Illustration of a historical stamp for learning, shown at screen size. Not valid for postage.
How to read it
HELVETIA across the top: Switzerland.
- 1HELVETIA
- Inscription
- HELVETIA · FRANCO · 5
- Meaning
- HELVETIA is the Latin name of Switzerland, used so that no one of its four languages is favoured. FRANCO means “postage paid”.
- Issued by
- Swiss Confederation
- Today
- Switzerland
- Year
- 1907. Issued November 1907.
- Made by
- Albert Welti (design, died 1912)
One fact
Albert Welti’s design shows William Tell’s son behind a giant crossbow; the crossbow was criticised and the design was redrawn in 1909.
Source and public-domain rule
Creators died more than 70 years ago. Designer died 7 June 1912; dies made by Berthold & Cie (no named engraver), published 1907. Copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years, counted from 1 January of the year after death. Every named designer and engraver of the stamp died before 1 January 1956; any contributor who was never named counts as anonymous, whose term is 70 years from publication, and the stamp was published before 1956. Legal sources: Directive 2006/116/EC, Art. 1(1) life + 70 years; Art. 1(3) anonymous works 70 years from publication; Art. 7(1) comparison of terms for works from outside the EU; Art. 8 terms run from 1 January, Switzerland, Norway.
Scan: Switzerland 1907 5c Zs103.jpg on Wikimedia Commons (revision 1084506573), licence templates {{PD-old-100}}. Downloaded 2026-10-19, sha256 d1343d6a39c1…; cropped and cleaned for this site. Facts checked 2026-10-19 against source 1 and source 2. Research record, not legal advice; a human rights review is pending. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
