Errors in Stamp Design

With typical Swiss efficiency, errors in stamp design are uncommon, but they do occur. The lowest values of the Tell Boy definitives that prevailed in use from 1909 to 1934 featured a drawing of William Tell’s son holding a crossbow. The drawing of the first issue in 1909 showed the bowstring in front of the stock. Use of a crossbow in this manner would likely cause serious injury. Little time was wasted and a redrawn issue with the bowstring behind the stock was released in 1910.

Error Corrected

On February 17, 1983, as part of a definitive series featuring symbols of the Zodiac and Swiss landscapes, a 2 Franc stamp was issued picturing Virgo and the Aletsch Glacier sweeping down from the Jungfrau. Due to a photographic reversal, the glacier is shown flowing down from left to right instead of from right to left as it does in real life. Rather than reissue a correction, the 2 Franc stamp was withdrawn and replaced by a new 2 franc stamp, still featuring Virgo, but now with an illustration of the Schwarzsee above Zermatt.