Content of Michel Catalog Alpenländer 2022 (E1):

Liechtenstein, Austria, Switzerland, United Nations – Geneva, United Nations – Vienna.

Description:

• 2022 Alpine Countries: These particularly popular European collection areas have been fully revised and complemented by the Editorial Team.
• Additional information about forgeries, new price appraisals of se-tenant print units from Austrian foil sheets and supplemented numbers of issue regarding Swiss stamps provide even more details and safety.
• Ten newly discovered type variations reflect a philatelic interest in the Alps that is as strong as ever!
• An additional number of 230 new photos make it considerably easier for collectors to identify their stamps.
• All price appraisals have been revised, resulting in numerous price increases, for instance for issues of German Austria and the Donau-Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft (Danube Steamboat Association)
• Besides general price trends, collectors will also find large price increases of individual stamps, such as a cancelled “Standing Helvetia“ that has nearly doubled its five-digit value.
• More than 9000 high-resolution photos in colour and approx. 39,300 price appraisals
• All novelties up to those featured in MICHEL Rundschau No. 2/2022 have been included

The catalog is organized according to collection areas. Cataloging within these sections is chronological, based on issue date. Special stamp types, like official stamps, are located at the end of a collection area section. In order to assist collectors organize their stamps, numerous illustrations are provided, as well as information on similar stamps to help avoid possible mix-ups.

The speed in which special issues are discovered by attentive collectors is one indicator that shows how popular the collection areas of the first Europe volume are. The stamp MiNo. 2709 has not even been on the market for ten months when the 2022 MICHEL Alpine Countries (E 1) is published, yet MICHEL has already received information regarding a type variation: Obviously the imperforate variation on the occasion of the ”125-Year Anniversary of the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS)“ cannot yet be officially appraised but it does inspire an increased attention regarding contemporary issues! Photo: Switzerland MiNo. 2709

Among collectors, the “Alpine countries“ are well known for their innovative and widely popular issues. In 2019, specially Austria and Liechtenstein again issued many special editions that were much discussed by the public. In January, for instance, Liechtenstein issued a particularly striking and valuable embroidered stamp. On the occasion of “300 years of the Principality of Liechtenstein“ a variety of a princely hat with silhouette embroidery was put on the market in the form of a handmade postage stamp. This special issue, which was limited to only little over 2000 stamps sold for 300 Franks each by the postal system, features 24-carat gold threads as well as Swarovski crystals. It remains to be seen how many of these specimens will actually be used for truly princely greetings sent through the postal system; however, the prices for specimens traded so far have already led to the MICHEL quotation of € 1600. Experts warn against paying speculative prices for such objects as the interest in them will often subside again. Yet issues such as the real-gold princely hat from Liechtenstein and the Austrian crypto stamp definitely have the potential to raise the interest of non-collectors in philately as well. Illustration: Liechtenstein MiNo. 1932

MiNo. 2606, which depicts an Airbus A310–300 and was issued in 2006 on the occasion of the Day of the Stamp, is among the pieces whose sheetlets have increased by ten Euros in value since last year. It remains to be seen if Austrian sheetlet issues will continue to be this popular in 2021.

Target Group:

Stamp collectors specialized in issues of European Alpine countries, experts, dealers, thematic collectors, study groups, teachers

Additional Information:

107th Edition, in colour
800 pages
155 mm x 230 mm, hardcover
On sale: 4 March 2022
Language: German
ISBN: 978-3-95402-381-3

Press Release:

Michel Catalog Alpenländer 2022 (E1) is the first of our sixteen titles of the Europe series. It contains the popular collection areas of Liechtenstein, Austria, Switzerland as well as UNO Geneva and Vienna.

It offers friends of classic philately a vast collection area with the issues of the 19th and early 20th centuries. These countries are also a true treasure chest for collectors of motifs. Practically all popular themes and motifs are generously represented. Yet stamps are no longer rectangular pieces of paper used to pay a service in advance. For several years the postal administrations have been breathing new life into philately by introducing fancy formats, unusual printing methods and new materials.

The whole edition has undergone editorial improvements. 230 new photos that depict issues of the so-called side areas, such as Swiss offices, deserve to be emphasized. They will make it a lot easier for collectors to identify their stamps. Se-tenant print units of Austrian foil sheets are now listed with their own price quotations. Information regarding forgeries protects buyers from bad buys. And another year of Swiss issues lists the numbers of issues that have been published.

One focal point was the revision and updating of price quotations. You will, for instance, find price increases among issues from German Austria as well as from the Donau-Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft (Danube Steamboat Association). Certainly a cancelled “Standing Helvetia“, which has nearly doubled its five-digit value, has made the greatest leap. We have included a total of ten new type variations. A Swiss perforation variation from 2021 is brand new. Be sure to examine your inventory!

This edition contains all novelties presented in MICHEL Rundschau up to and including No. 2/2022. We recommend a subscription of MICHEL Rundschau starting with issue No. 3/2022 or MICHEL Online so as to stay updated. In addition to cataloguing all novelties, MICHEL Rundschau keeps you informed about anything that matters in the field of philately.

Thank you, all you collectors, examiners and dealers out there who have helped to make this reference book a success by your support and your suggestions.

We hope our readers will find relaxation and true enjoyment while spending time with their collections and this new Michel Catalog Alpenländer 2022 (E1).

Schwaneberger Verlag
Editors

ABOUT MICHEL