Swiss Stamps
Definitives of 1854-1862
Strubel Type - Part 2
1854-1857 Printings
1854 Munich II Printing
For collectors of Swiss stamps, there are many ways to approach the Strubel issues, such
as by printing and shade, by printing and plate arrangement, by postmark
types, or in some cases, by one stamp of each denomination, without
regard to their printing characteristics. With this issue, there is no
such thing as a "standard collection arrangement". Every collector of
these stamps has the opportunity to construct their arrangements, as
they wish. My presentation here is intended to be solely a guideline.
Every book I've read, written by the philatelic experts on the
Strubels, has had a different approach to their attribution. For the
purpose of these web pages, these Swiss stamps will be presented by printing
period numbers, as outlined in the Zumstein catalog.
Munich I Printing 1854
(Zumstein Group: Aa)
 |
 |
 |
 |
The first denominations of the Strubel issue, produced in Munich, were the 5 Rp., 10 Rp., 15 Rp., and 40 Rp., as shown above.
The Munich I Printing attributes are as follows:
- Paper: Thin Munich paper (0.06 - 0.09 mm).
- Plates: Plates of 100 positions with orderly arrangement.
- Printing: Frame lines uniform. Very good embossing. Lozenges sharp but indistinct. No color accumulations around Helvetia. Dull colors.
- Cancellations: Grid cancels.
- Silk Threads: Green (Emerald).
The Munich I Printing catalog details are as follows:
- 05 Rp. (1854 - Munich I - ZU #22Aa, Mi #13Ia, Sc #14) - Orange Brown.
- 10 Rp. (1854 - Munich I - ZU #23Aa, Mi #14Ia, Sc N/L) - Blue.
- 15 Rp. (1854 - Munich I - ZU #24Aa, Mi #15Ia, Sc #17a) - Pale Rose.
- 40 Rp. (1854 - Munich I - ZU #26Aa, Mi #17Ia, Sc #18) - Pale Yellow Green.
Munich II Printing 1854
(Zumstein Group: A)
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Munich II Printing is identical to the Munich I Printing, except for the following attributes.
- Printing: Frame lines uniform.
Very good embossing. Lozenges sharp and clear. No color
accumulations around Helvetia. Fresh colors.
The Munich II Printing catalog details are as follows:
- 05 Rp. (1854 - Munich II - ZU #22A, Mi #13Ib, Sc #15) - Brown.
- 10 Rp. (1854 - Munich II - ZU #23A, Mi #14Ib, Sc #16) - Blue.
- 15 Rp. (1854 - Munich II - ZU #24A, Mi #15Ib, Sc #17) - Rose.
- 40 Rp. (1854 - Munich II - ZU #26A, Mi #17Ib, Sc #19) - Yellow Green.
Bern I Printing 1854-1855
(Zumstein Group: B)
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Bern I Printings are shown above. Their attributes are as follows:
- Paper: Thin to medium Munich or Zurich paper (0.06 - 0.10 mm).
- Plates: Plates of 25 positions with orderly arrangement. Variable spacing (0.3 - 1.2 mm).
- Printing:
Frame lines variable. Very good to excellent embossing. Lozenges sharp but
indistinct. Light color accumulations around Helvetia.
- Cancellations: Grid cancels.
- Silk Threads: Green (Emerald).
The Bern I Printing catalog details are as follows:
- 05 Rp. (1854 - Bern I - ZU #22B, Mi #13IIAym, Sc #20) - Brown.
- 10 Rp. (1855 - Bern I - ZU #23B, Mi #14IIAym, Sc #21) - Blue.
- 15 Rp. (1855 - Bern I - ZU #24B, Mi #15IIAym, Sc #22) - Rose.
- 20 Rp. (1854 - Bern I - ZU #25B, Mi #16IIAym, Sc #23) - Orange Yellow.
Bern II Printings 1855-1857
(Zumstein Groups: C, D, E)
 Yellow Thread
|
 Black Thread
|
 Red Thread
|
 Blue Thread
|
 Maroon Thread
|
 Black Thread
|
 Yellow Thread
|
The major denomination Swiss stamps of the Bern II Printing, with their colored thread attributions, are shown above. Unlike the Swiss stamps from Zumstein Groups Aa, A, and B, which all have green silk threads, the Swiss stamps within Zumstein Groups C, D, and E are less difficult to attribute, as they have variable colored silk threads that are unique to each of the denominations.
The Bern II Printing attributes are as follows:
- Paper: Thin to medium Munich or Zurich paper (0.06 - 0.10 mm).
- Plates: Earlier printings: Plates of 25 positions with orderly arrangement and even spacing. Later printings: Plates of 50 positions with misaligned arrangement and narrow spacing.
- Printing:
Frame lines variable. Good to fair embossing.
- Cancellations: Grid or town cancels.
- Silk Threads: Variable colors (see catalog details section).
The Bern II Printing catalog details are as follows:
- 05 Rp. (1855 - Bern II - ZU #22C, Mi #13IIAyn, Sc #24) - Brown (Yellow Thread).
- 05 Rp. (1856 - Bern II - ZU #22D, Mi #13IIBys,Sc. #25) - Brown (Black Thread).
- 10 Rp. (1855 - Bern II - ZU #23C, Mi #14IIAyoa, Sc #27) - Blue (Red Thread).
- 15 Rp. (1857 - Bern II - ZU #24D, Mi #15IIByp, Sc #28) - Rose (Blue Thread).
- 40 Rp. (1855 - Bern II - ZU #26C, Mi #17IIAyr, Sc #29) - Green (Maroon Thread).
- 01 Fr. (1855 - Bern II - ZU #27C, Mi #18IIAys, Sc #30) - Gray (Black Thread).
- 01 Fr. (1856 - Bern II - ZU #27D, Mi #18IIByn, Sc #31) - Gray (Yellow Thread).
As detailed in the Brach book, recent studies have yielded significant new
discoveries regarding the 1855-1857 printings shown above. Brach has
identified two distinctly different printings affecting all the issues
of this period, utilizing plates with completely different configurations
and characteristics. Integrating these new varieties will, of course, require the re-structuring of the catalog arrangement of these Swiss stamps in one's Strubel collection display. Anyone wishing to explore the technical aspects
of these new discoveries in depth, should refer to the Herbert Brach
book described in Part 1 of this review.
The descriptions above are
based on those used in the current edition of the Zumstein Schweiz Liechtenstein
catalog and the Zumstein Spezialkatalog Schweiz.
The Bern II thin paper variety attributes are as follows:
- Paper: Thin Munich paper (0.055 - 0.074 mm).
- Plates: Plates of 25 positions with orderly arrangement. Variable spacing (0.2 - 0.8 mm).
- Printing:
Frame lines variable. Fair embossing.
- Cancellations: Grid or town cancels.
- Silk Threads: Variable colors (see catalog details section).
The Bern II thin paper variety catalog details are as follows:
- 10 Rp. (1856 - Bern - ZU #23E, Mi #14IIBzoa, Sc #27a) - Blue (Red Thread).
- 01 Fr. (1856 - Bern - ZU #27E, Mi #18IIBzn, Sc #31a) - Gray (Yellow Thread).
eBay Auction and Store Links
Switzerland
The following links feature category-focused affiliated seller listings on various eBay sites worldwide. They may enable visitors to shop
for and to buy specific items for the
particular collecting subject they've just read about.
The
affiliated eBay seller auction lots provided by eBay,
Inc. are not the responsibility of the management of this
website. On high priced material, make sure the lots you are buying are properly authenticated.
Remember
that the lots on most of the European eBay sites are priced in EUROS. The lots on the Switzerland eBay site are priced in SWISS FRANCS. The Swiss Franc is roughly equivalent to the US Dollar. Shipping
charges may be more, and the lots may take longer to arrive. Also, make
sure the foreign seller ships to your country, before bidding on or
buying his lot.
Return to Switzerland Stamps from Swiss Stamps
Definitives of 1854-1862 - Strubel Type Part 2
