SWITZERLAND

   = Understood to be a current stamp printer.    = company still believed to exist.

  First postage stamp issued: 1843 (For SWISS CANTONS)
Stamp printing for this country is primarily done by: Banknote Corporation of America (USA), Bundesdruckerei (Germany), Walsall (GB), Cartor (France) Permapak (Switzerland) and Enschede (Netherlands).

Avery Heusser AG, Gümligen.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1996 (self-adhesive booklets) for Switzerland.

Avery Heusser have been Switzerland’s foremost producer of stickers for more than 40 years.  It was therefore no surprise that this company was approached by the Swiss Post Office to produce their first self-adhesive stamps in booklets.

Benziger & Cie., Einsiedeln.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1907 for Switzerland.

This company still existed in 2001, appearing to solely be a bookshop.

Bischoff Textil AG, St. Gallen.
Founded: 1927.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 2000 for Switzerland.
Main printing process(es): Embroidered

Founded in 1927, Bischoff Textil has developed into today’s leading Swiss embroidery company.  This was therefore a most unusual entry into stamp printing, as Bischoff do not produce paper items.

The world’s first embroidered stamp was issued for the NABA 2000 stamp exhibition and was an instant hit with collectors and non-collectors alike.  The reverse of each stamp has self-adhesive gumming and due to the nature of embroidery, every stamp is slightly different.
 
Busag AG, Berne.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1919 for Ethiopia.

BUSAG History: 1867 First copperplate printing shops in Berne, Switzerland
1887 Max Girardet, a copperplate engraver who bought the copperplate printing shops from Muehlhaupt Brothers, brought a small team of expert photoengravers from Paris to Berne, so that they could introduce the newest photoengraving methods here.

Current (2000) information about this printer reveals that they are responsible for pre-press, graphic arts and design, imaging, scanning and digital printing (Xeikon). they have clearly embraced the future of print.

Cartaroll AG, Bauma.
First stamp(s) (Frama labels) traced by compiler: 2001 for Switzerland using flexoprint.

When it comes to tickets and coupons, forgery-proof entrance tickets or identification cards, outprints, or the labelling of products customers turn to CartaRoll. They supply paper products to a wide range of transport companies, promoters, wholesalers and retailers, financial institutions and public authorities.

Collamat Stralfors AG, Aesch.

The company Collamat Stralfors AG (formerly Guhl & Scheibler) in Aesch is active in the production and in the world-wide selling of labelling systems. Aesch - In the course of a reorientation the company dismisses Guhl & Scheibler AG in Aesch 35 of their 160 woman employees and co-workers. The enterprise withdraws itself from ticket production and concentrates on the label business.

The Baselbieter company hears Stralfors, to whose core business labels and labeling solutions belong since 1996 to the Swedish company. On 1 February the Guhl & Scheibler AG in Stralfors are renamed AG, as the enterprise continued to indicate on Wednesday.

Hélio Courvoisier S.A., La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Founded:  December 1880 by Alexandre Courvoisier as L’Imprimerie Courvoisier.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1931 for the Swiss Post Office.
Main printing process(es): Litho, gravure

In 1928, a photogravure printing press was purchased and trials were undertaken on behalf of the Swiss postal administration. Following the success of the trials, the first issue was the 1931 Pro-Juventute (“For Youth”) issue depicting landscapes in a set of three.  

The photogravure process is one that they have to this day been at the forefront of. Overseas contracts swiftly followed their first set for Switzerland from Liechtenstein (1933) and Luxembourg (1935).  Postage stamps have now been printed at Courvoisier for over 80 countries in the past 60-plus years.  Errors, so loved by collectors, are almost unheard from this printer; such is the quality of their printing and staff.

Courvoisier remained in private family hands until 1987 when it was sold to a group of Swiss entrepreneurs, who obviously recognised the benefit of owning such a fine master printer. In 1989, the stamp division was registered as a Limited Liability Company, with the Swiss Post Office becoming a shareholder.

In 1991 Courvoisier were the first stamp printer in the world to print stamps with cylinders engraved by the Ohio Electronic Engraver. In1999, production totalled more than 600 million stamps and souvenir sheets per year, for more than 30 countries.

This printer closed down in 30th April 2001 after 70 years of stamp printing. The business was bought out by Walsall Security Printers and will survive under the new name of Courvoisier Security Printers to provide high quality medium or short run gravure printing. In 2004 (SG. Monthly Aug 2004) the plan was to relocate to a new factory in France.
 
Editions de l’Aubetin SA, [where?].
Abbreviation known by: EDILA.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: [when?].
Main printing process(es): Typo

The Federal Mint, Berne.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1854 for Switzerland.

M. Durheim, [where?].
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1850 for Switzerland.

M. Girardet, [where?].
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1900 for Switzerland.

Impressor SA, Lausanne and Syens.
Founded:  1972.   
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: [when?].

Impressor work exclusively with the postal administrations of African nations to produce postage stamps for this particular market. They specialise in the manufacture of gold foil stamps.  Also produced are passports and identity documents.
 
Imprimerie de la Poste Suisse, Berne.
English language translation of name: Swiss Post Printing Works.

The 1998 name for the old PTT Stamp Printing Works following the splitting of Posts and Telecommunications.  (See PTT Stamp Printing Works entry.)

Landestopographie, Berne.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1924 for Liechtenstein. First for Switzerland in 1927.

Now called the Federal Office of Topography, it is based in Wabern.
1865 Transfer of the Topographical Bureau to Bern.
1845-1865 Publication of the first accurate map covering the whole of Switzerland in 1:100'000 («Dufour Map»).

1838 Guillaume Henri Dufour, later to become a general, is the founder of the «Topographical Bureau» in Geneva.

Topographic Institute, Berne.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1914 for Switzerland.

The Mint, Berne.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1924 for Liechtenstein.  

(See entry for The Federal Mint, above.)

Mulkaupt & Son, Berne.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1882 (Postage Dues in 1872) for Switzerland.

Orell Füessli & Cie, Zurich.
Founded: 1519.
Abbreviation known by: OFZ.
Or more recently
Orell Füessli Security Printing Limited, Zurich.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1843 for the Swiss Canton of Zurich.

Orell Füssli, founded in 1519, began printing securities as early as 1827 and since 1911 we have been supplying banknotes incorporating state-of-the-art security technology to the Swiss National Bank.

By the end of the 20th century they were specialists in the technological aspects of security and are involved in the production of smart cards, securities and identification documents, cheques, certificates, visas and foreign passports.  

Today, apart from conjuring up a tradition of excellence, the name has become a byword for the highest quality in respect of techniques, security and innovation. You'll find the Orell Füssli logo on many of the things that accompany us in our daily lives: on books, banknotes, securities and plastic cards. In addition, they produce a variety of other print-related products. Stamps are no longer a part of their portfolio of products.

Permapack, Rorschach.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 2000 (Self-Adhesive Booklet) for Switzerland.

Philator, Geneva.  
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1968 for Haiti.

PTT Stamp Printing Works, Berne.
Founded:  on 1 April 1930.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1932 for Switzerland.
Main printing process(es): Litho, recess, gravure

This printer closed down in June 2002 and Switzerland now uses commercial stamp printers.
 
Rimeco-Melano SA, [where?].
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1996 for Libya.

M. Schmid, Geneva.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1843 for Swiss Canton of Geneva.

Staemplfli & Co., Berne.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1882 for Switzerland.

Tesa-Bandfix AG, Bergdietikon, Zurich.
First stamp(s) traced by compiler: 1996 (self-adhesive booklets) for use by the Swiss PTT in Italy.

The mailing of holiday postcards back home more speedily than the Italian Post Office could manage saw the production of stamp-like labels.  Tesa-Bandfix supplied them, as they are a major producer of adhesive labels for packaging products, such as Nivea.

  Page updated 01 September 2008.  All material Copyright  © 2000-Date Glenn H Morgan FRPSL.