Types and varieties of Swiss postage stamps: National Exhibition 1939, Zürich

 

Paper types: (1.) long silk threads (2.) short threads, ribbed gum.

Stamps were printed in photogravure by Courvoisier S. A. in sheets of 50 (10 X 5) and rolls (only 10 cents stamps in all three languages). Stamps from sheets and rolls differ in location of printer’s signature below the lower right frame.

Stamps were printed on two paper types:

1. paper with long colored silk threads, gum smooth
2. paper with small, fine silk threads, gum ribbed

Papers types are easy to differentiate as all stamps with denomination of 30 cents were printed on the first type of paper. Consult the table below:

Language	Denomination	Paper type 1		Paper type 2
		Sheets	Rolls	Sheets	Rolls
French	5 cents	–	X	X	–
	10 cents	–	X	X	–
	20 cents	–	X	X	–
	30 cents	X	–	–	–
German	5 cents	–	X	X	–
	10 cents	X	X	–	–
	20 cents	–	X	X	–
	30 cents	X	–	–	–
Italian	5 cents	–	X	X	–
	10 cents	–	X	X	–
	20 cents	–	X	X	–
	30 cents	X	–	–	–

 

1. Types

 

Types of 10 cents stamp (all languages)
10 c., gray brown: inscriptions in French, German and Italian. Types I and II:	Type I (sheets): letter A in COURVOISIER S. A. to the right from letter V in HELVETIA. Type II (rolls): letter A in COURVOISIER S. A. to the left from letter V in HELVETIA, inscriptions slightly thinner.

 

2. Constant varieties

 

5 cents, deep green
Inscription in French			Field number
I		White spot on numeral 5 in denomination.	22
Inscription in German			Field number
I		Big white spot below year mark 1939 (retouching).	26
10 cents, gray brown
Inscription in French			Field number
I		Dark spot with white lines above denomination to the right (retouching).	43
20 cents, bright carmine
Inscription in German			Field number
I		Pale area above letter A in HELVETIA (retouching).	24
30 cents, violet blue
Inscription in French			Field number
I		Big pale area on the lower tree branch to the rigt.	2
Inscription in Italian			Field number
I		Left crossbow limb damaged.	39

 

3. Possible constant varieties (not mentioned in literature)

 

5 cents, deep green
Inscription in German			Field number
I		White spot in numeral 5 in denomination.	?
10 cents, gray brown
Inscription in German			Field number
I		Pale area above letter A in HELVETIA.	41
Inscription in Italian			Field number
I		Retouching between letter A in HELVETIA and denomination.	?
II		Pale spot around damaged right frame.	?
III		Damaged left frame next to the letter E of ESPOSIZIONE and leaf, vertical colored line next to the left frame.	?
20 cents, bright carmine
Inscription in French			Field number
I		Retouching below letters LVET in HELVETIA.	?
II		White area with three bright spots on the left borderline, next to the leaf.	?
30 cents, violet blue
Inscription in French			Field number
I		Colored spot in pale area between the lower tree branch to the right and the crossbow.	50
Inscription in German			Field number
I		Pale area above denomination.	50
II		White circle below the first numeral 9 in 1939.	?

 

Bibliography

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1. Michel Schweiz/Liechtenstein-Spezial 2003/2004, Schwaneberger Verlag, GMBH, München. ISBN 3-87858-365-6