Zumstein catalog
Encyclopedia
The Zumstein catalog is a postage stamp
catalog
from Switzerland
. It has been issued regularly since 1909 and is considered to be an important reference work of Swiss philately
. It is published in German
and French
languages.
The catalog is produced by the Swiss company Zumstein & Cie in Bern. While their main product is a catalog for the stamps of Switzerland and neighboring country Liechtenstein
, updated annually, they also publish catalogs for "Europa West" (Western Europe
) and "Europa Ost" (Eastern Europe
).
In addition, they produce a lengthier specialized catalog for Switzerland, as well as a number of monographs on topics in Swiss philately.
The Zumstein catalogs were originated by the philatelist Ernst Zumstein, who founded the stamp shop Zumstein in 1905 and published the journal Philatelistische Börsennachrichten starting in 1907 (this journal is still published today, since 1915 under the name Berner Briefmarken-Zeitung).
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
catalog
Stamp catalog
A stamp catalog is a catalog of postage stamp types with descriptions and prices.The stamp catalog is an essential tool of philately and stamp collecting...
from Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It has been issued regularly since 1909 and is considered to be an important reference work of Swiss philately
Philately
Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
. It is published in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
languages.
The catalog is produced by the Swiss company Zumstein & Cie in Bern. While their main product is a catalog for the stamps of Switzerland and neighboring country Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
, updated annually, they also publish catalogs for "Europa West" (Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
) and "Europa Ost" (Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
).
In addition, they produce a lengthier specialized catalog for Switzerland, as well as a number of monographs on topics in Swiss philately.
The Zumstein catalogs were originated by the philatelist Ernst Zumstein, who founded the stamp shop Zumstein in 1905 and published the journal Philatelistische Börsennachrichten starting in 1907 (this journal is still published today, since 1915 under the name Berner Briefmarken-Zeitung).