Europe in the 19th century had many city states that mostly were absorbed by Germany and Italy. The ones that have survived often now thrive as they benefit from the stability of national institutions while having extra flexibility in areas such as finance. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
This souvenir sheet is the first one we have covered at The Philatelist. Liechtenstein is fairly unique in that the Prince has more than ceremonial powers. So the small country might take extra interest in the Crown Prince starting his family. Prince Hans Adam II was marrying Czech Countess Maria Kinsky, who grew up mainly in Germany and is five years older than the Prince. The era of absentee landed nobility was newly ended and Hans Adam was the first Prince to grow up in Liechtenstein. So the people are closer to their rulers.
Todays stamp is issue A225, a souvenir sheet issued by the Principality of Liechtenstein on June 26, 1967 to celebrate the upcoming wedding of the Crown Prince. According to the Scott catalog, the sheet is worth $2.40. This value has not kept pace with even inflation, showing how important a vibrant local stamp collecting tradition is to values, and tiny Liechtenstein,(population 20,000) can’t provide.
The name came from a castle in the area and a family rose to nobility as advisers to Holy Roman Austrian Hapsburg Emperors. The family converted to Catholic and were eventually granted the title Prince. The Napoleonic occupation ended the duty to pay an annual suzerainty to the larger empire. There was a gradual shift in greater ties to also neighboring Switzerland. This came to a head in 1938 when the Royal line actually took up residence in Lichtenstein as Austria was absorbed by Germany and the Royal’s Jewish connections did not bode well for continuing to live in Vienna. At wars end the country took in Russians that had fought on the German side saving their lives and seeing to their resettlement in Argentina.
Large amount of family lands that rents and tributes were lost to the Liechtenstein royals when Czechoslovakia seized German held lands. The family had to resort to selling portions of their extensive art collections which had been moved out. Over time, the financial service industry brought about an economic miracle. The big player in this. LGT is personally owned by the royal house and makes it the richest royal house in Europe with a fortune over 7 billion dollars. Now Lichtenstein has more jobs than people with over 20,000 commuting daily to jobs in Lichtenstein.
The Prince and Princess are still married and are the parents of four and the grandparents of 15. Prince Hans Adam II began his rule in 1988 after having served in a regency earlier in preparation. His eldest son Prince Alois has served in a similar regency since 2004.
Well my drink is empty and so I will open the conversation in the below comment section. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.