Double Geneva 5 Centimes Local Post Stamp

Switzerland · 1843 · 5 Centimes

This unusual early issue from Geneva, Switzerland, is really two stamps in one, printed in black on yellow-green paper. Its design features twin coats of arms, each surrounded by the words 'Poste de Geneve/5 C/Port local' within a square.

The Double Geneva of 1843 is historically significant as the third oldest European stamp issue, following the Zurich 4 and 6 (1842) and the British Penny Black (1840). It represents an early initiative for local postal services in the Canton of Geneva.