Nine new issues from Switzerland!

Tomorrow Switzerland will release nine new issues - yes, nine!

That is a lot but of course it is worth pointing out that most of these are just single stamps, with two sets containing four stamps and one three. So that gives us a total of 17 new stamps - pretty much the same as when Royal Mail create a new issue with a miniature sheet.

As there are so many of them on several different themes, I am not going to give detailed reviews, just a few sentences. Some of these are very impressive but there are also some that I'm not so keen on.

SWISS ATTRACTIONS

This attractive set of four shows some famous Swiss attractions, including Chapel Bridge, St. Moritz, Creux-du-Van and Dufourspitze.

Design Quality: These are in the style of posters that were popular in the 1930s. I like the simplicity of the design and the colours. 8/10

Theme and Subject Choice: Famous national landmarks and attractions are always a good theme. 8/10 Historical and Cultural Relevance: These attractions have plenty of historical and cultural relevance. 9/10 Innovation and Creativity: I don't think there's a lot that is innovative and particularly new going on, but the design is quite creative and based on historical classic poster design. 7/10 Collectability: These are very attractive stamps and will appeal to people who like Switzerland, popular attractions more generally or the classic design style. 7/10 Personal Appeal: I like the simple design and the use of shape and colour. 8/10 Overall Score: 47/60

TRADITIONAL SKILLED TRADES

This set of four stamps celebrates traditional skills, including violin making, blacksmithing, shoemaking and basket weaving.

Design Quality: The drawings are nicely done, but I think this would have worked better if the images had included people working instead of just tools. 5/10

Theme and Subject Choice: It is a really good subject choice and the kind of thing I hope Royal Mail would eventually put on a stamp. These historic skills and crafts are so important. 10/10

Historical and Cultural Relevance: I think the historical and cultural relevance is obvious. it could be a bit higher if the craftspeople themselves were shown too, because then we would see the personal and human dimension to history. 8/10

Innovation and Creativity: This is a great subject and there are a lot of key elements there, but unfortunately Swiss Post has gone with a safe and easy design. It could have been much more creative. 3/10

Collectability: These will have an appeal to collectors interested in Switzerland or perhaps social history. They don't really have the "wow factor" though. 6/10

Personal Appeal: These are a great idea, but they're also a little disappointing. 5/10

Overall Score: 37/60

CARITAS

This stamps celebrates the 125th anniversary of Caritas, a Swiss charity dedicated to tackling poverty.

Design Quality: What does poverty look like? The stamp very cleverly doesn't use stereotypes, just shows us a lot of people of different ages, genders and races. It tells us that poverty can affect all types of people, and that the charity supports so many people from all kinds of backgrounds. It also isn't easy to say which of the people are giving help, and which need help. The basic colours with the white heart in the centre really works too. It's a great design. 8/10

Theme and Subject Choice: It's a major anniversary for a charity. 9/10

Historical and Cultural Relevance: Caritas has been around for 125 years doing some important work in Switzerland. 10/10

Innovation and Creativity: Innovation is in the design, which I would say is cleverly creative. 7/10

Collectability: People do like charitable stamps and there are quite a lot of them out there. 7/10

Personal Appeal: I like it and it makes me want to look more into what Caritas does. 7/10

Overall Score: 48/60 COMMITMENT TO ART

This stamp shows Hilltop Fire, a painting by Andriu Deplazes. The WOPA website tells us that "the inspiration for the design is a monumental work on canvas, which Deplazes painted for Art Basel Unlimited 2025: a hilltop fire above Lake Lucerne. The painting depicts various figures watching the fire in the twilight, while other shadowy forms escape above the mountain silhouettes."

Design Quality: It's a very impressive painting. Deplazes talks about the design: "Hilltop Fire is a historical, national symbol of freedom that is romanticized, but also politically charged". It explores the relationship between people and places. I do not understand everything the painting is saying, but it is clearly important to Switzerland and Swiss people would appreciate the symbolic meanings. 9/10

Theme and Subject Choice: Celebrating art, especially when it has a deep meaning, it a good idea. 8/10

Historical and Cultural Relevance: The painting feels deep and meaningful It clearly has some symbolic and cultural relevance that I don't fully understand. 8/10

Innovation and Creativity: The artwork is very creative - perhaps too creative! It is very mysterious and I am not totally sure what the meaning is. 8/10

Collectability: I think this is an interesting artwork and that should make it quite collectable, especially for people who understand the symbolism. 6/10

Personal Appeal: It looks great but I am not sure what to make of it or what I am supposed to feel. 5/10

Overall Score: 44/60

STUBETE GANG

A red and white cow wearing roller boots while listening to music. What could it mean? Stubete Gäng is a Swiss band that "aims to unite city and countryside, young and old, with their Örbn Ländlr style." Their hits include Petra Sturzenegger and Göschene Airolo. Their music is "a mix of traditional and modern, peppered with a dash of humour" and this shows in the stamp. Swiss Post has asked Swiss people from the world of music "to create culture in the form of a stamp", and this is Stubete Gäng's contribution!

Band members and brothers Aurel and Moritz Hassler were asked about the meaning of the design. Aurel said: "Stubete Gäng stands for building bridges, for connecting urban and rural culture in our country. That’s how we ended up with the design. We simply sent a cow into town with some money to spend at the fair, and it came back as shown in the image." Moritz added: "Cows are wonderful animals. They’re sociable, intelligent and curious all great qualities. In today’s fast paced world where things change quickly, the cow remains a cow and still goes 'moo', even with headphones and roller-skates."

Design Quality: The brothers have explained the design and it still makes no sense, but maybe that is the point? It doesn't have to. It makes us laugh and makes us think. It also shows what Stubete Gäng is about in the best possible way - it does things differently! 7/10

Theme and Subject Choice: This is part of a series and I think it's a great idea to let bands create their own stamps and express their identity. 8/10

Historical and Cultural Relevance: Well, this band must have some cultural relevance in Switzerland or they wouldn't have been asked to create the stamp... 6/10

Innovation and Creativity: This is so "way out" but you can't say it isn't innovative or creative. 9/10

Collectability: Who would like to buy this? Maybe people who like things that are wacky and bizarre. There can't be too many thematic collectors who are into cows wearing roller boots. I think it will appeal to some collectors who want something a bit different, and obviously Stubete Gäng fans, but the problem it has is that most people won't know what it's about. 6/10

Personal Appeal: It is just so different! 8/10 Overall Score: 44/60 BABYFENSTER / BABY WINDOW

This stamp marks the 25th anniversary of Baby Window, which helps mothers in extreme emergency situations.

Design Quality: It is a nice, simple design that sums up what Baby Window does. There is nothing complicated about this stamp, which is perfect for the subject. 7/10

Theme and Subject Choice: This is an important anniversary for an important charity. 8/10

Historical and Cultural Relevance: Baby Window might not be as old as other charities, but it is clearly doing some good work and it's relevant in Switzerland today. 8/10

Innovation and Creativity: I don't think this is hugely creative, but this is one of those examples of simple, basic designs working really well. And there is a kind of creativity in that! 6/10

Collectability: This is another charitable stamp and there are some collectors who really like these. 7/10

Personal Appeal: It's just a nice stamp with a pleasant design celebrating a worthwhile charity. Nothing not to like, but nothing that stands out either. 6/10 Overall Score: 42/60

LEHRMITTELVERLAG ZURICH

Here's another stamp that makes you ask "What's going on here?" The stamps celebrates the 175th anniversary of Lehrmittelverlag Zürich (LMVZ), which was founded to provide school books for everyone at a time when there were no standardised texts. Today, LMVZ is "one of Switzerland’s leading educational publishing houses and has received numerous international awards for its top quality, innovative teaching materials."

Design Quality: A fun cartoon-style stamp tells us that this has something to do with young people. The use of the books to create a home is a good creative touch. 7/10

Theme and Subject Choice: It's another really good cause that is being celebrated, and a major anniversary! 10/10

Historical and Cultural Relevance: There is a lot of historical relevance to this one. LMVZ is still running 175 years on s a publisher, but the original purpose to make schoolbooks available for everyone has helped generations of people. Who knows how many people's lives have been better because of LMVZ? 10/10

Innovation and Creativity: The design is quite creative and it suits the theme well. 7/10

Collectability: It's hard to rate "collectability" sometimes. This is a great stamp but it probably won't have too much appeal to thematic collectors. It is celebrating an important organisation so that will help, and people who like stamps about young people may be interested. 7/10

Personal Appeal: I like the cartoon design and the feeling that it's great to be surrounded by books. 7/10

Overall Score: 48/60 LOUIS FAVRE

This stamp marks the bicentenary of the birth of Louis Favre, a famous engineer known for creating tunnels.

Design Quality: It's a straightforward design, showing a portrait of Louis and one of his tunnels. It's the kind of design we often see in stamps from France and Monaco. The design makes it clear who were are celebrating and what their achievements were. 7/10

Theme and Subject Choice: I didn't know anything about Louis Favre until today. Now I've read about him and discovered he was a completely self-taught engineer who was responsible for creating an incredible tunnel in an almost impossible location, I think he is the kind of person we need to remember and stamps help us do that. This stamp will help keep his memory alive. 8/10

Historical and Cultural Relevance: Louis Favre was important for his engineering talent and particularly the Gotthard Rail Tunnel. 8/10

Innovation and Creativity: It's a straightforward design and not especially creative. 4/10

Collectability: It's historically important and it will appeal to collectors into historical figures or engineering. 5/10

Personal Appeal: I think it is important to remember people who are perhaps not world famous but in their time achieved incredible things. The design isn't especially inventive but it is a fitting tribute to Louis Favre, an outstanding engineer. 7/10

Overall Score: 37/60

SHAUN THE SHEEP

What does Shaun the Sheep have to do with Switzerland? Nothing. It is quite good to see another Hallowe'en themed stamp though... Could there be a new Shaun the Sheep movie about to be released? Yes, there is - Shaun the Sheep and the Beast of Mossy Bottom. Design Quality: Nice use of different shaped stamps but the design doesn't get me very excited. 3/10

Theme and Subject Choice: It seems a strange subject choice for a Swiss stamp, but obviously it is timed for the release of the new movie to make a bit of money. Perhaps someone at Swiss Post has been speaking to Royal Mail? 1/10

Historical and Cultural Relevance: Absolutely none at all. 0/10

Innovation and Creativity: Not really very much other than the unusual shapes of the stamps and the minisheet. It feels a bit disappointing really. 2/10

Collectability: If you're a fan of Shaun the Sheep then it will appeal to you. If not, you'll probably give it a miss. 2/10

Personal Appeal: The underlying concept is a bit woolly. The sheet also costs just over £13, so don't buy it unless you want to get fleeced. Seriously, I don't mind Shaun the Sheep and I like the Hallowe'en theme, but I am not a big fan of stamps that are obviously designed to make some money off the back of a new movie. 3/10

Overall Score: 11/60