Many thanks once again to Sieghard for making this card available to us. The postcard, mailed on 28 May 1929 in Schaan and sent to Innsbruck, is a fine example of Liechtenstein transitional and commercial mail of the late 1920s. It is a 10-rappen provisional postal stationery card issued in 1929, created by surcharging an earlier 25-rappen postal card from 1921.
The original postal card (issued 1 February 1921) featured an imprinted indicium depicting “Vaduz Castle,” designed by Luigi Kasimir and Tanna Kasimir-Hoernes and produced in intaglio printing. In 1929, remaining stocks of these 25-rappen cards were surcharged and reduced to 10 rappen. Such provisionals typically arose for tariff and practical reasons—most often due to rate changes or an unfavorable stock situation—and today they hold a distinct appeal for postal historians.
To make up the correct postage, the postal card was supplemented with a 10-rappen definitive from the “Vintner and Castle” series (issued May 1925). The stamp was designed by Eugen Verling and engraved by Jean Sprenger. Together, the imprinted indicium (10 Rp) and the additional adhesive (10 Rp) total 20 rappen, corresponding to the foreign postcard rate for Europe at the time, as the card was addressed to a medical student in Innsbruck. The item is therefore clearly correctly franked and represents genuine commercial usage.
The clear town cancel “SCHAAN 28.V.29” is a Swiss-type bridge postmark without hour designation, featuring two stars and the country name “(Liechtenstein)” in brackets (period of use: 4 April 1926 – 3 December 1931). This bracketed country name is particularly revealing from a postal history perspective. Since 1 February 1924, under the postal treaty, Liechtenstein’s postal administration had been placed under the control of the Swiss Post. From that point onward, postmarks were produced according to Swiss standards. Whereas earlier Liechtenstein postmarks prior to 1924 bore only the town name without any country designation, the country was now added in brackets to ensure clear international identification—especially within the framework of the Universal Postal Union. The postmark thus visibly documents Liechtenstein’s integration into the Swiss postal system.
“Older” postmarks from Schaan
The double cancellation is explained by the mixed franking: both the imprinted indicium of the postal card (10 Rp, provisional) and the additionally affixed 10-rappen adhesive had to be properly cancelled to prevent any possible reuse. With the likely first strike, the imprinted indicium would have remained untouched. The postal clerk therefore applied a second clear strike over the indicium—an entirely common practice within the Swiss postal system, particularly carefully carried out on foreign-bound mail.
Although not a major rarity, this cover combines several philatelically significant aspects: the provisional revaluation of a postal stationery card, supplementary franking with a contemporary definitive stamp, correctly paid foreign usage, and a characteristic transitional postmark from the period of Swiss administration. As such, the card represents a typical yet highly illustrative document of Liechtenstein postal history in the interwar years.