Canton GenevaFirst Postage Stamp

A teeny tiny giant

The first stamp issued in the Canton of Geneva is a tiny one. The example shown here is just the left half of what collectors call the “Double Geneva,” which was valid for short-distance mail within the city. When both halves were used together, it covered postage across the entire canton. Printed on green paper, only 60,000 Double Genevas were produced, making it a rare piece of philatelic history. It’s also the second stamp ever issued in continental Europe, right after Zurich’s 1842 issue -> https://bit.ly/Zurich-1843, both from Switzerland. The Double Geneva is definitely unique in its design being printed as a pair. That made it the earliest examples of a dual-rate stamp. Most surviving examples today are halves, like mine here, full pairs are exceptionally rare. As of 2025, a complete Double Geneva in good condition, especially one nicely cancelled with the famous red "Rosette" is valued at around 55,000 Swiss Francs (~US$50,000). That value can fall by 20 to 30 times when only a single half remains.