Post by rod222 on Mar 16, 2015 22:43:12 GMT
* Links may not work, since this was originally posted years ago.
Hotel Stamps
Local stamps formerly issued by the managements of certain hotels at European health resorts to cover a
fee charged for carrying guests' mail to and from the nearest post office, which was often some miles distant.
There are three groups: the Swiss, the Hungarian-cum- Roumainian, and the Austrian.
The Swiss group is the largest. In the early 1860s there were a number of hotels situated high up in the
mountains, remote from normal postal facilities.
The first hotel to issue its own stamps was Rigi Kaltbad in 1864.
Rigi Kaltbad (1880)
www.alpina-rigi.ch/assets/images/autogen/a_800-FEU_0498_Feu2.jpg
The example was afterwards followed by Rigi Scheideck,
Belalp, Kurort Stoos, Maderanerthal, and Rigi Kulm.
Belalp stamp
www.cinderellas.info/wittcoll/images/107447.jpg
Maderanerthal stamps
www.cinderellas.info/wittcoll/images/107446.jpg
Many of these stamps, especially on cover are of great rarity.
In 1883 their use was prohibited by the Swiss Government, and although further hotel stamps
continued to appear until 1899, it seems probable that they were used only as advertising labels and
had no postal validity.
The Hungarian-cum-Roumanian group were issued by hotels at Carpathian resorts, originally part of
Hungary but transferred to Roumania after the First World War.
The group consists of Kurhaus auf der Hohen Rinne (1895-1926), Magura (during 1903 and again in
1911), and Bistra (1909-12).
www.northstamp.com/RETAIL/Hung/HungPics/hungary322b.jpg
The most modern group is the Austrian, comprising the issues of the Kesselfall-Alpenhaus and
Moserboden (in use 1927-38), and Katschberghohe (winter months, 1933-8).
- R. J. Sutton 6th edition revised by K. W. Anthony
The Stamp Collector's Encyclopaedia
Published 1966
