Swiss Stamps
Air Mail Issues
of 1919-1938
Definitive Swiss stamps for use on Air Mail letters were first issued in 1919. Local stamps had been issued as early as 1913 for aviation events, but they were not officially authorized by the federal government.
Oscar Bider taking off from Bern on his Pioneer Flight
Across the Alps on July 13, 1913
Powered flight in Switzerland, during the first couple decades of the 20th
Century was more of a hobby or sport, rather than an industry.
Demonstration events were occasionally held throughout the country, to
see which of the daredevil pilots could fly the greatest distance, the
greatest height, or at the greatest speed.
The 50 C. denomination Seated Helvetia with Sword definitive stamp shown above, at the right (Zu. F #2, Mi. #145, Sc. #C2) was overprinted on April 30, 1919 for use on the Zurich - Bern - Lausanne Air Mail Route. Even though 500,000 of these first Air Mail stamps were printed, authentic examples of them are very scarce.
The 30 C. denomination Seated Helvetia with Sword definitive stamp shown above, at the left (Zu. F #1, Mi. #152, Sc. #C1), was overprinted on November 14, 1920 for use on the Basel - Frankfurt-am-Main Air Mail Route. Only 180,000 of them were printed. Mint examples are readily available, but authentic used examples are rare.
Flown covers with either of the Air Mail Swiss stamps shown above are also rare, and they are very high priced. Forged overprints and forged cancels also exist on these first two Swiss airmail stamps, so it is wise to only purchase properly authenticated examples.
Gum Varieties
Regular Gum (top) -- Grilled Gum (bottom)
Beginning in 1933, many Swiss definitive Air Mail stamps were treated with a light grilling
process, applied with the gumming, to prevent the stamps from curling.
As shown above, it resembles a faint grill of vertical and horizontal
ribs covering the entire back of the stamp. This effect can usually be
seen, even after the gum has been removed.
This grilling process began not too long after definitive Air
Mail stamps were first issued, and it continued throughout their long
period of postal usage. In most cases, the regular gum examples are much scarcer than the later grilled gum examples.
The ten major-type definitive Swiss stamps shown above were issued between 1923 and 1937 for use on all Air Mail letters. They are all typographed, and they were printed on granite paper with either "regular gum" or "grilled gum".
The first definitive Air Mail stamps utilize four designs, which are:
- Monoplane in flight.
- Pilot at the controls.
- Biplane in flight.
- Icarus, as an allegorical symbol of flight.
The catalog details of these stamps are as follows:
- 15 C. (1923 - Regular Gum - ZU F #3, Mi. #179x, Sc. #C3)
- 20 C. (1925 - Regular Gum - ZU F #4, Mi. #213x, Sc. #C4)
- 25 C. (1923 - Regular Gum - ZU F #5, Mi. #180x, Sc. #C5)
- 35 C. (1923 - Regular Gum - ZU F #6, Mi. #181x, Sc. #C6)
- 40 C. (1923 - Regular Gum - ZU F #7, Mi. #182x, Sc. #C7)
- 45 C. (1923 - Regular Gum - ZU F #8, Mi. #183x, Sc. #C8)
- 50 C. (1923 - Regular Gum - ZU F #9, Mi. #184x, Sc. #C9)
- 65 C. (1924 - Regular Gum - ZU F #10, Mi. #189x, Sc. #C10)
- 75 C. (1924 - Regular Gum - ZU F #11, Mi. #190x, Sc. #C11)
- 01 F. (1924 - Regular Gum - ZU F #12, Mi. #245x, Sc. #C12)
- 20 C. (1937 - Grilled Gum - ZU F #4z, Mi. #213z, Sc. #C4a)
- 25 C. (1934 - Grilled Gum - ZU F #5z, Mi. #180z, Sc. #C5a)
- 45 C. (1937 - Grilled Gum - ZU F #8z, Mi. #183z, Sc. #C8a)
- 50 C. (1935 - Grilled Gum - ZU F #9z, Mi. #184z, Sc. #C9a)
- 65 C. (1936 - Grilled Gum - ZU F #10z, Mi. #189z, Sc. #C10a)
- 75 C. (1936 - Grilled Gum - ZU F #11z, Mi. #190z, Sc. #C11a)
- 01 F. (1933 - Grilled Gum - ZU F #12z, Mi. #191z, Sc. #C12a)
The three new definitive Air Mail Swiss stamps shown above were issued between 1929 and 1935. They are all typographed, and they were printed on granite paper with either "regular gum" or "grilled gum".
These definitive Air Mail stamps utilize two designs, which are:
- Winged letter.
- Bird carrying a letter.
The catalog details of these stamps are as follows:
- 35 C. (1929 - Regular Gum - ZU F #14, Mi. #233x, Sc. #C13)
- 40 C. (1929 - Regular Gum - ZU F #15, Mi. #234x, Sc. #C14)
- 02 F. (1930 - Regular Gum - ZU F #13, Mi. #245x, Sc. #C15)
- 35 C. (1933 - Grilled Gum - ZU F #14z, Mi. #233z, Sc. #C13a)
- 40 C. (1933 - Grilled Gum - ZU F #15z, Mi. #234z, Sc. #C14a)
- 02 F. (1935 - Grilled Gum - ZU F #13z, Mi. #245z, Sc. #C15a)
The three Air Mail Swiss stamps shown above (Zu. F #16-18, Mi. #256-58, Sc. #C16-18) were issued on February 2, 1932 for the International Disarmament Conference, held in Geneva.
They were all printed on granite paper with "grilled gum". The designs feature a stylized aircraft in flight.
The seven provisional Swiss stamps shown above were overprinted and re-valued between 1935 and 1938.
Their catalog details are as follows:
- 10 C. on 15 C. (1932 - ZU F #19a, Mi. #285a, Sc. #C19) - Glazed surcharge.
- 10 C. on 15 C. (1932 - ZU F #19b, Mi. #285b, Sc. N/L) - Matte surcharge (not shown).
- 10 C. on 65 C. (1938 - ZU F #22, Mi. #320, Sc. #C22)
- 10 C. on 15 C. (1933 - ZU F #20a, Mi. #286a, Sc. #C20) - Glazed surcharge.
- 10 C. on 15 C. (1933 - ZU F #20b, Mi. #286b, Sc. N/L) - Matte surcharge (not shown).
- 10 C. on 20 C. (1936 - ZU F #21, Mi. #291, Sc. #C21)
- 30 C. on 90 C. (1936 - ZU F #23, Mi. #292, Sc. #C23)
- 40 C. on 90 C. (1936 - ZU F #24, Mi. #293c, Sc. #C25) - Red surcharge.
- 40 C. on 90 C. (1936 - ZU F #24a, Mi. #293a, Sc. #C25a) - Vermilion surcharge (not shown).
- 40 C. on 20 C. (1937 - ZU F #25, Mi. #310, Sc. #C24)
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Swiss Stamps - Air Mail Issues of 1919-1938
