Liechtenstein postage stamps year 1918-20 Coat of Arms Prince Johann

Liechtenstein postage stamps year 1918-20 Coat of Arms Prince Johann mint hinged set

Between 1918 and 1920, Liechtenstein issued postage stamps featuring the Coat of Arms and Prince Johann II. During this period, the postal administration was transitioning from Austrian control to Liechtenstein’s own management, with Swiss postal administration taking over in 1921.

Key details include:

• The 1917-18 issue consisted of six stamps with lower values showing the “Coat of Arms” design and higher values depicting Prince Johann II’s portrait.
• In 1918, a special stamp was issued honoring the 60th year of Prince Johann II’s reign, featuring his portrait and dates commemorating his tenure.
• In 1920, following the suspension of Austrian postal administration, Liechtenstein produced a large set of 23 stamps in both imperforate and perforated forms, including several Coat of Arms designs and designs of castles like Vaduz. This set included overprints to handle postal rate changes due to post-war inflation.
• The 1920 stamps included the “Coat of Arms with Supporters” design and values such as 1 Krone on 15 Heller and higher denominations. These stamps were printed by Paulussen & Co. in Vienna.
• The stamps from 1918-20 are cataloged in Scott as #5 to #48 and include varieties like overprinted issues and imperforate/perforate types.
• The designs were influenced by Austrian style but featured Liechtenstein’s national symbols prominently.

These stamps represent a significant transitional and historical phase in Liechtenstein’s postal history, commemorating the long reign of Prince Johann II and the principality’s evolving sovereignty over its postal system.