Focus on stamps

<strong>Focus</strong> 

on stamps 

The Collector’s Magazine 

Ski weekend or an 

exclusive silhouette: 

great prizes to be won 

Pro juventute stamps: 

school children and Scapa 

create colourful collages 

Stamp Day 2007: 

Einsiedeln Monastery 

miniature sheet 

Three new “Christmas customs” special stamps 

4/2007 

Popular Christmas 

traditions

Music boxes of international renown 

made in Brienz 

At the Jobin factory in Brienz, 

visitors can watch music boxes 

and wooden carvings being 

made, learning much about 

traditional Swiss craftsmanship. 

The Jobin company currently employs 

some 20 people and sees itself as 

a modern, strongly tourism-oriented 

business rooted in traditional Swiss 

craftsmanship. 

The firm’s history began in 1835 in Brienz 

in the Bernese Oberland. Buoyed by 

the rise of tourism, the small enterprise 

developed into a flourishing company 

of national importance within just twenty 

years. 

Through its participation in the International 

Exhibitions in London (1851), 

Chicago (1893), Paris (1900) and 

St. Louis (1904), the family business 

gradually broke into the 

international market. And 

today, the fifth generation 

at Jobin’s has managed to 

preserve traditional music-box 

making skills often lost elsewhere. 

Every year, the factory and the 

“Living Museum” located in the village 

of Brienz offer thousands of visitors a 

unique, authentic insight into the making 

of typical Brienz wood carvings and 

music boxes past and present. 

Wood determines the quality 

Music-box manufacturing expertise 

has been passed down from generation 

to generation and conscientiously and 

carefully nurtured for over 170 years. 

The carefully selected woods are slowly 

seasoned for years before being transformed 

into extra-special music boxes 

with considerable dexterity, experience 

and a great love of detail. This deliberate 

combination of different materials 

ensures that music boxes from Brienz 

retain the mellow tone and perfect 

melody reproduction Jobin strives for. 

2 

Music boxes have many different 

components 

The principle of making mechanical 

music invented by watchmaker Antoine 

Favre in 1796 has been applied in Jobin’s 

musical movements from the very outset. 

To this day, the steel vibrating pins and 

intensive manual processes have been 

retained in making its musical movements, 

some of them comprising over 

1000 different parts. 

Woodcarvers at work (large picture): besides 

attractive music boxes, Jobin also makes skilfully 

crafted wood carvings. Some music-box 

movements consist of more than one thousand 

individual components – here the cylinder 

and the steel vibrating pins. Photos: Jobin 

With watch-making precision and extensive 

experience, Jobin of Brienz develops 

and produces a wide variety of movements 

with 18, 36, 50 and 72 notes, 

creating boxes that satisfy the highest 

aesthetic and auditory standards. 

Information 

www.jobin.ch 

Specially selected for “extra” 

You’ll find Jobin products (as well as other interesting offers) in the “extra” catalogue enclosed 

only with the versions of <strong>Focus</strong> distributed in Switzerland. 

Switzerland extra

Contents 

Switzerland extra 

Music boxes of 

international renown 

made in Brienz 2 

News 4–5 

Special stamp 

and competition 

The stamp as 

a link to the Internet 

(BeeTagg) 6–7 

Special stamps 

pro juventute 2007 – 

Drawing and designing 

with Ted Scapa 8–11 


and competition 

Silhouettes 12–15 


Christmas 

customs 16–18 

Christmas card 

and special cover 

Bethlehem 19 

Miniature sheet, 

picture postcard 

and special cover 

Stamp Day 2007 

Einsiedeln 20–22 

Added value for our 

faithful customers 

From stamps 

to made-up philatelic 

products (4) 23 

2007 Year Book 

of Swiss stamps 24–25 

2007 Year Set and 

Year Set of First-Day 

Covers 26 

2008 

Issue Programme 27 

New products 28–31 

Cover page: 

The first snow on the 

roofs of Berne heralds 

Advent tide: Swiss 

Post is issuing three 

special stamps on the 

theme of “Christmas 

customs”, and one 

of the four new pro 

juventute stamps also 

has a pronounced 

Christmas flavour. 

Photo: swiss-image.ch 

Christmas without 

presents is virtually 

inconceivable. During 

the festive season, 

people take a particular 

delight in 

cultivating familiar 

customs and traditions. 

Photo: ImagePoint 

Traditional and modern go 

hand in hand 

Dear Reader 

For many people, talk of customs and 

tradition may hold little appeal. Yet 

customs and traditions are more prevalent 

and more popular in our daily 

lives than we might at first think. 

Despite – or perhaps precisely because 

of – today’s fast-moving world. 

For instance, Christmas trees are found 

in many Swiss homes every year and 

more than likely, there will be presents 

under them. Christmas fairs too are 

growing in popularity. All three examples 

are old Christmas customs which 

people like to celebrate even today, so 

they definitely merit a trio of special 

stamps. 

Silhouette cutting is a further custom 

that has been carefully nurtured for 

several centuries, with typical, wellknown 

motifs including herds going up 

to summer pastures or scenes from 

nature. This is the first time Swiss Post 

has dedicated a whole set of stamps to 

these delicate paper artworks. 

pro juventute stamps are another tradition 

that is an unfailing source of 

pleasure. Once again, kids have given 

free rein to their imagination, creating 

stamps on the theme of “Holiday 

pass/Holiday fun”. And this year’s 

premium too goes to a worthy cause. 

While we’re on the subject of customs 

and traditions, new ideas are also a 

Swiss Post philatelic tradition. After the 

wooden stamp, the lenticular-printing 

or hologram stamps, we’ve come up 

with the BeeTagg stamp that features 

a photograph plus a code – the socalled 

“BeeTagg”. In conjunction with 

a mobile camera phone, it provides 

ground-breaking direct access to the 

Internet. So though traditional and 

modern may be opposites, they are not 

mutually exclusive. 

My warmest wishes for an enjoyable 

Advent tide, relaxing holidays and great 

<strong>Focus</strong> reading. 

Elsa Baxter 

Head of Stamps & Philately 

Swiss Post 

Editorial 

3

Zeppelin carried Auguste Piccard flight 

covers to Altenrhein 

The Zeppelin flight commemorating the 

75th anniversary of Auguste Piccard’s 

balloon flight into the stratosphere took 

place on 18 August 2007 under ideal 

weather conditions. After several sightseeing 

trips for paying passengers and 

4 

invitees, the Auguste Piccard covers were 

loaded into the Zeppelin NT which took 

off from Dübendorf at 6 pm and landed 

in Altenrhein roughly two hours later. 

Because the Altenrhein post office was 

already closed by that time, the covers 

Keen take-up of the special cancellation at special post offices 

Inauguration of the Lötschberg 

tunnel 

The inauguration of the Lötschberg 

tunnel on 16 June 2007 was a day to 

warm the hearts of inveterate railway 

fans: The weather was great, as was the 

general atmosphere. The special post 

office in Frutigen attracted many fans 

keen to obtain Swiss Post’s specially 

designed cancellation, with staff handling 

countless requests for particular stamps 

affixed to cards and personally assembled 

covers to be cancelled with it. 

Stein am Rhein Town Festival 

A Swiss Post special post office was 

in attendance at the Stein am Rhein 

Town Festival held early in September. 

Although the “Stein am Rhein millennium” 

stamps are already known 

throughout the region, Festival visitors 

flocked to the special post office to 

have their stamps embellished on the 

jubilee cover with the special cancellation 

designed for this event. 

The Zeppelin NT 

with its colourful 

livery carried several 

mailbags of flight 

covers to their 

destination. 

News 

feature the earliest possible arrival postmark 

– 8 am on Monday, 20 August 

2007. 

Please note: The Auguste Piccard Zeppelin 

cover advertised in <strong>Focus</strong> 3/2007 is 

already sold out. 

125 years of the Gotthard Railway 

The 125th anniversary of the Gotthard 

Railway on 8 and 9 September 2007 

was a great occasion for young and old 

alike. Swiss Post set up a special post 

office in Erstfeld, besides creating a 

special cover and a special cancellation – 

appropriately featuring the: “Croc locomotive“ 

– for the big day. The event, 

which was mainly organized by the SBB 

(Swiss Railways), featured many attractions 

and tours and drew crowds of 

interested visitors from near and far.

Stamp collage 

Marsens (Canton Fribourg) is home to 

special Swiss stamp enthusiasts. Two 

patients of the Fondation HorizonSud, an 

organization for the handicapped, put 

weeks of meticulous work into creating 

their own giant stamp collage from 

several hundred used stamps. The artists, 

Manuella Vionnet (left) and Claudine 

Swiss Post’s philatelic salespoints 

Philatelic Salespoint 

Basel 

Swiss Post 

Freie Strasse/Rüdengasse 

4001 Basel 

Opening hours: 

Mon–Fri 8.30 am – 6 pm 

Sat 9 am – 12 noon 


Berne 

Swiss Post 

Schanzenstrasse 4 

3001 Berne 



Sat 8.30 am – 11 am 


Lausanne 

Swiss Post 

Av./Place de la Gare 

1000 Lausanne 1 


Mon–Fri 9 am – 12.30 pm 

1 pm – 5 pm 

Sat closed 

Rohrbasser, came to Berne to show 

their masterpiece to Stamps & Philately 

and were given a warm welcome. 


Lugano 

Swiss Post 

Via de la Posta 7 

6901 Lugano 


Mon–Fri 8.30 am – 6.15 pm 



St Gall 

Swiss Post 

Bahnhofplatz 5 

9001 St Gall 


Mon–Fri 8.45 am – 5.45 pm 


Wrong cancellation 

The 6 September 2007 first-day cancellation 

of the “Schellen-Ursli” special stamp 

contains the wrong postcode for Guarda. 

The correct one is 7545, and not 7548 

(<strong>Focus</strong> 3/2007). The original cancellation 

will, however, be used uncorrected. 


Zurich 

Swiss Post 

Kappellengasse 1 

8022 Zurich 




Imprint 

“<strong>Focus</strong> on stamps” 

is a free magazine, 

published in English, 

German, French and 

Italian. 

Published by 

Swiss Post 

Stamps & Philately 

Ostermundigenstrasse 91 

3030 Berne 

Switzerland 

Total print run 

195 000 copies 

Sales & 

Customer Service 

� Phone Switzerland: 

031 338 06 09 

� Phone from abroad: 

+41 31 338 06 09 

� Fax: 

031 338 73 08 

� E-mail: 

stamps@post.ch 

� Internet: 

www.swisspost.ch 

� Shop: 

www.swisspost.ch/ 

philashop 

“<strong>Focus</strong> on stamps” 

No. 4/2007 

Copy deadline: 

3.9.2007 

Distribution: 

from 9.10.2007 

Stamp issues: 

31.10. and 20.11.2007 

5

The code on the stamp is a direct link 

to the Internet 

The BeeTagg is a new-style two-dimensional 

code that looks like a honeycomb 

and works like a barcode. Using free 

software – the BeeTagg reader – a 

mobile phone camera can identify these 

BeeTaggs and connect the mobile to a 

particular Internet page. The whole 

process is remarkably simple: just start 

the reader, point your camera phone at 

the BeeTagg and click – just as you would 

with a mouse on a normal screen. In 

principle, the BeeTagg makes any object 

a link to the Internet that you can click 

on with your mobile. 

There are good reasons for using mobile 

phones for this purpose. Almost everybody 

has one and always has it with 

them. So the BeeTaggs developed by 

6 

With state-of-the-art mobile phones, you can do a lot more 

than just make calls, text friends or send photos. Mobile 

tagging is one of the latest services to become available. 

Thanks to a so-called “BeeTagg”, a two-dimensional image, 

this technology can connect you to an Internet webpage. 

Now Swiss Post is issuing a ground-breaking stamp with 

a built-in BeeTagg. 

Yellowworld’s successful use 

of mobile tagging 

The “BeeTagg” 

stamp is just one 

example of how 

this new technology 

can be used in our 

everyday lives. 

yellowworld AG, a 

Swiss Post subsidiary, 

has already developed 

further mobile 

tagging applications. 

For instance, last 

summer, PostBus 

Switzerland and 

yellowworld trialled 

a system whereby 

BeeTaggs on signposts 

and at approximately 100 Postbus stops 

could be used to access timetables. And last 

August, Swiss Post successfully combined print 

and online media by introducing mobile tagging 

for youngsters looking for apprenticeships. 

Special stamp The stamp as a link to the Internet (BeeTagg) 

connvision AG, a Zug-based company, 

are a practical gateway to the World 

Wide Web. 

Information in a compact format 

Similar codes have been in use in Japan 

for quite some time, but the BeeTagg 

is different in that it was specially developed 

and refined for mobile tagging. 

The BeeTagg does not look like a conventional 

barcode but can have logos, 

images or text attached to it. Because 

BeeTaggs are also readable in very small 

formats, they are particularly suitable 

for highly condensed information, for 

instance on a postage stamp. 

Technology with a bright future 

Mobile tagging has tremendous potential 

and allows new forms of marketing and 

communication. Companies can use 

BeeTaggs in ads or on posters to establish 

contact with prospective customers and 

direct them to a corporate home page. 

Because users themselves decide whether 

or not they wish to use their mobiles 

to read a BeeTagg, it cannot be abused 

for spamming. 

At present, the new BeeTagg is being 

used for initial applications in Switzerland. 

There is considerable interest in this 

new technology, and the new special 

stamp will certainly help to spread the 

word even further. 

This Swiss Post 

special stamp puts 

you straight through 

to the Internet: using 

your camera phone, 

read the BeeTagg – 

the code on the 

right-hand side of the 

stamp – to enter the 

Switzerland Tourism 

and Swiss Snowsports 

competition. 

Download the BeeTagg reader to 

your mobile free of charge 

� via the Internet: www.post.beetagg.com 

� via your mobile browser: enter 

http://post.beetagg.ch 

� using text: send a text with the code word 

“Bee” to 989 (CHF 0.20 per text)

Win a weekend on skis with 

the special stamp 

Swiss Post joined up with Switzerland 

Tourism and Swiss Snowsports, the 

umbrella federation of Swiss ski and 

snowboard schools and teachers, to 

develop the “BeeTagg” special stamp 

which depicts two ski teachers amid 

Switzerland’s unique mountain scenery. 

The motif, complete with a BeeTagg, 

mirrors Switzerland Tourism’s 2007/2008 

winter campaign and is designed to 

whet people’s appetites for winter holidays 

in Switzerland. The national tourism 

body is using the BeeTagg as an additional 

resource in its communication 

activities. 

In conjunction with the special stamp, 

Switzerland Tourism and Swiss Snowsports 

are launching a competition open 

to all mobile phone owners that will run 

from 31 October to 31 December 2007. 

Entering couldn’t be easier. Just read 

the BeeTagg with your camera phone 

and you’ll quickly find out whether 

you’ve won a voucher for a trial lesson 

at a Swiss ski or snowboard school. The 

main prize – to be drawn in January 

2008 – is a weekend’s skiing complete 

with accommodation, ski pass plus a 

trial lesson at a Swiss ski or snowboard 

school. And even if you come away 

empty-handed, you’ll still have the 

opportunity to order Switzerland 

Tourism’s new winter brochure via your 

mobile. 

No correspondence will be entered into about the competition, and legal recourse 

is excluded. Staff of Switzerland Tourism and their families are not eligible for 

entry. The winners will be notified in person. Prizes cannot be paid out in cash 

or transferred to other persons. Entrants’ particulars will not be made available to 

third parties. By reading the BeeTagg, participants confirm their acceptance of 

these entry conditions. 

First-day cover motif 

Special stamp 

The stamp as 

a link to the Internet 

(BeeTagg) 

Sales 

Philately: 

From 31.10.2007, 

while stocks last 

Post offices: 

From 31.10.2007, 


Validity 

Unlimited 

from 31.10.2007 

Unstamped covers will 

be available for CHF 0.90 

each at all philatelic 

salespoints and the 


Customer Service from 

24.10.2007. 

Printing 

Offset, 4-colour; 

Tesa Bandfix AG, 

Bergdietikon (ZH) 

Sizes 

Stamp: 56�27.5 mm 

Sheet: 203�139 mm 

(4 rows of 3 stamps) 

Paper 

White stamp paper, 

self-adhesive on backing 

paper, 220 gm 2 

Perforation 

Serpentine cut (4 sides) 

Designer 

Swiss Post 

First-day cancellation 

7

Children’s holiday fantasies 

stamp size 

Sheets of coloured paper fluttered to the 

floor, and pools of glue ran across the 

table. For once, it was alright for chaos 

to reign in school as young artists got to 

work on behalf of pro juventute, totally 

focused on sketching and sticking their 

pictures on the 2007 stamp theme of 

“Holiday pass/Holiday fun”. Islands, palm 

trees, sea, sun, beaches, mountains, 

fish and yachts began to take shape on 

large sheets of cardboard, revealing what 

eight- to twelve-year-olds associate with 

this topic. 

Three workshops in three different 

regions 

Early in 2007, a total of 105 children 

from Oberdorf (Canton Basel-Landschaft), 

La Tour-de-Peilz (Canton Vaud) and 

Pregassona (Canton Ticino), whose 

classes were drawn by lot, worked with 

Ted Scapa on creating the pro juventute 

stamps for 2007. This Dutch-born artist 

and author of children’s books is mainly 

known in German-speaking Switzerland 

for the Swiss TV programme called 

“Das Spielhaus“ (The Wendy House) in 

which he appeared for 20 years. From 

2006 to 2008, Ted Scapa is teaming up 

with pro juventute to help children 

design three stamps a year, using the 

design technique specified by him to 

match the annual theme. To implement 

8 

Work on gumming the 2007 pro-juventute stamps began 

last January at three workshops where more than 100 schoolchildren 

guided by Ted Scapa busied themselves with collages 

on the theme of “Holiday pass/Holiday fun”. A jury then 

chose three of their pictures as the motifs for this year’s 

pro juventute stamps. 

Last workshops in 2008 

There will be three more workshops with 

Ted Scapa next year, and schools are already 

competing to participate. Information about the 

competition, the sale of pro juventute stamps 

and articles as well as a thumbnail portrait 

of Ted Scapa can be found on pro juventute‘s 

homepage. 

www.pro-juventute.ch 

Special stamps pro juventute 2007 – Drawing and designing with Ted Scapa 

Christine Fischer 

(Oberdorf) came up 

with the “Camping” 

(CHF 0.85+0.40) motif, 

Morena Rufatti (La 

Tour-de-Peilz) created 

the “Sunshine” 

(CHF 1.00+0.50) 

design, and Jonathan 

Balest (Pregassona) 

“Mountains” 

(CHF 0.85+0.40). 

Photos: 

Dan Cermak, zvg 

this creative tour de force, pro juventute 

organizes a workshop at three schools 

in different language regions and in 

2007, more than 200 classes applied to 

take part. 

“Ted, could you give me a hand?” 

When Ted Scapa gave the children tips, 

it was like one artist talking to another, 

and the kids were not shy to ask the 

expert for help, treating him like a friend. 

Ted took all their questions seriously 

and didn’t leave anybody out. Even those 

in the back row got his full attention. 

Sure of getting sound advice, somebody 

called: “Ted, could you give me a 

hand?”, and Scapa recommended a 

light-green background here and a blue 

sky there. No wonder the kids were keen 

and full of enthusiasm, willingly talking 

about where they’d already enjoyed 

“holiday fun” or where they would like 

to go in search of it. Take Sarah for 

instance: as a little girl, she had been 

with her parents to Fuerteventura, 

Guadeloupe, Mallorca and many other 

places. She’d like to revisit all of them, 

but only when she is old enough to really 

get something out of it. However, she 

already knew who she wanted as her 

companion. Turning to the girl sitting 

next to her, she said: “We’ll go together 

then, eh?” Her neighbour nodded, 

beaming at the prospect of all these 

travel plans. 

Confetti and perspective 

After a few hours of artistic activity, 

snippets of coloured paper carpeted the 

floor, and the gym-cum-workshop was 

awash with a carnival-like sea of confetti. 

The children proudly presented their 

collages, and their clever use of colour 

and perspective to conjure up their 

holiday worlds was truly amazing. ➔

Ted Scapa in his 

element: when giving 

the children advice, 

as here in Oberdorf 

(BL), he’s talking 

as one artist to 

another. 

Photo: Dan Cermak 

9

➔ The jury’s choice was an extremely 

difficult one. Two representatives of Swiss 

Post and two from pro juventute, plus 

Ted Scapa, had to pick the motifs which 

would have the greatest impact once 

scaled down to stamp size and which 

went best together. 

Morena Rufatti and Christine Fischer 

were chosen as the winners from French- 

10 

Special stamps pro juventute 2007 – Drawing and designing with Ted Scapa 

and German-speaking Switzerland 

respectively, while Jonathan Balest came 

out top in Canton Ticino. The fourth 

stamp, contributed by Ted Scapa, rounds 

off the 2007 pro juventute stamp set 

which goes on sale in mid November. 

Andrea Kippe, 

pro juventute, Communication 

Ted Scapa: working with kids is like a course of vitamins 

Ted Scapa has long been known for his work with 

children, and when the subject comes up, his 

eyes take on a special twinkle. People always think 

that the children learn something from him but 

in actual fact, it is he who learns from the children 

he says, claiming that up to around the age of 

twelve, they live in their own world and are extremely 

creative. What is more, despite computers, 

The mood at the 

three workshops in 

German-, French- 

and Italian-speaking 

Switzerland was 

light-hearted but 

focused. Young artists 

from these language 

regions created the 

latest pro juventute 

special stamps. 

Photos: Dan Cermak 

play stations and other modern distractions, Ted 

Scapa does not feel that today’s children are less 

imaginative. 

This year’s pro juventute stamp designed by Ted 

Scapa again features angels – a motif with a special 

significance for the Dutch-born artist who underlines 

their great symbolic importance, especially 

around Christmas time. What’s more, angels have

Stamp booklet 2007 

Always to hand. A neat stamp booklet with 6 self-adhesive A-stamps 

and 6 self-adhesive B-stamps – folded to credit-card size – ensures you 

always have the right stamp with you. The stamp booklet is on sale at all 

philatelic salespoints, from Swiss Post’s Stamps and Philately Customer 

Service, from the pro juventute Foundation, from large Swiss post offices 

and from stamp dealers for CHF 17.00. 

positive associations for most people. “Angels are 

popular with young and old”. 

Scapa is already looking forward to designing more 

stamps with children in 2008. He has no problem 

with the big age difference. On the contrary, 

he sees children as an endless source of inspiration. 

”For me, working with kids is like a course of 

vitamins”. 



with surcharge 


with Ted Scapa – 

Holiday pass/ 

Holiday fun 

Sales 

Philately: 

From 13.11.2007 

until 30.6.2008 

Post offices: 

From 20.11.2007 

until 31.1.2008 

Validity 

Unlimited 

from 20.11.2007 







6.11.2007. 

Printing 




Sizes 

Stamps: 33�28 mm 

Sheet: 186�156 mm 

(5 rows of 2�2 stamps) 

Paper 






Designer 

Christine Fischer, 

Oberdorf (BL) 

Jonathan Balest, 

Pregassona (TI) 

Morena Rufatti, 

La Tour-de-Peilz (VD) 

Ted Scapa, Vallamand (VD) 


11

Silhouettes – A tradition with a new 

lease of life 

Christian 

Schwizgebel 

1914–1993. Born in 

Lauenen near Gstaad. 

One of the three major 

Swiss silhouette artists 

of the past century. 

Traditional silhouettes 

with many motifs drawn 

from everyday rural life 

in the Saanen region. 

12 

Paper and scissors. For about 

400 hundred years, these simple 

tools have been used in Europe to 

create artistic pictures. Black-andwhite 

depictions of herds going 

up to mountain pastures are 

regarded as typically Swiss, and in 

Switzerland hundreds of artists 

make silhouettes a lively art form 

to which Swiss Post is dedicating 

four special stamps. 

The oldest silhouettes that have been 

preserved were made in Germany 

roughly four hundred years ago. The 

technique which came to Europe from 

China spread in different social classes. 

Nuns in convents cut out delicate 

lacework from white paper and used 

it to frame paintings of the saints. Educated 

ladies in secular life used this 

Heart Spring 

technique also, and in middle-class 

homes, women spent many a pleasant 

evening making paper cut-outs. 

Black silhouette portraits came into 

fashion in the 18th century, and even 

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe immortalized 

his friends in this way. Today, 

there are still experts who can snip out 

the silhouette of a sitter at lightning 

speed. 

In the 18th and 19th centuries, famous 

Geneva silhouette artists developed the 

technique into a fine art. And in the 

20th century, Henri Matisse was probably 

the most famous artist to reach for 

paper and scissors. 

From town to country 

Like many other cultural currents, the art 

of making silhouettes gradually spread 

from town to country and from the 

upper to the lower classes. Amateur 

artists, for instance, created pictures as 

mementos or dedications, combining 

Special stamps Silhouettes 

Pia Arm 

Born 1929, lives in 

Urtenen-Schönbühl 

where she also grew 

up. Medical secretary. 

Cut her first silhouettes 

about twenty years 

ago, since then exhibitions 

in Unterseen and 

Berne. Gives courses 

in various places. 

Favourite motifs: trees 

and children at play.

Christiane and 

Jacqueline Saugy 

Born 1951. Twins who 

grew up and still live 

in Rougemont. Cut their 

first silhouettes aged 

about 20, inspired 

by their uncle and 

silhouette-cutter Isaac 

Saugy. Professional 

cutters since 1977. 

Catalogue of more 

than 4500 works. 

silhouettes, calligraphy and painting to 

make christening or wedding gifts, or as 

love letters. However, virtually nobody 

could rival the skill of Jakob Hauswirth, 

a casual labourer from the Pays-d’Enhaut, 

who “invented” the motif of the herdsman’s 

ascent to summer pastures and 

liked to pay for his board or lodgings 

with one of his silhouettes depicting 

mountain life – works which are now 

eagerly sought-after collector’s items. 

Silhouettes today 

There has never been such a variety of 

silhouettes as today, ranging from the 

traditional ascents to summer pastures 

through Art Nouveau designs to abstract 

ones, and from caricatures to political 

motifs. Often, symmetry and delicate 

filigree work are abandoned in favour of 

geometrical shapes and the occasional 

spot of colour. Artists are constantly 

trying out something new, using their 

exuberant imagination and ingenuity to 

Family trip Minuet 

experiment with different shapes and 

maximize impact. 

With scissors, knife and paper 

In the old days, people had to make do 

with clumsy scissors, but now special 

sharp scissors with fine points are 

available. Many artists use a craft knife 

or scalpel and then call their work papercuts. 

Silhouettes are cut from open 

sheets of paper, sometimes in up to 

four layers, or from folded paper, 

thus obtaining the typical symmetrical 

patterns. 

Felicitas Oehler, Schweizerischer Verein 

Freunde des Scherenschnitts 

(Association of Swiss Silhouette Enthusiasts) 

Verena Kühni 

Born 1955, resident in 

Berne. Teacher. Created 

her first silhouettes in 

1986, participation in 

cantonal and national 

exhibitions (individual 

and group exhibits) 

since 1988. Motifs: 

drawn from Nature, 

everyday life and music. 

Autograph 

session 

On Tuesday, 20 November 

2007, 

silhouette cutters 

Pia Arm, Christiane 

and Jacqueline Saugy 

and Verena Kühni – 

the designers of three 

of the four new 

special stamps – will 

be signing first-day 

covers from 4 pm 

to 5 pm at the Berne 


(Schanzenstrasse 4). 

13



Silhouettes 

Sales 

Philately: 

From 13.11.2007, 

until further notice 

Post offices: 

From 20.11.2007, 


Validity 

Unlimited 

from 20.11.2007 







6.11.2007. 

Printing 




Sizes 

Stamps: 32.5�40 mm 

Sheet: 155�186 mm 


Paper 






Designer 

Christian Schwizgebel † 

Pia Arm, Urtenen (BE) 

Christiane and Jacqueline 

Saugy, Rougemont (VD) 

Verena Kühni, Berne 


14 

Looking over a silhouette artist’s 

shoulder 

For many years, Ernst Oppliger from 

Meikirch in Canton Berne has been one 

of Switzerland’s best-known silhouette 

artists. Now he has designed the first-day 

cover motif and cancellation for Swiss 

Post’s silhouette special stamps. Watching 

Oppliger at his labour of love, delicately 

crafting his imaginative masterpieces, 

is a fascinating experience. 

What inspired your passion for 

silhouettes? 

It was straight after my apprenticeship as 

a photolithographer. I’ve always liked 

drawing animals from memory. This, as 

well as my father’s folk-art hobby of 

chamfer carving and rustic painting, 

was what inspired me. I’ve now been 

a professional silhouette cutter for over 

30 years. 

Over the years, have you been 

influenced by various styles? 

Yes. Above all, the leading silhouette 

artist Christian Schwizgebel and his 

traditional Saanen region style were 

always a model for my work. 

Exhibitions 

MAGIC CUTS. 

Paper art from China and Europe 

The exhibition provides some insight into the 

magical world of Chinese and European papercuts 

spanning several centuries and is intended as a 

contribution to East-West cultural exchange. 

28 October 2007 to 27 April 2008 

Zug Castle, Kirchenstrasse 11, 6300 Zug, 

Tel. 041 728 29 70, www.burgzug.ch 

Musée du Vieux Pays-d’Enhaut, 

Château-d’Oex 

This museum, founded in 1922, is dedicated to 

Swiss folk art and features a permanent silhouette 

exhibit. 

Open from December to October (closed on 

Mondays) 

Musée du Vieux Pays-d’Enhaut, Les Bossons, 

1660 Château-d’Oex, Tel. 026 924 65 20, 

www.musee-chateau-doex.ch 

Ernst Oppliger 

born 1950. Grew up in Meikirch 

(Canton Berne) where he still lives. 

Trained as a photolithographer, now 

a full-time silhouette cutter. Has had 

various silhouette exhibitions since 

1976 and participates in all Schweizerischer 

Verein Freunde des Scherenschnitts 

exhibitions (in Switzerland 

and abroad). Books: Monograph by 

Alfred Schneider (published by Paul 

Haupt, Berne). Picture book entitled 

“Der Vogelkopp” by Albert Wendt 

(out of print). Gives courses at the 

Ballenberg Centre and the Richterswil 

“Heimatwerkschule”. Catalogue: 

more than 800 works. For further 

information, go to: www.ernstoppliger.ch 

What qualities do you need to learn 

how to cut silhouettes? 

In my opinion, you need to have a love 

of detail and be willing to go at things 

slowly. For instance, it took me over 

30 hours’ work to cut the silhouette 

based on an original stamp by Karl Bickel 

– the first prize in the competition. 

You can learn to cut silhouettes on 

your own, from books or also through 

courses, like the ones run by the Ballenberg 

Centre every year. 

Interview: Isabel Lo Verso 

Special stamps Silhouettes 

Schweizerischer Verein Freunde des Scherenschnitts 

The “Verein Freunde des Scherenschnitts” was set up in 1986 to support and 

promote silhouette art in Switzerland. Its main tasks are to organize exhibitions, 

purchase its members’ pictures and nurture contacts among members who 

now number around 500. To further its aims, the Association publishes a 

richly illustrated magazine three times a year under the title “Schnittpunkt”. 

See www.scherenschnitt.ch for more information about the Association.

Win a silhouette with an exclusive 

stamp motif 

Framed silhouette by 

Ernst Oppliger based on 

a stamp design by 

Karl Bickel dating from 

1936 (small picture). 

Approximate dimensions: 

22�23 cm. 

Bickel lived from 1886 

to 1982 (Museumbickel 

Walenstadt, 

www.museumbickel.ch). 

Competition entry form 

“Silhouette” special stamps 

Competition question: Who immortalized his friends 

in black silhouettes? 

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 

Henri Matisse 

Send the entry form 

to arrive no later than 

30 November 2007 to: 

Swiss Post 


Marketing & Sales 


3030 Berne 

Switzerland 

Customer No. 

Last name 

First name 

Address 

Postcode/Town 

Country 

Date of birth 

E-Mail address 

Competition Silhouettes 

Enter our competition and with luck you 

could win one of fifty prizes. If you’ve read 

the text on the previous pages carefully, 

getting the right answer shouldn’t be so 

difficult. 

There are 50 great prizes to be won 

1st prize: Silhouette based on the “Lauterbrunnental mit Staubbachfall” 

stamp dating from 1936, Ernst Oppliger (2007) 

2nd–6th prize: The book entitled “Schweizer Scherenschnitte – 

von der Tradition zur Modernität” (German) and “Papier découpés 

– Artisanat suisse entre tradition et modernité” (French), published 

by Mondo-Verlag, www.mondo.ch 

7th–20th prize: Membership of the Schweizerischer Verein 

Freunde des Scherenschnitts 

21st–24th prize: DVD about silhouette artists from the Paysd’Enhaut, 

Musée du Vieux Pays-d’Enhaut 

25th–50th prize: Admission ticket to “MAGIC CUTS. Paper art 

from China and Europe”, Zug Castle 

Conditions of entry 

The winners will be notified in person. Prizes will not be paid out in 

cash. No correspondence will be conducted about the competition, 

and the winners as drawn are definitive. Staff of Swiss Post’s 

Stamps & Philately Business Unit and their families are not eligible 

for entry. Only one entry form per person, please! 

15 

✁ 365

A decorated tree: 

centrepiece of 

Christmas celebrations 

A wealth of different customs and symbols are associated 

with Advent and Christmas, including fairs 

with a magical atmosphere in the run-up to Christmas 

Eve, gifts and gaily decorated trees without which 

Christmas would just not be Christmas for many people. 

So Swiss Post chose these themes for this year’s three 

“Christmas customs” stamps. 

One heart-warming tradition is to allow 

small children at least to continue believing 

their presents were delivered by 

an often invisible person. In Switzerland, 

this task usually falls to the Christmas 

Fairy or – with the growth of American 

influence – to Santa Claus. Christmas 

Eve did not become the time for giving 

presents until the end of the 19th 

century, and then initially in urban 

and Protestant areas. Previously, gifts 

were handed over on St Nicholas Day 

(6 December) in Catholic regions, and in 

Southern Switzerland, the “Re magi” 

– or Three Kings – did not bring them 

until 6 January. 

In German-speaking areas, the gradual 

shift towards Christmas began with 

Luther who felt that a saint (Nicholas of 

Myra) should not bring the gifts but that 

children should receive them in the name 

of “Holy Christ”. However, it was only 

during the past 150 years that exchanging 

presents on Christmas Eve became 

a major part of celebrating Christmas as 

we know it. 

The commercial aspect of Christmas 

began to grow in importance in parallel 

with this development. A glance at late 

19th century newspapers shows that 

even then, large adverts were placed to 

encourage people to buy gifts. 

16 

The Berne Christmas 

Fair. A pre-Christmas 

attraction in Switzerland 

only since the 

1960s, such fairs are 

a centuries-old tradition 

in Alsace and 

southern Germany. 

Photo: swiss-image.ch 

Fairs as tourist attractions 

Christmas fairs are also a more recent 

development, although their origins can 

be traced back to the last regular markets 

of the year and, above all, to the socalled 

“Klausenmärkte” where people 

could buy in the articles they needed for 

the winter. As a sideline, these markets 

also offered a limited range of gifts 

for the coming festive season. While 

Special stamps Christmas customs 

Nuremberg or Strasbourg now have 

a “Christkindel” market tradition dating 

back several centuries, Christmas 

fairs did not reach Switzerland till the 

1960s. 

However, these have now established 

themselves as a welcome enrichment of 

Advent tide. At a time when popular 

customs can be marketed as tourist 

draws, the larger Swiss fairs attract not

only locals but also “Christmas fair 

tourists” from all over the world, as do 

the traditional Advent fairs in Alsace 

and southern Germany. 

Christmas trees – a new tradition 

Christmas trees are almost a “must” at 

any Advent fair and, like Christmas 

carols, the rows of trees set up between 

the stalls are now part of the typical 

atmosphere. Though trees are not usually 

for sale at such fairs, there is often a 

wide range of Christmas tree decorations 

for all tastes. 

For many people, a tree decked with 

colourful ornaments and candles is 

central to giving their homes that 

genuine Christmas feel. However, the 

Christmas tree tradition is not as old 

as is often believed and has only been ➔ 

A Christmas tree 

decorated with 

candles and glass 

balls creates a 

festive mood. 


17

Christmas Eve gifts: 

a highlight of the 

Christmas celebrations 

for children 

of all ages. 


➔ the centrepiece of family celebrations 

since the 19th century. In Germanspeaking 

Switzerland, the Christmas 

tree’s popularity did not begin until 

around the turn of the 20th century, 

originally in schools and Protestant 

churches, as well as in wealthy middleclass 

homes. And it was only in the 

1950s that such trees gradually became 

prevalent in Catholic areas and in Canton 

Ticino where cribs had traditionally been 

the focus of Christmas festivities. The 

history of the Christmas tree has its roots 

in Alsace, and today’s glass decorations 

with their different shapes and sizes 

are a link back to the apples, nuts, confectionery 

and little gifts that originally 

decorated these trees. 

Dominik Wunderlin, 

Museum der Kulturen, Basel 

The special stamps are part of the Christmas 

customs series launched in 2005. As in the previous 

two years, they were designed by Michèle Haas. 

18 

“Rot in Grün” 

The Christmas tree story 

In its ”Rot” exhibition, Basel’s Museum der 

Kulturen will be striking a bright Christmas note 

with its colour-matched eye-opener on the 

history of the Christmas tree’s traditional red 

decorations. 

from 22 November 2007 to 6 January 2008 

Museum der Kulturen 

Münsterplatz 20, 4051 Basel 

www.mkb.ch 

“Rot in Grün” Christmas exhibition 

Presentation of this voucher entitles you to 

half-price entry (CHF 8.– instead of CHF 16.–), 

including admission to the “Rot” exhibit 

✁ 



Christmas customs 

Sales 

Philately: 

From 13.11.2007, 


Post offices: 

From 20.11.2007, 


Validity 

Unlimited 

from 20.11.2007 







6.11.2007. 

Printing 


Cartor Security Printing, 

La Loupe, France 

Sizes 

Stamps: 28�33 mm 

Sheet: 142�190 mm 


Paper 


with optical brightener, 

mat gummed, 110 gm 2 


13 3 ⁄4:13 1 ⁄2 

Designer 

Michèle Haas, 

Dittingen (BL) 

First-day cancellation

The birth of Jesus as the new 

Christmas card motif 

Swiss Post is continuing its popular range 

of Bethlehem products with the issue 

in time for Advent of a new Christmas 

card complete with a special cover and 

matching special cancellation from Berne- 

Bethlehem. Yet again, the card depicts 

a scene from the Bible – this time, the 

birth of Jesus. 

The Christmas card and special cancellation 

designs are the work of Christian 

Kitzmüller, the Zurich-based artist who 

last year began this new series which 

Special Bethlehem Post Office 

Date: 17 to 21 December 2007 

Location: Special Bethlehem Post Office 

In the Tscharnergut Centre 

Waldmannstrasse 17 

3027 Berne 


Mon. 17.12 1 pm – 5 pm 

Tue. 18.12 9 am – noon 1 pm – 5 pm 

Wed. 19.12 9 am – noon 1 pm – 5 pm 

Thu. 20.12 9 am – noon 1 pm – 5 pm 

Fri. 21.12 9 am – noon 

Christmas card and special cover with special cancellation 

runs until 2009. Over the past twenty 

years, Kitzmüller has made a name for 

himself as a freelance illustrator working 

for magazines, children’s books and 

advertising campaigns, painting his 

illustrations in oils and watercolours 

or using digital technology. As in 2006, 

stained-glass windows provided the 

inspiration for the 2007 Christmas card. 

A letter box will be installed from 1 pm on 17.12 to noon on 

21.12. 

Letter-post items franked with valid postage stamps may also 

be sent in for cancellation (no insured items). These should be 

enclosed in a stamped envelope and reach the following address 

no later than 15 December 2007: 

Swiss Post 

“Bethlehem” 


3000 Berne 1, Schanzenpost 

Please remember to enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope 

so we can return unaddressed cancelled items to you. 

Christmas card and 

special cover with 

special cancellation 

Sales 

From 20.11.2007 

Pre-release 

None 

Sizes 

Special cover: 

C6 (162�114 mm) 

Card: A6, four pages 

(105�148 mm), 

printed greetings inside 

in four languages 

Special cancellation 

Customers with standing 

orders for Swiss Post 

special cancellations will 

automatically receive their 

usual quantity of the 

special cover as illustrated. 

The items shown here are 

also available from all 

philatelic salespoints, while 

stocks last. 

Orders in writing should 

be sent to the following 

address only: 

Swiss Post 


Customer Service 


3031 Berne 

Designer 

Card and cover: 

Christian Kitzmüller, 

Bülach (ZH) 

19

Einsiedeln – Where pilgrimage, culture 

and sport meet 

Einsiedeln is the most frequently visited 

place of pilgrimage in Switzerland. Every 

year, more than a hundred thousand 

pilgrims and visitors make their way to 

the Abbey, Switzerland’s most significant 

Baroque building, with its “Chapel of 

Grace” and the famous Black Madonna. 

Einsiedeln is closely bound up with the 

life of Saint Meinrad who, in 835, is said 

to have built a hermitage and chapel on 

the site in the Abbey where the Chapel 

of Grace now stands in order to serve 

God, thus giving Einsiedeln its name 

(in English, “Einsiedler” means “hermit”). 

The legend goes that Meinrad was 

murdered in 861 by two robbers, 

whereupon they were pursued by two 

ravens and brought to justice – hence 

20 

Virtually no other Swiss town with a population of about 

13,000 is so well known in other countries as Einsiedeln 

in Canton Schwyz, whose main claims to fame are its 

Benedictine abbey and more than a thousand years of 

cultural history. To commemorate Stamp Day 2007, 

Einsiedeln features on a new CHF 0.85 miniature sheet. 

the two ravens in Einsiedeln’s coat of 

arms. 

The Benedictine abbey was founded in 

934, and the present Baroque monastery 

was built between 1674 and 1735 in 

three stages, to the plans of Brother 

Caspar Moosbrugger. The frescoes and 

stucco work inside the Abbey were 

created by the Asam brothers, and the 

Abbey contains Switzerland’s largest 

ceiling fresco. 

Important stage on the way 

to Compostela 

Einsiedeln lies on St. James’ Way and 

used to be an important gathering point 

for pilgrims travelling to Santiago de 

Compostela and the grave of the Apostle 

Miniature sheet Stamp Day 2007 Einsiedeln 

James. Today, the pilgrimage on foot 

along this Way is experiencing a remarkable 

renaissance. The route leads from 

Lake Constance and the Zurich Oberland 

via the Etzel Pass, where St. Meinrad’s 

Chapel stands. This is where Meinrad is 

said to have first settled before building 

his hermitage. From the 14th century 

onwards, pilgrims journeyed to Einsiedeln 

to honour the Virgin Mary, even coming 

from as far afield as northern Germany 

and the Low Countries during the late 

Middle Ages. 

Pilgrim numbers dropped off, and the 

monastery reached a low point in its 

history at the time of the Reformation. 

From 1516 to 1518, Huldrych Zwingli 

was employed as the monastery’s

Einsiedeln monastery 

in Canton Schwyz 

is regarded as 

Switzerland’s major 

Baroque building. 

Every year, more than 

one hundred thousand 

people visit 

this famous place 

of pilgrimage. 


stipendiary priest. The last monk left the 

monastery in 1525, and the Abbot had 

to resign one year later, sounding the 

death-knell for Einsiedeln as a monastery. 

The people of Schwyz then appointed 

a new Abbot but Rome did not recognize 

his legitimacy until 1533. This Abbot 

revived the monastery by taking in the 

first lay persons, and from the second 

half of the 16th century, the monastery 

complex once again became the religious 

focal point for Swiss Catholics. 

The Great World Theatre tradition 

Besides the monastery’s extensive cultural 

interest, Einsiedeln is also home to a 

library, built by Ticino architect Mario 

Botta, dedicated solely to architecture, 

and to a panoramic circular painting 

representing the Crucifixion. The town 

also has a unique theatrical tradition. 

Until 1992, the Abbey square and its 

impressive facade provided the setting 

for performances of Calderon’s Great 

World Theatre, but in recent years, 

the play featured has been Thomas 

Hürlimann’s “Einsiedler Welttheater” 

(Einsiedeln World Theatre). Last summer, 

this drama event with some 500 participants 

attracted tens of thousands 

of spectators to Einsiedeln, helping to 

spread the fame of the monastery 

complex far and wide once more. 

Eugen Schädler, member of the Organizing 

Committee for “Stamp Day 2007” 

Ski jump as a new 

attraction 

In recent decades, Einsiedeln’s fog-free location 

and beautiful scenery have lured numerous daytrippers 

to the region. 

The town offers year-round recreational opportunities 

within easy reach of the city of Zurich 

and has long been known as a winter sports 

resort, especially for Nordic disciplines. At present, 

its most prominent resident is ski-jumper Andreas 

Küttel who trains with other Swiss national 

team members on the ski-jump facility opened 

in 2005. Einsiedeln is not far from the skiing 

areas of Hoch-Ybrig and Brunni where skiers 

and snowboarders find plenty of interesting 

slopes. 

In summer, the area is popular with walkers, 

and Lake Sihl, Switzerland’s most extensive 

reservoir, is an attractive venue for water sports 

and other recreational pursuits. 


Miniature sheet 


Einsiedeln 

Sales 

Philately: 

From 13.11.2007 

until 31.12.2008 

Post offices: 

Not available 

(on sale only in the 

Einsiedeln area) 

Validity 

Unlimited 

from 20.11.2007 



(C6) und CHF 1.00 (E6) 





6.11.2007. 

Printing 


Joh. Enschedé, 

Haarlem, Netherlands 

Sizes 

Stamp: 32.5�40 mm 

Sheet: 105�70 mm 

Paper 


with optical brightener, 

mat gummed, 110 gm 2 


13 1 ⁄4:13 3 ⁄4 

Designer 

Christian Kitzmüller, 

Regensdorf (ZH) 


21

Picture postcard 


Einsiedeln 

Sales 

Philately: 

From 13.11.2007 

until 31.12.2008 

Post offices: 

Not available 

Validity 

Unlimited 

from 20.11.2007 

Printing 

Offset 

Sizes 

Card: 148�105 mm 

Imprinted stamp: 

33�28 mm 

Paper 

White offset board, 

260 gm 2 

Designer 

Beat Kehrli, Hasliberg (BE) 


Special cover 


Einsiedeln 

Special cancellation 

A Swiss Post special post 

office will be in attendance 

throughout the exhibition 

and will use the special 

cancellation as illustrated. 

Individual covers should 

be sent to the following 

address no later than 

4.12.2007: 

Swiss Post 

”Stamp Day” 

Philatelic Unit 

Kappelergasse 1 

8022 Zurich 

Important information 

Customers with standing 

orders for Swiss Post 

special cancellations will 

automatically receive their 

usual quantities of the 

special cancellation/cover 

as illustrated. 

22 

Picture postcard and special cover Stamp Day 2007 Einsiedeln 

Different views of Einsiedeln 

Monastery 

Designer Beat Kehrli from Hasliberg has created Swiss Post’s 

picture postcard and special cover to mark Stamp Day 2007. 

Stamp Day 2007 will be 

celebrated on 9 December 

in conjunction with 

a stamp exhibition in 

Einsiedeln – and with 

the official USPS/VSPhV 

E6-format special cover 

(200�142 mm). 

Exhibition 

Stamp exhibition with Stamp 

Day Mart in the “Dorfzentrum 

Einsiedeln” 

Opening times 

Friday, 7 December 2007, 

2 pm to 7 pm 

Saturday, 8 December 2007, 

9 am to 6 pm 

Sunday, 9 December 2007, 

9 am to 4 pm 

Admission free! 

Special cover 


The picture postcard 

features two different 

views of Einsiedeln 

Monastery that bring out 

the impressive scale of 

this Baroque building. 

The imprinted stamp on 

the front of the card was 

inspired by an engraving 

of the Monastery and 

supplemented with 

liturgical colours.

From stamps to made-up philatelic 

products (4) 

What does it take to ensure that several million stamps – 

affixed to first-day covers, as collection sheets or folders, or as 

some other philatelic product – reach the customer without 

fail? This final article about Stamps & Philately’s work showcases 

picking and dispatch. 

Picking 

Picking is central to order fulfilment, and 

at peak times – for instance, towards the 

end of the year – this service deals with 

up to 3,500 orders a day. Modern picking 

workstations are essential for staff to 

be able to cope with high order volumes 

and products that change four times a 

year. The key to successful work management 

is flexibility. The simple workstation 

structure means that the product range 

can be rapidly switched from issue to 

issue. However, flexibility is also needed 

in staff numbers which fluctuate between 

six and twenty in picking and dispatch, 

depending on seasonal requirements. 

Dispatch 

It goes without saying that high standards 

apply not just to the products 

themselves but also to their delivery, 

so at dispatch level, thorough checking 

of all orders is one of the main tasks. 

Although every one of the 300,000 

annual consignments is picked by hand, 

consistent quality control keeps the error 

rate extremely low at less than two 

tenths of a percent. 

Added value for our faithful customers 

A staff member at 

her modern picking 

workstation assembles 

a customer’s order 

(photo left). Every 

consignment is 

checked again prior 

to dispatch to make 

sure it’s complete. 

Fast, punctual delivery is another facet 

of superior quality. Excellent cooperation 

with customer and materials management 

services helps picking and dispatch 

staff to meet all customer delivery 

expectations. 

23

All 2007 stamps combined in 

a single book 

The closing months of 2007 are almost upon us, 

heralding the publication of Swiss Post’s Year Book 

of stamps with its stunning variety. As always, this 

invaluable reference work invites the reader to 

learn, laugh and simply look, remembering philatelic 

highlights such as Art brut or delicately scissored 

silhouettes, much-admired celebrities like Roger 

Federer or Swiss legends – all of them worthy 

of superlatives . And each and every one of 

them embodies topicality, tradition, customs and 

ideals. 

This year’s cover and vignette are dedicated to Swiss 

banknotes. Like the stamp commemorating the 

centenary of the Swiss National Bank, they are the 

work of Jörg Zintzmeyer, designer of the current set 

of Swiss banknotes. Everybody’s familiar with Swiss 

currency, and most of us have probably held these 

notes in our hands. But how often have we taken 

a closer look at them? Did you know, for instance, 

that a banknote has more than a dozen security 

marks? 

You’ll notice that the 2007 Year Book is slightly 

different. We found the comprehensive feedback on 

the questionnaire enclosed with the 2006 Year Book 

very useful and have altered the Year Book in line 

with customer wishes. Many thanks to all who 

responded for their cooperation. 

24 

2007 Year Book of Swiss stamps 

This exclusive 

vignette label is 

made up of design 

components from the 

individual banknotes.

2007 Year Book 

of Swiss stamps 

Sales 

From 20.11.2007, while 

stocks last, at all philatelic 

salespoints, PostShops, 

via the Internet (www. 

swisspost.ch/philashop) 

or from Swiss Post, 

Stamps & Philately, 

Marketing & Sales, 

3030 Berne, using the 

enclosed order form 

Price 

CHF 66.00 

Available mint or cancelled 

Printing 

Offset, 4-colour 

Size 

100 pages 


49 stamps, 1 miniature 

sheet and the exclusive 

vignette label 

Text 

In four languages 

(English, French, German 

and Italian) 

Concept/Graphics 

Martine Chatagny, 

Swiss Post, Berne 

Cover and vignette 

label 

Jörg Zintzmeyer, 

Zollikon (ZH) 

Product Manager 

Isabel Lo Verso, 

Swiss Post, Berne 

25

2007 Year Set 

of Stamps 

Sales 

From 20.11.2007, while 


salespoints, PostShops, 

via the Internet (www. 

swisspost.ch/philashop) 

or from Swiss Post, 

Stamps & Philately, 




Price 

CHF 57.15 

(face value of stamps 

and surcharge) 

Size 

A5 black presentation 

backing card 

(210�148 mm) 


A total of 48 stamps, 

1 miniature sheet and 

1 official stamp 

Presentation 

Stamps inserted into four 

cards, with a protective 

cellophane wrapping 

The Year Set comes both 

mint and cancelled. 

26 

2007 Year Set and Year Set of First-Day Covers 

Bag all the 2007 stamps and first-day 

covers! 

2007 Year Set: a complete collection with no hassle 

With this Year Set, you won’t miss a single Swiss stamp for the year that’s 

drawing to a close. In 2007, Swiss Post issued fifty individual items which you 

can order on four presentation cards for easy insertion into your collection. 

The Set, which comes mint or cancelled, is priced on the basis of the individual 

face values and premiums. This great gift idea can also be purchased as a 

standing order. 

All 2007 first-day covers in a Year Set 

This year, Swiss Post issued no fewer than twenty-three first-day covers (FDCs), 

and you can now order this entire compilation with its single stamps, stamp 

sets or miniature sheets at one go. This product is also available as a standing 

order. 

2007 Year Set 

of First-Day Covers 

Sales 

From 20.11.2007, while 


salespoints, via the Internet 

(www.swisspost.ch/ 

philashop) or from Swiss 

Post, Stamps & Philately, 




Price 

CHF 77.95 


23 covers featuring all 

2007 stamp issues (incl. 

the “Einsiedeln” miniature 

sheet, the “BeeTagg” 

special stamp and the UPU 

official stamp), cancelled 

with the appropriate firstday 

cancellation 

Sizes 

22 C6 covers 

(162�114 mm) 

and 1 E6 cover 

(200�140 mm)

Sport is the main theme of next year’s 

stamps 

2008 looks like being an exciting philatelic 

year with plenty of sporting, cultural 

and creative highlights. Sports-wise, the 

European Football Championship will be 

the focus of the March and May issues, 

but there will also be stamps marking 

the centenaries of the Swiss Ice Hockey 

Association and the International Ice 

Hockey Federation plus the Olympic 

Day of issue: 4.3.2008 

Presented in: <strong>Focus</strong> on stamps 1/2008 

of 25.1.2008 

No. Value Description 

1 1.00 Special stamp 

2008 European 

Football Championship 


Active football 


Ice hockey centenary 

1 1.50 Maximum card 

Ice hockey centenary 


International Year 

of the Potato 

3 2.55 Special stamps 

Sights of Switzerland – 

Jura landscape / 

50th anniversary 

of the Horse Foundation 

0.85 Sunset 

0.85 Jura track 

0.85 “Maison Rouge” 

1 8.50 Stamp booklet 

Little Polar Bear 

(10� 0.85) 

1 1.35 Maximum card 

Little Polar Bear 


Music 

0.85 Classical 

1.00 Folk music 

1.30 Rock/pop 

1.80 Jazz 


300th anniversary 

of the birth of 

Albrecht von Haller 



of 28.3.2008 


2008 Issue Programme – Swiss Post stamps and postal stationery 

stamps. The successful series of Pro Patria 

premium stamps showcasing cultural 

routes will continue, and Ted Scapa will 

be working with children from all parts of 

Switzerland for the last time on designing 

pro juventute stamps. So Swiss Post’s 

2008 issue programme promises a 

colourful medley of interesting topics as 

well as loads of surprises. 


“Go, Switzerland” 



Pro Patria 

Cultural Routes 

in Switzerland 

0.85+0.40 Via Sbrinz 

0.85+0.40 Via Romana 

1.00+0.50 Via Valtellina 

1.00+0.50 Via Stockalper 

1 1.00 Special stamp Europa 

Letters 


Olympic Games 

in Beijing 

Mountain bike 

1 1.50 Picture postcard 

Olympic Games 

in Beijing 

Canoe 

1 1.80 Official stamp 

Olympic Games 

in Beijing 

BMX 


Swiss Life-Saving Society 

3 4.70 Definitive stamps 

Domestic birds 

1.20 Grey-headed Woodpecker 

1.30 Rufous-tailed rock thrush 

2.20 Great crested grebe 

2 3.00 Set of picture postcards 

Métro Lausanne 

(2� 1.50) 


CERN 



of 25.7.2008 



Joint issue 

Germany/Switzerland 

Old Rhine Bridge 

Bad Säckingen / Stein AG 


Fredi M. Murer 


Switzerland through 

the eyes 

of foreign artists 

0.85 Value 1 

1.00 Value 2 

1.30 Value 3 

1.80 Value 4 

4 0.95 Definitive stamps 

Cereals 

0.10 Wheat 

0.15 Barley 

0.20 Rye 

0.50 Oats 

1 5.00 Definitive stamp 

Traditional fruits 

Catillac pear 


WIPA08 Vienna 

Please note that this programme may be 

changed or added to. We recommend 

you consult www.swisspost.ch/philashop 

for the latest version. 

The 2008 issue programme can also be 

ordered as a separate offprint by calling 

+41 (0)31 338 06 09 or by logging on to 

www.swisspost.ch/philashop. 



of 10.10.2008 



Christmas 

0.85 Christmas bauble 

1.00 Star 

1.30 Bell 



pro juventute 


with Ted Scapa – 

My work of art 

0.85+0.40 Value 1 

0.85+0.40 Value 2 

1.00+0.50 Value 3 

1.00+0.50 Christmas angel 


Concrete art 

1.00 Max Bill 

1.30 Hans Finsler 

1 0.85 Miniature sheet 


Bellinzona 



Bellinzona 

We reserve the right to make changes. 

Position at: September 2007 

27

First days of issue of stamps 

31.10.2007 and 20.11.2007 

Special stamp 31.10.2007 

CHF 1.00 The stamp as a link to the Internet 

(BeeTagg) 

White stamp paper, self-adhesive 

Single stamp 

1349 150 � 

1349 550 � 

CHF 1.00 

Single stamp 

on 

first-day cover 

1349 580 � only 

CHF 1.90 

28 

100 c. Die Briefmarke als Link ins Internet 

Le timbre-poste comme lien vers Internet 

Quando il francobollo rimanda ad Internet 

The stamp as a link to the Internet 

Gestaltung/Conception/Realizzazione/Design 

Die Post, Martine Chatagny, Bern 

Offsetdruck/Impression en offset/Stampa offset/Offset printing 

tesa Bandfix AG, Bergdietikon, Schweiz 

Folder 

1349 660 � 

1349 670 � 

CHF 1.90 

Unstamped 

cover 

available 

from 24.10.2007 

1349 700 

CHF 0.90 

533 

Block of four 

1349 160 � 

1349 560 � 

CHF 4.00 

Block of four 




CHF 4.90 

Sondermarke 

Timbre-poste spécial 

Francobollo speciale 

Special stamp 

31.10.2007 

100 c. Die Briefmarke als Link ins Internet 

Le timbre-poste comme lien vers Internet 

Quando il francobollo rimanda ad Internet 

The stamp as a link to the Internet 


Die Post, Martine Chatagny, Bern 



Collection sheet 

1349 680 � 

1349 690 � 

CHF 1.60 

Sheet 

of 12 stamps 

1349 111 � 

1349 511 � 

CHF 12.00 

Please note : 

The Bee Tagg stamp is included in standing 

order. Delivery with the orders of 20.11.2007. 

As an exceptional measure, cancellation orders 

for the first day of this issue can be sent until 

20.12.2007. 

Key � = mint � = cancelled 

687 

Special stamps with surcharge 20.11.2007 

pro juventute – Drawing and signing with Ted Scapa – Holiday pass/Holiday fun 

CHF 1.25 (0.85+0.40) Camping 

CHF 1.25 (0.85+0.40) Mountains 


Set 

1305 150 � 

1305 550 � 

CHF 5.50 

Set of 

blocks of four 

1305 160 � 

1305 560 � 

CHF 22.00 

Zeichnen und gestalten mit Ted Scapa – 

Ferienpass/Ferienspass 

Dessiner et créer avec Ted Scapa – 

Passeport-vacances/Vacances récréatives 

Disegnare e creare con Ted Scapa – 

Lasciapassare vacanze/Divertimento vacanze 

Drawing and designing with Ted Scapa – 

Holiday pass/Holiday fun 

85 + 40 c. Camping 1) 

Au camping 

In campeggio 

Camping 

85 + 40 c. Bergwelt 2) 

A la montagne 

In montagna 

Mountains 

100 + 50 c. Sonnenschein 3) 

Au soleil 

Al sole 

Sunshine 

100 + 50 c. Weihnachtsengel 4) 

Anges de Noël 

Angeli di Natale 

Christmas Angels 


Christine Fischer, Oberdorf BL 1) 

Jonathan Balest, Pregassona TI 2) 

Morena Rufatti, La Tour-de-Peilz VD 3) 

Ted Scapa, Vallamand 4) 



Folder 

1305 660 � 

1305 670 � 

CHF 6.40 

Sondermarken 

20.11.2007 

Timbres-poste spéciaux 

Francobolli speciali 


Pro Juventute 

Zeichnen und gestalten mit Ted Scapa – 

Ferienpass/Ferienspass 

Dessiner et créer avec Ted Scapa – 

Passeport-vacances/Vacances récréatives 

Disegnare e creare con Ted Scapa – 

Lasciapassare vacanze/Divertimento vacanze 

Drawing and designing with Ted Scapa – 

Holiday pass/Holiday fun 

85 + 40 c. Camping 1) 

Au camping 

In campeggio 

Camping 

85 + 40 c. Bergwelt 2) 

A la montagne 

In montagna 

Mountains 

100 + 50 c. Sonnenschein 3) 

Au soleil 

Al sole 

Sunshine 

100 + 50 c. Weihnachtsengel 4) 

Anges de Noël 

Angeli di Natale 



Christine Fischer, Oberdorf BL 1) 

Jonathan Balest, Pregassona TI 2) 

Morena Rufatti, La Tour-de-Peilz VD 3) 

Ted Scapa, Vallamand 4) 




1305 680 � 

1305 690 � 

CHF 6.10 

529 

683 

Set on 



CHF 6.40 

Single stamp 



(4 covers) 


CHF 9.10 

pro juventute stamp booklet 

Six CHF 0.85+0.40 self-adhesive stamps with 

the “Camping” motif and six CHF 1.00+0.50 selfadhesive 

stamps with the “Sunshine” motif, 

plus CHF 0.50 for the creation of the booklet 

1305 300 � 

1305 800 � CHF 17.00 

New Products 

CHF 1.50 (1.00+0.50) Sunshine 

CHF 1.50 (1.00+0.50) Christmas Angels 

Block of four 



(4 covers) 


CHF 25.60 

Unstamped 

cover 

available 

from 6.11.2007 

1305 700 

CHF 0.90 

Sheets 


CHF 1.25 

Camping 

1305 111 � 

1305 511 � 

CHF 25.00 

CHF 1.25 

Mountains 

1305 112 � 

1305 512 � 

CHF 25.00 

CHF 1.50 

Sunshine 

1305 113 � 

1305 513 � 

CHF 30.00 

CHF 1.50 


1305 114 � 

1305 514 � 

CHF 30.00

Special stamps 20.11.2007 

Silhouettes 

CHF 0.85 Heart 

CHF 1.00 Spring 


Set 

1326 150 � 

1326 550 � 

CHF 4.95 

Scherenschnitte 

Papiers découpés 

Ritagli di carta 

Silhouettes 

85 c. Herz 1) 

Cœur 

Cuore 

Heart 

100 c. Frühling 2) 

Printemps 

Primavera 

Spring 

130 c. Familienausflug 3) 

Excursion en famille 

Gita in famiglia 

Family trip 

180 c. Menuett 4) 

Menuet 

Minuetto 

Minuet 


Christian Schwizgebel, ✝ 1) 

Pia Arm, Urtenen 2) 

Christiane et Jacqueline Saugy, Rougemont 3) 

Verena Kühni, Bern 4) 



Folder 

1326 660 � 

1326 670 � 

CHF 5.85 

532 

Set of 


1326 160 � 

1326 560 � 

CHF 19.80 


20.11.2007 




Scherenschnitte 

Papiers découpés 

Ritagli di carta 

Silhouettes 

85 c. Herz 1) 

Cœur 

Cuore 

Heart 

100 c. Frühling 2) 

Printemps 

Primavera 

Spring 

130 c. Familienausflug 3) 

Excursion en famille 

Gita in famiglia 

Family trip 

180 c. Menuett 4) 

Menuet 

Minuetto 

Minuet 


Christian Schwizgebel, ✝ 1) 

Pia Arm, Urtenen 2) 

Christiane et Jacqueline Saugy, Rougemont 3) 

Verena Kühni, Bern 4) 




1326 680 � 

1326 690 � 

CHF 5.55 

686 

CHF 1.30 Family trip 

CHF 1.80 Minuet 




CHF 5.85 

Single stamp 



(4 covers) 


CHF 8.55 

Unstamped 

cover 

available 

from 6.11.2007 

1326 700 

CHF 0.90 

Block of four 



(4 covers) 


CHF 23.40 

Sheets 


CHF 0.85** 

1326 111 � 

1326 511 � 

CHF 13.60 

CHF 1.00** 

1326 112 � 

1326 512 � 

CHF 16.00 

CHF 1.30** 

1326 113 � 

1326 513 � 

CHF 20.80 

CHF 1.80 

1326 114 � 

1326 514 � 

CHF 28.80 

Half-sheet 


CHF 1.80 

1326 124 � 

1326 524 � 

CHF 14.40 

** available in complete 

sheets only 



CHF 0.85 Christmas fair 

CHF 1.00 Christmas tree 

CHF 1.30 Gifts 

White stamp paper, mat gummed 

Set 

1308 150 � 

1308 550 � 

CHF 3.15 




CHF 4.05 

Set of 


1308 160 � 

1308 560 � 

CHF 12.60 

Continued on page 30 

29


Christmas customs (continued) 

Single stamp 



(3 covers) 


CHF 5.85 

Weihnachtsbräuche 

Traditions de Noël 

Tradizioni natalizie 


30 

85 c. Weihnachtsmarkt 

Marché de Noël 

Mercatino Natalizio 

Christmas fair 

100 c. Weihnachtsbaum 

Sapin de Noël 

Albero di Natale 

Christmas tree 

130 c. Geschenke 

Cadeaux 

Regali 

Gifts 


Michèle Haas, Dittingen 


Cartor Security Printing, La Loupe, France 

Folder 

1308 660 � 

1308 670 � 

CHF 4.05 

Unstamped 

cover 

available 

from 6.11.2007 

1308 700 

CHF 0.90 

531 

Block of four 



(3 covers) 


CHF 15.30 


20.11.2007 




Weihnachtsbräuche 

Traditions de Noël 

Tradizioni natalizie 


85 c. Weihnachtsmarkt 

Marché de Noël 

Mercatino Natalizio 

Christmas fair 

100 c. Weihnachtsbaum 

Sapin de Noël 

Albero di Natale 

Christmas tree 

130 c. Geschenke 

Cadeaux 

Regali 

Gifts 


Michèle Haas, Dittingen 


Cartor Security Printing, La Loupe, France 


1308 680 � 

1308 690 � 

CHF 3.75 

Sheets 


CHF 0.85 

1308 111 � 

1308 511 � 

CHF 17.00 

CHF 1.00 

1308 112 � 

1308 512 � 

CHF 20.00 

CHF 1.30 

1308 113 � 

1308 513 � 

CHF 26.00 

685 

Miniature sheet 20.11.2007 


CHF 0.85 Einsiedeln 

White stamp paper, mat gummed 


1322 315 � 

1322 815 � 

CHF 0.85 



first-day cover E6 


CHF 1.85 

85 c. Tag der Briefmarke 2007 Einsiedeln 

Journée du timbre-poste 2007 Einsiedeln 

Giornata del francobollo 2007 Einsiedeln 

Stamp Day 2007 Einsiedeln 


Christian Kitzmüller, Regensdorf 


Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem, Nederland 

Folder 

1322 660 � 

1322 670 � 

CHF 1.75 

530 

Unstamped 

covers 

available 

from 6.11.2007 

C6 (162�114 mm) 

1322 700 

CHF 0.90 

E6 (200�142 mm) 

1322 701 

CHF 1.00 

Sonderblock 

Bloc spécial 

Blocco speciale 


20.11.2007 

85 c. Tag der Briefmarke 2007 Einsiedeln 

Journée du timbre-poste 2007 Einsiedeln 

Giornata del francobollo 2007 Einsiedeln 



Christian Kitzmüller, Regensdorf 


Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem, Nederland 


1322 680 � 

1322 690 � 

CHF 1.45 

684 

Official document of the USPS 

Postal stationery 20.11.2007 



Picture postcard “Stamp Day 2007 Einsiedeln” 

(Postage value CHF 0.85 + 0.50 for the card) 

1322 841 � 

1322 846 � CHF 1.35 

Christmas special 2007 “Bethlehem” 

Special cover 

“Bethlehem” 

franked with the 

pro juventute stamp 

“Christmas Angels” 

and cancelled with the 

special cancellation of 

“3027 Bern 27 

Bethlehem, 

17.-21.12.2007” 


CHF 2.40 

New Products 

Ordering made easy: use the enclosed order form! 

Special cover (E6) of the 

Union of Swiss Philatelic 

Societies (USPS) franked 

with the miniature 

sheet “Stamp Day 

2007” Einsiedeln“ 

and cancelled with the 

special cancellation 

of “8840 Einsiedeln, 

9.12.2007” 


CHF 3.00 

Unstamped 

Christmas card 2007 

size A6, four pages, 

printed greetings 

in en, fr, it, de 

available 

from 6.11.2007 

(Illustration page 19) 

1307 143 

CHF 0.60 

Unstamped 

special cover 

available 

from 6.11.2007 

1307 142 

CHF 0.90 

Swiss Post’s General Terms and Conditions of Business concerning the purchase of stamps and philatelic items form an integral part of individual 

orders and are tacitly accepted by each customer who sends an order. 

The version of these Terms and Conditions was published in <strong>Focus</strong> 3/2005 and can be ordered at any time by telephone (+41 [0]31 338 06 09) or with 

the enclosed order form.

Special products 

Set of single stamps, 

issue 4/2007 

The single stamps/sets 

and the miniature 

sheet “Einsiedeln” 

of the 4/2007 issue 

of 20.11.2007 and of 

31.10.2007 (BeeTagg) 

are displayed on a 

free A5 backing card 

1297 150 � 

1297 550 � 

CHF 15.45 

Set of first-day covers, 

issue 4/2007 

The first-day covers 

with set and the 

miniature sheet 

“Einsiedeln” of the 

4/2007 issue of 

20.11.2007 and 

31.10.2007 (BeeTagg) 

are combined in one 

free cover 

(4 FDCs = C6 size, 

FDC Einsiedeln = E6 size) 


CHF 20.05 

Stamp catalogues 

Zumstein* 

Switzerland/Liechtenstein/UN 

Geneva 2008 

1356 725 

German/French 

CHF 30.00 

2007 Year Set 

of first-day covers 

(see page 26) 


CHF 77.95 

2007 Year book 

of 

Swiss stamps 

(see pages 24/25) 

1300 830 � 

1300 831 � 

CHF 66.00 

2007 Year Set 

(see page 26) 

1301 320 � 

1301 820 � 

CHF 57.15 

Voucher 

871 399 

CHF 15.00 

Swiss Stamp Dealer’s 

Association* 

Switzerland/Liechtenstein/UN 

Geneva 2008 

1356 787 

German/French 

CHF 30.00 

* Delivery in Switzerland and Liechtenstein only, 

share of delivery cost per order CHF 6.00 

Key � = mint � = cancelled 

31

Swiss stamps 2007 

Order the year book now under tel. +41 (0)31 338 06 09 

or via www.swisspost.ch/philashop 

Swiss stories 

in 50 pictures 

All the Swiss postage stamps of 2007 

Interesting details and background 

on 100 pages

Focus on stamps

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