The Swiss stamps for 2022 start off quite tranquil with 5 new definitives. Andeas Gerth’s photographs feature different river landscapes from across the country. Gerth wrote about capturing the scenes on his blog:
Although I know many interesting spots on Swiss rivers, the task was not a self-runner, as many conditions had to be met by the client. The flooding in the summer also made the work more difficult. For some shots I stood in the water, where usually the dry shore was. Some picture ideas I could not implement at all, because it would have been simply too dangerous. News – Current information about Andreas Gerth Fotografie
Gerth’s observations offered a small glimpse into the the design process for this set. It’s not always about sitting around in front of a computer. Don’t forget to stop by his website (link in the quote above) and enjoy more of his work.
Last year saw the introduction of Switzerland’s first crypto stamp. It proved to be so popular, it sold out before the new year. Although some collectors have dismissed cryptos as a fad, I’m a fan of the creativity behind the designs. I’m hoping to see another stamp sometime in late 2022. Gregor Forster’s Switzerland to the Moon theme was fascinating and I think the best of the year was Pilatus with dragon.
The other standout for 2021 surprised me. It was Amadeus Waltenspühl’s Blank Canvas.
The stamp is printed on linen canvas and explores “art collection, art in construction and the desired partnership with art events in the periphery”. Something has happened to my tastes in design and art over the years and I’ve been a bit startled with what I gravitate towards now. This stamp and Belgium artist Thierry de Cordier’s October stamp Nada both provoked interesting responses. And that is why I’ve become so passionate about modern stamps – designers aren’t afraid to push the boundaries of what we think stamps should be.
So, I hope this year will be as fun as last year and I really want to see more crypto stamps from Switzerland. Maybe one day, I’ll manage to buy a few before they disappear.
** NOTE:
Swiss Post has listed/cancelled and relisted a number of FDCs for May. I will go through and check their releases in June to check on their status and make corrections.
January
Swiss River Landscapes
definitives
5 stamps, 2 sheets of 50, 3 sheets of 10, FDCs, cancel
offset, 6-colour and Iriodin coating and 5-colour and Iriodin coating
- Verzasca in Brione
- Rubigen in the Canton of Berne
- Rhine in Chur
- the Doubs at Le Theusseret in the Doubs Nature Park
- Rhone in Varen
Designer: Andreas Gerth
This is Gerth’s first design for Swiss Post
Release date: January 1, 2022
Coins
supplementary stamps
3 stamps, 3 booklets of 4, FDC, cancel
offset, 5-colour and Iriodin coating
Designer: Marc Weller
Previous designs by Weller include the 2016 Swiss Railway Stations and 2014 EUROPA – musical instruments
Release date: January 1, 2022
February
Kiss – Valentine’s Day
1 stamp, blocks of 4, FDC, cancel
offset, 4-colour
Designer: Isabelle Bühler ISABELLE BÜHLER – Paperwork (isabellebuehler.ch)
Bühler used a multi step technique to create this kiss stamp. She created the lips out of paper and then photographed them from an angle to get the 3D effect. She is another paper artist who are creating interesting designs by using paper as a sculpting material If you like this style, don’t miss artist Gail Armstrong’s Heart of the Forest stamps for Guernsey Post. The beauty of Guernsey’s 2022 stamps | Bitter Grounds Magazine
Release date: February 1, 2022
March
100 years Celestino Piatti
graphic artist and illustrator (1922–2007)
1 stamp, 2 FDCs, cancel. blocks, limited run poster (200 copies on multiArt Silk paper)
offset, 4-colour
Stamps are from Piatti’s The Happy Owls illustration
PIatti designed over 6,000 book covers
Books – Celestino Piatti (celestino-piatti.ch)
Release date: March 3, 2022
50 years Mummenschanz
1 stamp, 3 FDC, cancel, souvenir sheet of 8, limited edition print (200 copies, printed on hand made paper, signed and numbered)
offset, 4-colour and hot foil stamping
There are a couple of YouTube videos about Mummenschanz, so if you are curious it’s worth a look. Here’s one I found, posted by Mumenschanz from a 1974 Swiss TV production. The audio narration is in German. Subtitles are available but the translation is … quirky. You don’t really need a translation though to appreciate the mind bending theatre.
The special stamp celebrates two of MUMMENSCHANZ’s most famous figures: “Giant Hands” opens the curtains for “Slinkyman”. Single stamp «50 years Mummenschanz» | buy at postshop.ch
Designer: Janine Aebischer
Release date: March 3, 2022
Animals in their habitats
4 stamps, 4 sheets, 2 booklets, 9 FDCs, cancel
offset, 4-colour
- brown-lipped snail (in a nod towards the phrase snail mail), Cepaea nemoralis – ADW: Cepaea nemoralis: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)
- common kingfisher, Alcedo atthis – Common Kingfisher – eBird
- bumblebees, Bombus – Identify a bumblebee – Bumblebee Conservation Trust
- hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius – Muscardinus avellanarius (Hazel Dormouse) (iucnredlist.org)
Designer: Oreste Vinciguerra Gallery 1 | Image (ab-bild.ch)
Release date: March 3, 2022
Special Events
4 stamps, 4 sheets, 2 booklets, 9 FDCs, cancel
offset, 4-colour
Designer: Uwe Stettler Uwe Stettler (@uwe_stettler) • Instagram photos and videos
Release date: March 3, 2022
125 Years Chimney Sweeper Switzerland
1 stamp, sheets of 10, FDC, cancel
offset, four-colour and scratch off coating;
Found this little tidbit in Swiss Post’s Focus magazine:
Why a top hat?
Damp wood was often burned during the 17th and 18th centuries. This created more soot and heat, which increased the risk of fire. The sweepers had to clear the soot regularly. While at work, they had the opportunity to see how people lived and what possessions they owned. To remind them
not to gossip about what they had seen, they were given top hats, which were actually reserved for the upper classes at that time. Due to this history, chimney sweepers take great pride in the trust which was and still is placed in them.
Focus issue 1/2022
Designer: Andreas Güntensperger,
Release date: March 3, 2022
May
World Stamp Exhibition – HELVETIA 2022 Lugano
1 souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel, 1 stamp on souvenir sheet, 1 pre-stamped postcard, 1 maxi-card
The 2022 Helvetia World Stamp Exhibition will be held in Lugano May 18 to 22 at the Padiglione Conza fairground and convention center in Lugano. The postcard celebrates the 160th anniversary (1862) of the first Swiss stamp. Helvetia 2022 / World Stamp Exhibition / 18-22 May 2022 / Lugano, Switzerland
Release date: May 5, 2022
National Jamboree
Designer: Marisa Zürcher
1 stamp, 2 FDCs, cancel
Scented stamp – when rubbed the stamp emits a campfire aroma
Release date: May 5, 2022
EUROPA – Stories and Myths – WILLIAM TELL
2 stamps, sheets of 16, FDCs, cancel
offset
William Tell
William Tell — VARSY’S Legends of Switzerland (varsys.ch)
A Brief History of the Legend of William Tell (theculturetrip.com)
Designer: Elena Knecht
Release date: May 5, 2022
Pro Patria – 100 years National Day badge
2 stamps with surcharge, booklets of 4, FDCs, cancel, sheet of 10
- 1923–1972
- 1973–2022
Release date: May 5, 2022
Joint issue Switzerland–Croatia
2 stamps, FDCs, cancel
- Lake Cauma
- Visovac Island
For their design, the Croatians selected a widening of the River Krka, in the middle of which Visovac Island is found. It’s 200 metres long and has been inhabited since the 14th century. The smallest book in the world, containing the Lord’s Prayer in seven languages, and a valuable copy of Aesop’s fables are kept on the island. Both are part of a collection of monastic treasures assembled by Franciscan monks. Switzerland chose Lake Cauma near Flims, which also has a very picturesque – albeit slightly smaller – island. The Romansh dialect Sursilvan, in which the lake is called “Lag la Cauma”, was intentionally used in the name. Swiss Post Stamps CHF 1.80 «Visovac Island», Sheet with 16 stamps | buy at postshop.ch
Release date: May 5, 2022
Swiss Parks
4 stamps, pack of pre-stamped postcards, sheets of 20
- Beverin Nature Park
- Doubs Nature Park
- Gantrisch Nature Park
- Schaffhausen Nature Park
Artist: Pierre Abraham Rochat
Rochat’s artwork previously appeared 2018 50th anniversary of the Ballenberg Foundation stamps.
Release date: May 5, 2022
Art in the periphery
Series: Swiss Post’s commitment to art
1 stamp on a sheet of 8, FDCs, cancel, art print (200 prints on Rives handmade paper, signed and hand numbered by artist)
special ink used
Art in the periphery is part of an on-going exhibition in Switzerland being held outside urban centres. This is a cool stamp using a special ink made of chlorophyll pigments, designed to change colour over time and with different exposure to lights. Chlorophyll is what gives plants their green colour.
“Meadow” represents spaces “… usually created thanks to people and only continue to exist with their help. Art projects have also often been created on meadows in peripheral regions, continuing the dialogue between natural processes and cultural achievement.” (Swiss Post)
Designer/artist: Monica Ursina Jäger
Release date: May 5, 2022
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
1 stamp, sheets of 20, FDC, cancel
Designers: Andrea Münch and Markus Läubli
Release date: May 5, 2022
150 years LNM Navigation on the Three Lakes
1 stamp, sheets of 10, FDC, cancel
The boat depicted is the steamboat DS Neuchâtel. Built in 1912, and renovated and put back into service in 2014. Trivapor – Portrait of DS Neuchâtel
Release date: May 5, 2022
July
Marriage for All
1 stamp, sheet of 10, FDC, cancel
As of July 1, 2022 the LGBTIQ+ community could legally marry.
Release date: July 1, 2022
August
Crypto 2.0 – Locarno Film Festival
10 designs in partnership with Locarno Film Festival.
Physical stamp designer: Corina Vögele
Total release: 250,000 copies
Each stamp is named for one of 10 directors featured at the Film Festival. The upcoming NFT releases wstere created by the film directors.
The 75th Locarno Film Festival runs from August 3 to 10 with this set of 10 released to coincide with the festival.
NFTs to be revealed August 6, 2022 at the Festival.
NOTE: An 11th NFT stamp will be released to complete this series. The release will be limited to 50 copies. They will be given away in a prize draw, open to anyone who purchases a Crypto 2.0 stamp.
Valentin Merz
Token ID 1
De Noche Los Gatos Son Pardos | At Night All Cats Are Black
World Premiere
25,000 copies
———-
Samuel Patthey
Token ID 2
Samuel | Locarno Film Festival (locarnofestival.ch)
25,000 copies
——————–
Elie Grappe
Token ID 3
Olga
This is Grappe’s first feature length film
25,000 copies
———-
Details coming
25,000 copies
———-
Maya Kosa / Sergio da Costa
Token ID 5
Maya Kosa | Locarno Film Festival (locarnofestival.ch)
Sergio da Costa | Locarno Film Festival (locarnofestival.ch)
25,000 copies
———-
Denise Fernandes
Token ID 6
Details coming
25,000 copies
———-
Cyril Schäublin
Token ID 7
Details coming
25,000 copies
———-
Nora Longatti
Token ID 8
Details coming
25,000 copies
———-
Yan Hirschbühl
Token ID 9
Details coming
25,000 copies
———-
Elene Naveriani
Token ID 10
Details coming
25,000 copies
Release date: August 8,2022 with NFT reveal at the film festival Aug. 6, 2022.
September
100 years Association of Swiss Archivists VSA-AAS
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Offset using metallic ink
The Association of Swiss Archivists was founded on 4 September 1922 and celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2022. For our professional community, it’s not just about celebrating this milestone. It is also about clearly reaffirming the important role of archives in the rule of law and democracy, as memories of culture and history and as hubs in the information society. A whole series of events is planned throughout the year. VSA-AAS – An der Quelle: die Schweizer Archive
Designer: Luzian Meier, Zurich
Release date: September 1, 2022
Typically Swiss
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheet of 10 (sheet has special stickers in the margin)
offset
… the stamp features the Matterhorn, a symbol of Switzerland and one of the best-known mountains in the world. Then there’s edelweiss, the most famous mountain flower of them all. And finally, the alphorn and the herdsman playing it. Typically Swiss stamp | Swiss Post
Designer: Andrea Klaiber, Winterthur
Release date: September 1, 2022
Barryvox – Avalanche Beacons
Series: Swiss inventions
1 stamp on souvenir sheet, FDC, cance
Offset and flexo printing
The devices, also called avalanche beacons, are used to locate and rescue people caught up in avalanches as quickly as possible…. Swiss electrical engineer and SAC tour guide Felix Meier played a key role in the development of the device up to its current version, the Barryvox® S by Mammut. The device, which has been improved continuously over more than 40 years, now has a range of up to 100 metres and is able to distinguish between several signals coming from people buried by an avalanche. Swiss inventions − Barryvox stamp | Swiss Post
Designer: Jürg Glauser, Ittigen
Release date: September 1, 2022
Jungfraujoch research station
1 stamp, souvenir sheet of 10, FDC, cancel
Offset, 4-colour
Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe | jungfrau.ch
Designer: Monika Rohner, Zurich
Release date: September 1, 2022
150 years Feldkirch–Schaan–Buchs railway line
Joint issue
1 stamp on souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
Offset, 4-colour
Special celebration will be held at Levis rectory, Mutterstrasse 73, A-6800 Feldkirch for the stamp presentation on Friday, 9 September 2022, 1 p.m. Celebrations will take place Friday, 9 September 2022, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to Saturday, 10 September 2022, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This is a three country joint series with Austria and Liechtenstein. Read more about it here Celebrating 150 Yrs of the Feldkirch–Schaan–Buchs Railway.
Designers: David Gruber, Vienna and Marion Füllerer, St. Pölten
Release date: September 9, 2022
Public Transport
1 stamp, sheet of 10, FDC, cancel
Offset, 5-colour
Designer: Thomas Hirter, Bern
Release date: September 1, 2022
100 years Swiss Air Traffic Control
1 stamp, souvenir sheet of 10, FDC, cancel
Offset, 4-colour
Designer: Angelo Boog, Dietlikon
Release date: September 1, 2022
Popular Sport of Hiking
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Offset, 4-colour
Designer: Nicole Vögeli, Zofingen
Release date: September 1, 2022
Gertrud Kurz 1890–1972
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Offset, 4-colour
Designer: Stephan Kuhn, Eglisau
Release date: September 1, 2022
November
Christmas – Sacred Art
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, 2 maxi cards
“Host mill” window in Bern Cathedral
Designer: Bernard Schlup
Photography: Kantonale Denkmalpflege Aargau, Aarau (110 stamp),
Alexander Gempeler, Bern (230 stamp)
Release date: November 3, 2022
Christmas – Festive Season
3 stamps, 4 FDCs, cancel, 3 sheets of 10
Designer: Sarah von Rickenbach
Release date: November 3, 2022
Lego Day
Designer: ©2022 THE LEGO GROUP, Munich
Release date: November 3, 2022
Stamp Day
1 stamp on sheet, postcard, 2 FDCs, 2 cancels
Designer: Dieter Röösli, Swiss Post
Drone photographer: Felix Brodman
Release date: November 3, 2022
Pro Juventute – Stay connected
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, booklet
Designer: Petra Schmid
Release date: November 3, 2022
See all of the 2021 releases here Swiss stamps for 2021
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