer: Gutenberg AG, Schaan
Paper: UPM Raflatac, 110 g/m2, white Unik OBA free/perm/K80W,- Gum: self-adhesive (water soluble)
- Print run
- 1 = 71 000,
- 2 = 96 000,
- 3 = 44 000,
- 4 = 40 000
By the way: on the FDC you could almost think of an optical illusion. At first moment I thought: what’s with the zebra next to the angels…. well done and thought provoking.
Chinesisches Tierkreiszeichen: HASE (Chinese zodiac sign: Rabbit)
The hare (CHF 2.30) completes a series of a total of twelve Chinese zodiac signs issued annually as special stamps in the form of a filigree silhouette. This time, too, the special block includes four identical stamps in red, the Chinese symbol for happiness. The special block is also die-cut in the shape of a rabbit. And now, instead of telling what kind of characteristics those born in the zodiac sign of the hare have, I will tell the legend of how the twelve Chinese zodiac signs came to be.
So, according to the legend, Buddha once invited all 13 animals of the zodiac signs to a festival. The cat was originally one of them. However, the mouse told the cat that the feast would take place one day later. The cat went to sleep and dreamed of the feast. So it happened that only twelve animals, all except the cat, came to the feast. The first animal was the rat (mouse), followed by the buffalo (cow), the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat (sheep), the monkey, the rooster (chicken), the dog and finally the pig. Each animal was given a year and he named it after him. Thus, the rat received the first year, the buffalo (the cow) the second, the tiger the third and finally the pig the twelfth. This was done in the order in which they had come. All of them agreed to this. Since the cat did not come, it was not assigned a year, and [it] was thus excluded. She is therefore still angry with the mice to this day.
Face Value: CHF 2.30 - Size: 46 x 48 mm
- Perforation: 12 ¾ x 12 ¾
- Sheet size: 208 x 146 mm
- Designer: Stefan Erne, Triesen
- Print: Offset 1-color, hot foil stamping gold, laser die-cutting
- Printer: Gutenberg AG, Schaan
- Paper: UPM Raflatac, 110 g/m2, white Unik OBA free/perm/K80W,
- Gum: self-adhesive (water soluble)
- Print run: 101 600