The stamps are 160 years old and there are still enough possibilities to innovate in this domain. The Swiss post has astonished us last year with the Embroidery Stamp. Now the recently privatized post of Liechtenstein comes with a new idea: the Scratch Stamps. There's nothing more delightful, says the publicity, than just to rub the golden area of one of this stamp with a coin until a bouquet of flowers unexpectedly appears. With the second scratch stamp a hearty Thank You!, delivered by a cheerful laughing postman, appears beneath the scratched surface.

     This can add much of fun to a thank-you letter or greeting. For this reason I show on this page the non-scratched stamps on the first row, and the scratched ones on the second row. The stamps are shown with the labels found on the edges of the sheet. Translations from German:  Neu = New (for how long?), "Rubbel Briefmarke = Scratch (or rub-on) Stamp, Danke = Thanks, Viel Glück = A Lot of Luck. Please see below the maximum cards and the FDC. The issue date: March 5, 2001.

     The stamps were designed by the famous cartoonist Rapallo from Solothurn. Solothurn (Soleure) is a city and a canton in Switzerland. The printing office is Hélio Courvoissier S.A., La-Chaux-de-Fonds, also in Switzerland. Source: Briefmarken aus dem Fürstentum Liechtenstein.

     Notice. Earlier we had the choice of mint or used stamps. Now we have a supplementary tough one: To conserve them scratched or unscratched. A Happy Scratching!

Created 01/18/2000. Revised: 03/02/01. Copyright © 2001 by Victor Manta, Switzerland. All rights reserved in all countries.

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