Press releases
Diversified first stamp issue for 2015
Swiss Post has come up with an exclusive «Ammonite» miniature sheet for the first stamp issue of 2015. The relief-style, multi-layer embossing brings to life the image of the fossilized remains of the squid family’s distant relatives. It is produced with a special perforation and as a limited edition. Other stamp motifs include the Milan Expo 2015 World Exposition as well as Avenches’ 2000th anniversary and St. Maurice Abbey’s 1500th anniversary. The latest collection is rounded off with the Rhine Falls, two anniversaries in the Federal Administration, the battles at Morgarten and Marignano, as well as the new «Pets» stamp series.
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In its latest stamp issue, Swiss Post is dedicating an exclusive, limited edition miniature sheet to ammonites. The ammonites, relatives of the squid family, first appeared around 400 million years ago and populated all the oceans of the world. They died out around 65 million years ago, at the same time as the dinosaurs. Scientists estimate that there were around about 20,000 different types of ammonite. We can still find ammonite fossils today – in Switzerland they are most commonly found in the Jura. In order to effectively and realistically depict the ammonites on the miniature sheet they were produced using multi-layer embossing and special perforation.
Special stamps to celebrate the Milan Expo 2015
The world exposition will be held in Milan from 1 May to 31 October on the theme of «Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life». The organizers are expecting around 20 million visitors, of which two million from Switzerland. Switzerland will have a pavilion at the event which perfectly symbolises the country. It is made up of four towers, filled with traditional products: water, salt, coffee and apple rings. The products selected stand for a sustainable, responsible, innovative Switzerland that is also aware of its traditions. The visitors travel up the towers in lifts and can help themselves to Swiss foodstuffs. As the towers are slowly emptied, the platforms on which the towers stand will sink. To celebrate Switzerland’s appearance at this event, the likes of which you don’t see every day, the Bernese designers Daniel Dreier and Nadine Wüthrich have created a special stamp on behalf of Swiss Post on the same subject. It has a face value of 1 franc.
Marking the anniversaries
Swiss Post is dedicating four special stamps with various motifs to the 1500th anniversary of St. Maurice’s Abbey. It was founded in the narrow section of the valley between Valais and Lake Geneva by the Burgundy King Sigismund in 515. The so-called Augustinian canons still exist and operate there today. In celebration of 2000 years since the founding of Avenches, the designer Martine Dietrich and photographer Marc-André Guex have created a photo postcard.
For a hundred years the Federal Commission for Monument Preservation has been committed to the preservation of Swiss cultural monuments. The special stamps created for this occasion depict the stairs from the Martinsberg community centre in Baden and part of the murals on the roof vaults in St. John’s convent in Müstair.
The special stamp «Centenary of the Swiss Federal Tax Administration (FTA)» also has a federal background. The stamp with a face value of 1 franc reminds us that the FTA has collected the lion’s share of the Confederation’s revenue since 1915.
There is a special stamp to commemorate each of the battles at Marigano and Morgarten, which were fought 500 and 700 years ago respectively. Both stamps, each with a face value of 1 franc, show 16th century paintings of the battles attributed to Maître de la Ratière (housed in the Condé Chantilly Museum in France).
Stamps featuring cuddly pets and a tourist attraction
The «Pets» stamp series and the picture postcards that go with them will provide plenty of emotion. The series comprises four stamps featuring one of four different animals: dog, cat, rabbit and hamster. The issue is rounded off with special stamps for the «Rhine Falls». The se-tenant shows the biggest waterfall in Europe, whose roaring waterways attract thousands of tourists year after year.
Subjects of the 1/2015 stamp issue – valid from 5 March 2015
- Expo Milano 2015 – Special stamp at CHF 1
- Ammonite – Miniature sheet at CHF 2
- 2000th anniversary of Avenches – Picture postcard at CHF 1 + CHF 1 for the card
- 1500th anniversary of the Abbey of Saint-Maurice – «Ruin» special stamp at CHF 1, «Reliquary» at CHF 1, «Parchment and quill» at CHF 1, «Church window» at CHF 1
- Centenary of the Swiss Federal Commission for Monument Preservation – Special stamp at CHF 1
- Centenary of the Swiss Federal Tax Administration (FTA) – Special stamp at CHF 1
- Historical events – Special stamps: «Morgarten 1315» at CHF 1, «Marignano 1515» at CHF 1
- Pets – Special stamps: «Dog» at CHF 0.85, «Cat» at CHF 1, «Rabbit» at CHF 1.40, «Hamster» at CHF 1.90
- Rhine Falls – Special stamps: «Boat» at CHF 1, «Rhine rocks» at CHF 1, «Laufen castle» at CHF 1
Available from www.swisspost.ch/philashop and from Swiss post offices.
You can find detailed information in the current issue of the stamp magazine, «Focus on Stamps»: www.swisspost.ch/focusonstamps