Zurich 4 Rappen, Black on Reddish Paper

Switzerland · 1843 · 4 Rappen

The Zurich 4 Rappen is one of the first stamps issued in Switzerland, released by the canton of Zurich. The design features a large numeral '4' at its center, indicating the postal rate, surrounded by an intricate pattern of lines. This stamp was printed by lithography in black ink on paper with a background of vertical red lines.

Issued on March 1, 1843, this stamp, along with its 6 Rappen counterpart, represents the first postage stamps issued on the European continent, following Great Britain's Penny Black by only three years. These cantonal issues predate the first federal stamps of Switzerland, which appeared in 1850.