Stamps
Guillaume Henri Dufour 1787–1875
Guillaume Henri Dufour was one of the most influential people in the Switzerland of his time. But who exactly was he? The stamp-size portrait sheds light on the personality of the multifaceted general.
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Guillaume Henri Dufour passed away aged 88 in 1875 following a serious illness. The stamp, released 150 years after his death, reflects many aspects of his personality and his varied accomplishments. Dufour became known above all for his role as commander-in-chief in the Sonderbund War of 1847. He managed to prevent an escalation thanks to his restrained war conduct. He would go on to represent his humanist principles as one of the co-founders of the Red Cross. We then have Dufour the engineer: in 1818, he became cantonal engineer, and helped shape the cityscape of Geneva. Last but not least, we have Dufour the cartographer: as chief of the general staff, he worked with a team to produce the first official topographical map covering the whole of Switzerland – the so-called Dufour Map.
Technical information
Sales
Philately: from 1.5.2025 to 30.6.2026 or while stocks last
Branches: from 8.5.2025 to 30.6.2026 or while stocks last
Validity
Unlimited from 8.5.2025
Printing
Offset, 4-colour; Cartor Security Printers, Meaucé-La Loupe, France
Formats
Stamp: 33 × 28 mm
Sheet: 194 × 140 mm, 4 rows of 5 stamps
Paper
White stamp paper, with optical brightener, matt gummed, 110 gm 2
Perforation
13 ¼ : 13 ½
Design
Gerda Märtens, Therwil