Slovakia and Swiss stamps celebrate stamp art

New Stamps of the World by Denise McCarty

Slovakia will salute Postage Stamp Day and stamp designer Vladimir Machaj on an €0.80 stamp to be issued Dec. 4.

Machaj (1929-2016) also is known for his book illustrations.

In the design of the Postage Stamp Day commemorative, Machaj is surrounded by some of his stamp work. Most prominent are the two wild cats on the se-tenant label, which were the basis for his design for a stamp in the 2003 World Wildlife Fund souvenir sheet (Scott 434c).

Parts of his designs for the 2005 and 2006 Easter stamps (Scott 474 and 496, respectively) and a Strawberry stamp issued in 2000 (363b) are pictured to the left of Machaj’s portrait on the stamp,

Switzerland

Switzerland’s new Stamp Day semipostal features a dove carrying a letter in its beak.

Swiss Post reports that this stamp design commemorates and updates one of the world’s most famous stamps, the Basel Dove (Switzerland Scott 3L1) issued 175 years ago in 1845.

Architect Melchior Berry designed the 1845 stamp, which also shows a dove with a letter. The design for the 100-centime+50c semipostal was created by Susanne Krieg, and the stamp was issued Nov. 5 in panes of eight.

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