World Stamp Catalogue/Geneva (Switzerland)

See also: World Stamp Catalogue/Switzerland

Revenue stamps of Geneva (Switzerland).

Canton of Geneva[edit | edit source]

The French-speaking Canton of Geneva is the westernmost canton of Switzerland.

Commerce[edit | edit source]

Arms of Geneva.

1860[edit | edit source]

Imperforate stamps.

5c
5c
5c blue-grey - (a)
5c
5c
5c
5c
5c
5c
5c

Special issue[edit | edit source]

1.75Fr
2Fr
2.25Fr

1865[edit | edit source]

Changed design. Imperforate (A), perforated 11.25 (B) or 11.75 (C).

5c - (A)
5c - (C)
10c - (C)
15c - (C)
20c - (A)
20c - (C)
25c - (C)
50c - (C)
75c - (C)
1Fr - (A)
1Fr - (C)
1.50Fr - (A)
French 1865 money order with 5c - (A)
French 1865 money order with 10c - (A)

1877-1887[edit | edit source]

Numerous different stamp types and shades are known from this timeframe.

Eagle wing: open or closed;
Value inscription (I or II);
At least 10 different combinations of paper type, watermark and perforation, A-J:
- Paper X: smooth, thick and opaque (A, B, C, I);
- Paper Y: rough, medium thick, opaque to slightly transparent (D, E, G, H, J);
- Paper Z: rough, thin and transparent (F, not watermarked and only perforated 11.5-11.75).

The 5c pink with an open eagle wing for example, exists in 8 different types and various shades.

Eagle wing

Open wing
Closed wing

Inscription types

Type I: 5c detail - short dash on '1'
Type II: 5c detail - long dash on '1'
Type I: 5c detail
Type II: 5c detail
Type I: 10c 'centimes' 11.2mm long
Type II: 10c 'centimes' 11.6-11.8mm long
Type I: 15c space between '1' and '5' is 1mm
Type II: 15c space between '1' and '5' is 1.4mm
Type II: 20c space between '2' and '0' is 1.4mm
Type I: 25c space between '2' and '5' is 0.5mm
Type II: 25c space between '2' and '5' is 1.3mm
Type I: thick 50c 1877 issue
Type II: 50c on medium paper, 1887
Type II: 50c on thin paper (Z),1887
Type I: 75c space between '7' and '5' is 0.8mm
Type I: 1Fr 'Franc' 8mm long

1877[edit | edit source]

Open eagle wing. Value inscription type I.

5c pink - (B)
5c pink - (D)
10c green - (B)
15c lilac-grey - (B)
15c lilac-grey - (B)
25c blue - (B)
50c red - (B)
50c red - (D)
75c French bistre - (A)
3fr blue - (B)

1887[edit | edit source]

Open eagle wing. Value inscription type II.

5c pink - (F)
10c green - (D)
15c violet - (aF)
20c ochre - (F)
25c blue-green - (aF)
50c red - (D)
50c red - (F)

Special issue[edit | edit source]

Imperforate, with and without value inscription.

No value, green
No value, ochre
No value, pink on pink
5c pink - type I
10c green - type I

1887[edit | edit source]

Closed eagle wing. Value inscription type I.

5c pink - (F)
10c green - (F)
15c lilac - (D)
50c red - (A)
75c French bistre - (A)

1887[edit | edit source]

Open eagle wing, black value inscription.

4Fr blue
4.50Fr brown

1887[edit | edit source]

Closed eagle wing, black value inscription. 1 franc value inscription type I or II.

1Fr pink, type I
2Fr violet
2.50Fr yellow
3Fr blue
3.50Fr blue-green
4Fr blue
4.50 brown

1887[edit | edit source]

Different design: Printers inscription 'F. de Siebenthal & Cie, Geneve' at bottom.

75c light brown
2Fr red-lilac

Conveyance[edit | edit source]

Arms of Geneva.

Imperforate. Inscribed LOI DU 1 FÉVRIER 1865. Used by the Geneva freight (railway-)station and weighing office. Commonly cancelled GENEVE C.F.F. (meaning Chemins de Fer Fédéraux Suisses - Swiss Federal Railways), and/or GENEVE P.V. meaning Petite Vitesse (low speed), GENEVE G.V. meaning Grande Vitesse (urgent, high speed).

10c

1876[edit | edit source]

Inscribed CANTON DE GENEVE. One stamp of which 12 different types are known, depending on color, perforation and paper type. Perforations 11.5 (a, b, c), 11.75 (d) or 12.75 (e). No watermark (except lilac, 11.5, coarse opaque paper, aB). Three different paper types:

Smooth and opaque (A)
Coarse and opaque to semi-translucent (B)
Thin and semi-translucent to semi-transparent (C)

Different colors, shades of violet and gray:

Lilac (a)
Gray to violet-gray (b)
Light gray-lilac (c)
Gray-lilac (d and e)

10c - (A), cancelled '(GENEVE) CFF' (Chemins de fer fédéraux suisses - Swiss Federal Railways)
10c - (B), cancelled '(GENEVE) CFF'
10c - (C), cancelled 'GENEV(E CFF)'
10c - (bA), cancelled '(G)ENEVE G.V.' (Grande Vitesse - urgent)
10c - (bB)
10c - (bC)
10c - (cA)
10c - (dB)

1918[edit | edit source]

Changed design.

10c - cancelled 'GENEVE P.V. E(XPEDITIONS CFF)'

Stock exchange[edit | edit source]

The Geneva Stock Exchange was the first stock exchange in Switzerland founded in 1850. Initially created as an association of stockbrokers and regulated in 1855. Stock exchange revenue stamps were issues from 1885 to ca. 1931.

1885[edit | edit source]

Pike-armed mercenary (Eidgenössischer Reislaufer) and arms of Geneva. 5 different types can be distinguished:

A: Horizontally laid paper, watermarked
B: Vertically laid paper, watermarked
C: Smooth paper, unwatermarked
D: Rough paper, unwatermarked
E: Thin transparent, rough paper, unwatermarked

3.75Fr (A)
4.25Fr (A)
4.75Fr (A)
5.25Fr (A)

1931[edit | edit source]

Arms of Geneva. Overprinted 'BOURSE de GENÈVE'.

0.10Fr

1931[edit | edit source]

Arms of Geneva centime values, numerals franc values. Printer's name inscribed at bottom: 'F. DE SIEBENTHAL GENEVE'. White (A) or yellow (B) paper.

0.10Fr - (A)
1Fr - (A)

1931[edit | edit source]

Centime values arms of Geneva, franc values large numerals. Without printer's name. Two types of background (I and II), three subtypes can be distinguished regarding paper and perforation:

A: Yellow paper with red fibers, 10.5x10.75
B: Yellow paper with red fibers, 11x11.25
C: Yellow paper without red fibers, 10.75x11

Background types