URU - 2012 - #014 - FDC- COLONIA SUIZA

Uruguay - 2012 - Colonia Suiza, Nueva Helvecia

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SERIE - FDC

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SERIE --- 1,10 EUR
CXX --- 4,40 EUR
BLOCK --- 10,00 EUR
FDC --- 2,20 EUR

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Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: May 16th, 2012 ( Previous / Next )

Printed: 15.003 copies
Block Configuration: 9 stamps [3 x 3]
Item Shape and Size: Rectangular [39 mm. x 25 mm.]
Perforation: Ciruclar
Gum: Water Activated

Catalogue information:

Michel: No Data Available
Ivert: No Data Available
Scott: No Data Available
Stanley & Gibbons: No Data Available

Topics:

This stamp was issued in commemoration of the 150 Years of the city of “Nueva Helvecia”, also known as “Colonia Suiza”.

This city is located in the department of “Colonia”, about 120 kilometers (75 mi) west of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, and the date of its foundation is considered to be April 24th of 1862, because is the date when the main group of its first habitants arrived there, most of them coming from Switzerland.

From the beginning, the industry of milk related products was developed in “Nueva Helvecia” and its surroundings, making this city specifically and the department “Colonia” too, in which it is placed, as the major supplier of milk, cheese, and other milk related products, for domestic market and also for export.

This industry is represented in the design of the stamp in two ways.

The first is showing a specimen of Holsteins cattle, also called Holstein-Friesian cattle or Friesian cattle, that is known as the world's highest-production dairy animal, principally for it milk production that could reach the 20.000 L of milk in his life.

The second is presenting the most representative product of this industry elaborated in this zone, and also a product usually joined with Switzerland, that is the cheese. This product is shown in the foreground with two moulds, and also in the background showing the characteristic large holes called “eyes” of the Emmental type of cheese.

Also in the design of the stamp is the logo of the anniversary, that contains a sculpture called “El Surco” (that in English mean: “The Groove”), that is also called “A los fundadores de Colonia Suiza” (that in English mean: “To the founders of Colonia Suiza”), and was inaugurated on 1944. So the stamp could be also useful for Art Collections.

This sculpture was made by the Italian sculptor Arístides Bassi, born in Crémona on April 14th of 1875, and passed away in Montevideo in 1942.

The sculpture is placed in the center of the square called “Plaza de los fundadores” (that in English mean: “Square of the founders”), that was designed by the Architect Luis Mazzini.

Related to the sculpture, some topics could be spotted, the first comes from what it express, that is the effort or the hard work. Also, it is about agriculture, and the early technology applied to it, as it is the plow the tool that the two workers are pulling.

Also, as the logo of the anniversary has the Flag of Uruguay ( Next ) , and the Flag of Switzerland, the stamp it also could be placed in collection of Flags ( Previous / Next ) topic.

And then, inside the flags, in the Uruguayan flag, the Sun ( Next ) , the main astronomical object of our Solar System, it is presented, so Astronomy ( Next ) topic is in the stamp too.

And in the one from Switzerland, the bold equilateral cross appears in the design.

Finally, some other topics to enumerate, this are Fluids ( Next ) , because of Milk, also Vegetables, specially Grass, and the milk recipient shown could be useful for Recipients Topic, or some Metallurgy Topic, or even Chemistry Topic.

Then, the FDC of this Serie shows the Coat of Arms of Nueva Helvecia, so it could be useful for a Coat of Arms Collection.

Then, inside the Coat of Arms of Nueva Helvecia you can spot other topics too.

In the top-left cuadrant, it is represented a very peculiar tank of water, that is an icon of the city because of it refined architecture.

In the top-right cuadrant, in a very abstract way it is shown a sailboat, useful for ship collections, the sun, already mentioned in the stamp, water, and some sea gulls, that fit in birds collections.

In the bottom-left cuadrant, there is the milk recipient that is shown in the stamp, and a branch with some leaves of some unidentified plant.

In the bottom-right cuadrant, an unidentified building is shown, with probably the moon in the background.

In the center it shows the Coat of Arms of Switzerland.

If consider that there are another topics in this stamp, that were not spot in this review, you are encouraged to telling me about them, so please do not hesitate to post a comment. I would appreciate your help very much.