Catalogue Switzerland Miscellaneous

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In the swiss mountains, remoted hotels often issued their own stamps to carry the post from the hotel to the nearest post office, examples are Rigi Kaltbad, Belalp, Maderanerthal, Rigi Scheideck etc. In September 1883 the use of these stamps was forbidden by the government (but some hotels still issued labels). All these stamps have been heavily forged.

1873 Hotel Belalp, imperforated

  5 c violet (with crosses in the oval)
  5 c violet (with stars in the oval, 1876)
  5 c violet (with values inside the oval)

Red stamps or green stamps as shown here are reprints. These were actually made by the printer G.Cuenod in Vevey, who kept the stones and made these reprints in 1887 (source: 'Some Curious Weeds' No. 9, Linn's July 13, 1964, 109).

Another 'reprint' made in 1973, minisheet with two stamps, inscription 'MARKEN DER SCHWEIZ HOTELPOSTEN 100 Jahre HOTEOMARKEN BELALP 1873 1973':

1870 Maderanerthal, inscription 'FRANCO'

  5 c blue (imperforate)

Three types exist. The first one (with dot behind 'MADERANERTHAL' and behind 'FRANCO') was issued in 1870. The second type (without dot behind 'MADERANERTHAL', slightly different view) was issued in 1871. The third type (no dots behind 'MADERANERTHAL' and 'FRANCO') was issued in 1872. The fourth type of 1874 has a taller 'FRANCO' and a white sky. This last type exists with perforation 11 (1875). The stamps remained uncancelled or received a pen cancel.
Source: 'Maderanthal' by Peter Kelley in The Swiss Philatelist, no 51/52/53 London, 1968, edited by H.L.Katcher.

Advertisement label of 1885 after the hotel post was forbidden by the authorities in 1883.

A Fournier forgery of the 'EXTRA DIENST' and 'FRANCO' stamps, Fournier probably did not use this image to sell forgeries, but to illustrate his pricelists. This image is taken from the 'Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries. The first forgery has the first 'R' of 'MADERANER' inverted.

1883 Mont Prosa St.Gotthard

  5 c green

Piora Thal

  5 c blue

1864 Rigi Kaltbad, perforated or imperforated

  (15 c) red
  (15 c) violet

I've been told that this is a forgery, the design is slightly different, notably the stars left and right which have only 4 rays, reduced size

1870 Hotel du Righi Coulm, flower, imperforated

  10 c red and blue

The following text was found in The Philatelist Vol X' 1876, page 15 concerning forgeries of this stamp:

COLLECTORS AND DEALERS BEWARE OF HEINRICH BAUMER!
To the Editor of "The Philatelist."
Dear Sir, — An English dealer has kindly forwarded for my inspection some Zurich stamps, 4 and 6 rappen, Orts-Post, Poste- Locale, Winterthur, and a whole sheet of Rigi Coulm, all of which have turned out to be forgeries. The Zurich being very well executed, it is a pity the forger cannot be executed also. I cannot say for certain that
HEINRICH BAUMER
of Olten, Switzerland, is the forger of the above stamps, but the fact is certain that he sells forgeries; perhaps he gets them second- hand from
ENGELHARDT FOHL,
of Riesa, Saxony, whose character ought by this time to be well known to him. The Rigi Coulm greatly resemble the genuine, provided you look at the genuine from the back of the stamp. In the genuine the stem of the flower is turned to the left; in the forgery to the right. Besides, the facial value of the genuine sheet (six horizontal rows of five stamps) is 2/6, and the wholesale price of the forgery 1/6 only.
To conclude, I recommend to the special notice of collectors and dealers Heinrich Baumer, hoping they will not forget at the same time his worthy confrère Engelhardt Fohl, the notorious forger of postage stamps whom I had great pleasure in exposing in The Stamp-Collectors Magazine for November, 1874.
H. A. DE JOANNIS. London.

1868 Rigi Scheideck, letter in oval, imperforated

  red
  green
  blue

A Fournier forgery of the 'HAUSER & STIERLIN RIGI SCHEIDECK' stamp, Fournier probably did not use this image to sell forgeries, but to illustrate his pricelists. This image is taken from the 'Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries.

1879 Rigi Staffel, circle, inscription 'HOTEL-PENSION SCHWEIZ', imperforated

  lilac 
  red

1874 Sonnenberg-Engelberg, perforated

  black

1872 Hotel Stoos, swiss cross, imperforated

  violet

1873 Inscription 'HOTEL-PENSION STOOS' in circle, imperforated

red

1877 Inscription 'KURORT STOOS CARL MULLER'

  red
  blue
  green

SWITZERLAND Hotel Stamps