2018-12-17 Mon

The 300th anniversary of the Principality of Liechtenstein will be celebrated with the release of its first embroidered souvenir sheet on 23rd January 2019. The 6.30-franc crown-shaped 56 by 51 mm self-adhesive souvenir sheet was designed by Peter Vogel. The crown is also known as a princely hat. A total of 70,000 souvenir sheets were printed. The red and gold embroidery was produced by Hammerle & Vogel from Lustenau, Austria. They had also produced embroidered stamps for Austria like the Edelweiss stamp that was released on 19th July 2005 and the Styrian Hat stamp issued on 22nd September 2018. Switzerland had issued the world’s first embroidered stamp on 21st June 2000. Other countries like Brazil, Italy, Micronesia and Singapore have also issued embroidered stamps.

Liechtenstein is a landlocked principality that’s located between Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It is the sixth smallest country in the world covering an area of less than 62 square miles. Humans have been living in this region since 7,000 years and it was called Liechtenstein in the 18th century. It was named by Princes of Liechtenstein, who bought the County of Vaduz in 1712 and the lands of Schellenberg in 1699 to form the Principality of Liechtenstein in 1719. A castle was built in Maria Enzensdorf of Upper Austria by Hugo von Petronell-Liechtenstein in 1130. It stands on a rock known as the light ‘Licht’ stone ‘Stein’. That’s how the principality got its name.

Image Courtesy: Liechtenstein Post