What stamps are being released in Switzerland on March 4, 2008?

By Eurostamper — February 29, 2008
See more about: Maximum cards | New issues | Switzerland | 2008

On March 4, Swiss Post is releasing a handful of new stamps. The stamps commemorate events this year in Switzerland, Europe, and internationally, as well as pay tribute to notables from in country and abroad. Here is the list, with descriptions and pictures (click to enlarge).

CHF = Swiss franc (1 franc = 100 Rappen)

 
Euro 2008
CHF 1.00
To commemorate the UEFA Euro 2008 football (soccer) championship, which will be held jointly in Austria and Switzerland in June 2008. This is only the second time in history that the tournament will be in two different countries; the first was 2000, in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Shop for other European football (soccer) stamps here.

 
Active football
CHF 1.00
A tribute to football (soccer).

 
100th Anniversary of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)
CHF 1.00 (Maximum card: CHF 1.50)
To honor the 100th anniversary of the founding of Europe’s IIHF, which is based in Zurich, and of which Switzerland has been a part since its inception.
Shop for European ice hockey stamps here.

 
International Year of the Potato
CHF .85
Commemorates the United Nations’ declaration of 2008 as the Int’l Year of the Potato, which aims to spread awareness about one of the world’s most ubiquitous staple foods.

 
Horse Foundation
CHF .85
To honor the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Horse Foundation, located in the Swiss canton of Jura. The issue is actually a sheet of three stamps, each with a value of CHF .85. Each stamp focuses on a different section of a single scene:
1. Horses graze in front of a setting sun.
2. A rutted track winds through a field where horses are gathered.
3. Horses relax in front of Maison Rouge, the newest of the Foundation’s three homes.
Each stamp features the name of the foundation in a different language: German (Stiftung Für Das Pferd), French (Fondation Pour Le Cheval), and Italian (Fondazione Per Il Cavallo). The Horse Foundation aims to give older horses a place to relax in dignity and peaceful splendor during their final years.

 
Little Polar Bear Booklet (10 stamps x 0.85)
CHF 8.50 (Maximum card: CHF 1.35)
This stamp depicts Hans de Beer’s popular animated character Lars, “the Little Polar Bear”.
Shop for Little Polar Bear merchandise here.

 
Music
CHF 0.85 (violin)
CHF 1.00 (accordion)
CHF 1.30 (guitar)
CHF 1.80 (saxophone)
Honoring four different styles of music (the instruments represent classical, folk, rock, and jazz, respectively).

 
300th Anniversary of Albrecht von Haller’s Birth
CHF 0.85
Honoring the 18th century naturalist, poet and groundbreaking anatomist born in Berne, Switzerland. The stamp’s efficient, clever design subtly and effectively pays tribute to these three attributes of one of Switzerland’s most famous sons.

 
Shop for all Switzerland stamps here.

See comments for "What stamps are being released in Switzerland on March 4, 2008?"

What is a “maximum card” in stamp collecting/philately?

By Eurostamper — February 28, 2008
See more about: Collecting tips | Maximum cards

A maximum card is a postcard that is pre-printed with its stamp on the front (picture) side of the card, the stamp being related (often exactly similar) to the picture and to the cancellation stamp. The cancellation is often on the first day of issue; these cards are for collectors rather than the general public. For example:

This card’s main picture, stamp, and cancellation are all the exact same thing, Pablo Picasso’s “Woman Reading”. (This is a French issue from 1982.)

Maximum cards come in just about every conceivable category, and it is not only the first-day cancellation and the unity between their elements that make them unique and coveted by collectors. There is also great interest in exactly how the cards are designed, in the relationship and similarity or disparity between the three areas involved.

 
This maximum card honors the marriage of Grace Kelly to Monaco’s Prince Ranier III - the card is black and white but the stamp is color, and unlike the Picasso the cancellation is not a copy of the main image but an ornate decoration:

 
This rather striking Dutch example shows a 1944 stamp depicting the Nieuw Amsterdam, a liner built for the Holland America Line in 1938. The picture is a realistic depiction of the vessel, while the stamp is a stylized interpretation. Such juxtapositions satisfy collectors who have an eye for graphic design, which features heavily in maximum card design:

Collecting maximum cards can be an excellent niche for your hobby. Many are available, whether you choose to concentrate on a particular subject (wildlife, transportation, famous people) or examples from a specific country or region.

Browse current maximum card auctions here.

Do you have an interesting or unique maximum card? Or have you found a good one on the internet? Tell us about it in Comments, or send a scan of it to the_oldsalt(a)yahoo.com; we’ll write a blog post about any neat ones we get information about.

See comments for "What is a “maximum card” in stamp collecting/philately?"