Have you heard of Liechtenstein’s Chinese zodiac stamp series?
Today I’m introducing a collection of laser-cut stamps — all 12 years of them!
What is laser cutting?
A technique that uses a laser (a beam of light) to cut fine details with great precision. On the rabbit first day cover above, the white areas are actually holes burned through by the laser.
What Are Liechtenstein’s Zodiac Stamps?
Every November, Liechtenstein issues greeting stamps under the title “Chinese Sign of the Zodiac.”
I wondered if they were for Chinese residents of the country, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
According to Liechtenstein’s population statistics (2017), almost all residents come from Liechtenstein itself or European countries such as Switzerland & Germany; all other origins make up less than 5.5%.
So I suspect they are mainly for collectors.
From 2011, the stamps were made with laser cutting, and the series continued for 12 years, up to the Year of the Rabbit in 2022.
To celebrate one full cycle of the zodiac, here are all 12 at once!
What is the Chinese zodiac?
It is a system devised in ancient China for counting years, days and directions. The ten Heavenly Stems are combined with the twelve Earthly Branches — rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog & pig — to make a cycle of 60 names, which are assigned to years, days and so on.
Strictly speaking, then, the twelve animals are only one half of the system.
Its roots go back to China’s Shang dynasty (c. 17th century BC – 1046 BC), when the twelve Earthly Branches were used in Chinese astronomy as names for twelve equal divisions of the sky.
In Japan, the twelve zodiac animals are commonly called “eto,” and they are a familiar part of New Year greetings.
Liechtenstein’s Zodiac Stamps (in Order of Issue)
Year of the Dragon, 2011–2012
Liechtenstein’s new experiment — laser-cut zodiac stamps — began with the Year of the Dragon, issued in 2011.
The Year of the Dragon was 2012, but the stamp was issued the previous November, so its year of issue is 2011.
Liechtenstein issues its zodiac stamps every November for the coming year.
At the top of the sheet is a chart of the twelve zodiac animals.
At the bottom is the inscription “Year of the Dragon.”
I think everyone was amazed — both by the use of laser cutting on a stamp and by the delicate cut-work of the dragon.
The dragon is the only imaginary animal among the twelve. There are various theories — perhaps it was originally a crocodile? — but the most widely accepted is that the auspicious dragon was chosen for good fortune.
Year of the Snake, 2012–2013
The second laser-cut zodiac stamp is the Year of the Snake. The sheet is printed with a white snake, considered a lucky symbol.
Up to this point, the sheets look much like those issued in China.
Year of the Horse, 2013–2014
From the Year of the Horse in 2013, the sheet itself takes the shape of the animal.
With red, gold & laser-cut paper-cut art, it looks truly luxurious.
Year of the Sheep, 2014–2015
Year of the Monkey, 2015–2016
Year of the Rooster, 2016–2017
Year of the Dog, 2017–2018
Until now the animals had been shown in profile, but the dog faces straight ahead.
Year of the Pig, 2018–2019
In Japan, this year is represented by the wild boar, but in many other countries — Liechtenstein included — the animal is a pig.
Year of the Rat, 2019–2020
Year of the Ox, 2020–2021
There is so much open, laser-cut space that you need to be extremely careful when separating the stamps.
Year of the Tiger, 2021–2022
Year of the Rabbit, 2022–2023
The German word for rabbit is “Kaninchen,” but this stamp uses “Hase” — the word for a hare.
In some countries, the rabbit year is the year of the cat instead — for example Vietnam, Thailand & Belarus.
Liechtenstein’s Laser-Cut Zodiac Stamps: Summary
I’ve introduced all twelve laser-cut zodiac stamps from Liechtenstein.
Having completed one full cycle with 12 stamps, I was looking forward to seeing whether the laser cutting would continue with the 2023 Year of the Dragon — but it was not used.
It’s no longer laser-cut, but with its gold accents it still looks luxurious.
Postio Marche carries stamps on the Chinese zodiac theme, and I’ll be adding Liechtenstein’s zodiac stamps too — please take a look.
👉 Postio Marche — Chinese Zodiac Stamps
Zodiac stamps are such a fun theme that I’d love to feature them again.
Some of the stamps shown are from a private collection. Items available for purchase are those listed in the shop only.
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