Swiss hotel post.
Lots of collectors aren't particularly fond of non-official stamps. But in some cases they present an interesting opportunity.
But we may not simply reject all private stamps. There are interesting examples which coexisted with the postal services and which definitely had their right to exist. The Swiss hotel stamps certainly belong to this category.
They are not unique, however, because there are comparable stamps from Austria, Romania and Hungary.
The Swiss stamps were used for about 20 years. In 1864, the first Swiss hotel postal service functioned with its own stamps: Rigi-Kalibad. From September 26, 1883, a special service order by the postal services made an end to this stamping with such private stamps.
The hotel’s aim was clear: provide more service to its customers. So, important hotels had their own mailman who brought the mail to the official post office down in the valley and from there also brought back the mail to the hotel.
For this service, the hotel charged a minimal fee, usually 5,10 or 15 rappen, with which the extra postage by means of a private stamp was settled. The official post office then stuck on the normal postage.
Unused, there are but a few hotel stamps rarely to be found. On postal items and especially on complete letters, such stamps are, without any exception, very expensive and wanted.
More info:
Maandblad Filatelie
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