Switzerland

"Soldier Stamps"

World War I issue - Schw. Flieger-Abt. (Aviators Squadron). Complete set of 6 stamps designed by Jakob Ramp, who was apparently a First Lieutenant in the Swiss Military forces. Designs show various scenes relating to Swiss Aviation Squadron. Swiss Soldier Stamps were originally produced, in two different designs, during World War I. They were printed as souvenirs for the many Swiss citizens who were called to active duty to guard the country's borders. Sometimes they were affixed to soldiers' letters home, which were covered by free-franking privileges, so the stamps were only a curiosity. But stamp dealers realized the marketing potential. The Swiss military, along with the Swiss postal authorities, printed more of these stamps, in various designs, and also created special cancelers to tie the stamps to covers and cards. Since it was an economic hardship for the soldiers to be away from their families for extended periods, proceeds from the sales of these stamps and covers were set aside to benefit soldiers' families. There were relatively few issued for the First World War, but many hundreds appeared during the World War Two. These stamps, and covers, are avidly collected today.

Country:  Switzerland City:  na Item Type:  "Soldier Stamps" - Military Franchise - Semi-Official Airmail. Date:  1914/1918 Artist Name:  Jakob Ramp Description:  Set of six single stamps, F/VF, OG, H (one stamp has a small thin from unmounting) Catalogue #:  Sulser 1-5. (1990 cv SFR 360.-) Approximate Image Size:  35 x 43 mm. Shipping to US addresses will be via USPS First Class Mail. Shipping to non-US addresses will be via USPS First Class Mail International. If extra mailing services (registered, etc) are desired, there is an extra charge. Buyer MUST request before making payment to ensure additional coverage. If no additional coverage is purchased eBay will not cover this under their Buyer Protection program. After 35+ years I decided to retire from being an active Cinderella Stamp dealer. Most of my working inventory plus backup stock was sold at public auction. However, I have retained some material that I will be offering for sale. In addition, I have some "new" material that was mixed into lots I have bought for my own collections. I will be listing some of the material in my eBay store at fixed prices. I will also be offering some material at auction, either as single items or mixed lots. There will be many bargains available. There will be large and small lots, some containing similar material, some containing a random mixture, and some containing only one or a few items. The condition will be mixed, but none of the lots will be just accumulations of damaged or faulty stamps (unless specifically listed as such). Items in stockpage or larger lots may be removed and repackaged into glassines to save on shipping costs. A Note about Poster Stamps and Gum: Because many poster stamp collectors are primarily interested in the image on the stamp, the absence or presence of gum on the back is of little concern. If no mention of gum is made, then there may or may not be gum present. If you are only interested in poster stamps with original gum, please inquire before bidding. Actual condition issues (that are not apparent from the scan) WILL be described. A Note about "Stock Images": Occasionally I will have more than one example of an item in inventory. Rather than scan each one individually, I may use the same image for multiple examples of the item. If that is the case, the item supplied will be in substantially the same, or better, condition than the image. Any such items will have the words: "STOCK IMAGE" at the end of the description. Keywords: cinderella poster stamps vignettes vineta reklamemarke samlermærke advertising exhibition exposition seal label erinnofilo maerkat chiudilettera