On 7th March, Switzerland issued a 100 centimes postage stamp featuring a pig chewing a four-leaf clover as a symbol of luck. The stamp is also shaped like a pig. Another interesting aspect is that it has a soft texture. Soft particles were sprinkled on the stamp paper before the printing process to achieve this texture. It took three months to complete this innovative procedure. The stamps were printed by Joh. Enschede of the Netherlands by offset lithography in sheets of 10. The designer’s name, Janine Wiget, is also mentioned on the stamp.

Portugal also issued two €0.70 stamps featuring a pig on 28th January. They are a part of the Portuguese Autochthonous Breeds set. One stamp features Portugal’s native Bisaro, which is a mild breed of big pigs which can grow up to 3 feet tall and 5 feet long with black, white or spotted skin. The other one shows the Alentejo pig, a dark black pig with dense bristles, a little head and triangular ears. The other four stamps in this set feature the Serra da Estrela sheep, Portuguese speckled hen, Alentejo cow and Miranda donkey. The stamps were printed in sheets of 50 and in a souvenir sheet with the six se-tenant stamps.

Image Courtesy: Swiss Post