Switzerland postage stamps year 1862 -1881 Unused lot

Switzerland postage stamps year 1862 -1881 Unused lot MH

The period of Swiss postage stamps from 1862 to 1881 is predominantly defined by the “Sitting Helvetia” definitive stamp series.

This series is notable for several reasons and saw a few distinct printings during those years:

🇨🇭 Sitting Helvetia (1862–1881)

• Design: The stamps feature the allegorical female personification of Switzerland, Helvetia, seated, holding a spear and a shield with the Swiss cross. The inscription is simply “HELVETIA”, a standard Latin name used to avoid printing the value in all three official languages (German, French, and Italian) on one small stamp.
• Perforations: This was the first general issue of perforated stamps in Switzerland (the preceding “Strubel” issues were mostly imperforate or privately rouletted).
• Watermark: Stamps from this period generally have an embossed control mark, a “cross in an oval”, impressed into the paper.
• Paper Types: The series was printed on different types of paper:
  • White Wove Paper (1862-1878): The earlier issues.
  • Granite Paper (From 1881): A safety paper containing red and blue silk fibers embedded in it to prevent counterfeiting. Stamps printed on this “granite paper” in 1881 are often the last of this specific design before the subsequent series.

Major Printings within the Period:

The “Sitting Helvetia” stamps saw multiple printings with changes in values, colors, and paper:⁵