On 16 November 2020 the following stamps will be issued in Liechtenstein:
Special block: 250th birthday of Ludwig v. Beethoven
Liechtenstein will not be able to avoid a stamp featuring this brilliant musician this year either, as 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of his birth. The special block (value CHF 6.30), which was produced in steel engraving, shows the artist sitting at the piano with friends. Born in Bonn in 1770, he gave his first concert at the age of seven. 1792 he moved to Vienna and stayed there until the end of his life in 1827. Beethoven is regarded as a pioneer of the romantic period and he wrote nine symphonies and many smaller works, and also an opera (Fidelio). Beethoven was a very ill person for most of his life. The face mask he had removed during his lifetime reveals severe smallpox scars. He was severely short-sighted and suffered from a severe irritable bowel syndrome. Many researchers also suspect that he had a bipolar disorder. He finally died in 1827, probably from cirrhosis of the liver. However, the disease that affected him most as a musician was his hearing loss, which began at the age of 27. This condition worsened to the point of complete deafness and to this day the cause is still unknown. However, if he were alive today ……, he would probably be wearing an inner ear implant and might be able to smile in a portrait.
Christmas stamps
And again a year has passed. Maybe this year the stamps are of special importance because we might not be able to visit all relatives due to Corona. Therefore a postal Christmas greeting will become all the more important. This years christmas stamps of Liechtenstein were designed by Annett Höland, the third prize winner of a design competition held abroad among Liechtenstein artists. The stamps have a minimalist graphic design. However, a very special colourfulness and vividness is said to have been achieved by foil stamping with a holographic pattern (unfortunately, this can only be seen when the original is in front of you). Depending on the angle of view, colour tones ranging from elegant silver to shiny gold and warm red should be created. The light blue background is to remind of the blue shimmer of fresh snow and the fir green completes the Christmas colourfulness. Christmas baubles are a central element on all stamps and represent the zeros of the value levels. Four stamps are issued: “Schneegeflimmer” (value CHF 0.85), “Glitzernacht” (value CHF 1.00), “Kerzenschimmer” (value CHF 1.50) and “Lamettaregen” (value CHF 2.00).
Chinese sign of the zodiac: Ox / Buffalo
For the tenth time in a row, a motif from the Chinese Zodiac will be issued at the beginning of the year. This time it is the buffalo/ox that stands for the coming year. The sheet contains four self-adhesive special stamps (value CHF 2.00) and is designed in the form of a filigree silhouette of an ox. This was achieved using the latest laser technology. A gold foil embossing gives the sheet a noble touch.
Characteristics that are attributed to “buffalo born” people: Hard working, reliabel, strength, endurance and determination. They also reflect the traditional characteristics of the conservative. They are very patient and persistent. However, they are poor communicators and, not surprisingly for a buffalo, obstinate.
A little funny story about the origin of this zodiac sign: The buffalo is the second most important zodiac animal in China. A long time ago, the Jade Emperor decided that the order of the zodiac animals would be determined according to the order of their arrival at his festival. The buffalo would have been the first because of its strength, endurance and determination, but the rat outwitted him. It persuaded him to let them ride, and when they had almost arrived, the rat jumped down and arrived before him. So the buffalo was and is “only” second.
Source: https://www.philatelie.li/fileadmin/user_upload/Philatelie/Ausgabeinformationen/Neuheiten-Broschuere/2020/November/Broschuere_Nov2020_DE_web.pdf