The Double Geneva is a rare
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
* Swiss, West Virginia
*Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
* Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internatio ...
stamp that was issued by the city of
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
in 1843, making it the third-oldest stamp of the European continent after the
Zurich 4 and 6 (1842), and the British
Penny Black
The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system. It was first issued in the United Kingdom (referred to in philatelic circles as Great Britain), on 1 May 1840, but was not valid for use until 6 May. ...
and
Two penny blue, (1840). It bears the name Double Geneva for the double image on the stamp and its place of origin.
The stamp has a unique design: each half, at 5 centimes if cut out would pre-pay the postage on letters within the city of Geneva; the whole stamp at 10 centimes pre-paid postage outside the city but within the Canton of Geneva.
[P Mirabaud & A de Reuterskiold "The postage stamps of Switzerland 1842-1862" 1898; facsimile reprint 1975 Quarterman Publications, Laurence Massachusetts]
References
Postage stamps of Switzerland
Birds on stamps
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