On March 1, Liechtenstein Post will issue the following stamps
Europe stamps – Endangered national wildlife
I have already presented Sweden’s European stamp with the green toad as stamp of the month January. On this year’s theme of “endangered national wildlife”, Liechtenstein has put the mouse weasel (CHF 1.50) and the crayfish (CHF 1.50) on a stamp.
The mouse weasel is the smallest representative of the order of predators. Its head length varies between 11 and 26 centimeters. Weasels inhabit a variety of habitats, including grassland and vineyard fallows, forest edges, meadows and pastures, and feed primarily on small mammals, preferably voles. In superstition, the weasel is considered to bring bad luck. It was long considered a demonic household spirit in households with witches. It was also said to eat cables on cars, although stone martens are responsible for this. The noble crayfish is the largest of the crayfish species native to Europe. It lives 15 to 20 years. It can grow up to 20 cm (from head to tail tip) and has two red claws on its underside (important distinguishing feature from other crayfish species). The noble crayfish likes summer-warm, nutrient-rich lowland waters, but can also be found in streams at higher elevations. It is sensitive to chemical pollution, especially insecticides. It is mainly threatened by crayfish plague. Crayfish plague was introduced by the settlement of American crayfish species. These crayfish species are hosts for the pathogen, but unlike noble crayfish, they only die from it in exceptional cases.
75 years of the Balzers operetta
For decades, the Balzers operetta has been firmly anchored in the regional cultural scene. This year it looks back on its first operetta production 75 years ago. The Balzers operetta stage originated from the local men’s choral society, or rather from their desire to present themselves to a local audience with plays and musical comedies. The first play performed was “The Village without a Bell” by Edward Künneke in 1918. In 1946 the real operetta era began. The special stamp “75 Years of the Balzers Operetta” (value CHF 0.85) is divided into four parts and shows, clockwise, a stage with curtain and spotlights, the number 75, a mask as a symbol for the theater, and the griffin from the coat of arms of the municipality of Balzers. For this, designer Sereina Hatt picked up on the coat of arms colors blue and gold as well as the dark red of the operetta’s appearance and gave the special stamp a festive touch with hot foil stamping in gold.
75th anniversary of the first United Nations General Assembly
January 10, 2021 marked the 75th anniversary of the first United Nations (UN) General Assembly. With the special stamp “75th Anniversary of the First General Assembly of the United Nations” (value CHF 5.20), Philately Liechtenstein is commemorating this memorable occasion, which was held with the participation of 51 states in 1946 at Westminster Central Hall in London. Liechtenstein joined the union on September 18, 1990 as the 160th member. Today, the United Nations comprises 193 member states. The central tasks of the organization would be the safeguarding of world peace, the observance of international law, the protection of human rights and the promotion of international cooperation. The stamp is in the blue of the association and shows, in addition to the anniversary logo, an arrow in different colors, the upward direction of which stands for global movement in the present and in the future. The multicolor is meant to indicate the versatility of the United Nations.
Native songbirds
Four new self-adhesive definitive stamps featuring native songbirds will also appear with the first stamp issue in 2021. Coniferous forests provide a home for the “spruce crossbill” (value CHF 0.85), while the “red-backed shrike” (CHF 2.00) is at home in the Ruggeller Riet nature reserve. The “Lemon Siskin” (CHF 1.00) and the “Wallcreeper” (CHF 1.50), on the other hand, are found in alpine areas of Liechtenstein.