A specialised world stamp exhibition, with FIP (Fédération Internationale de Philatélie) Patronage and FEPA (Federation of European Philatelic Associations) recognition, was held in May 2022 to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the “Sitting Helvetia”, the first perforate Swiss stamp and the first to bear the title Helvetia, still used today. organised by the Swiss Federation of Philatelic Societies in cooperation with the Philatelic Society of Lugano. The stamp above was produced by Swiss Post for the event. During the exhibition Swiss Post had a sales stand that offered a special cancellation service offering an exclusive silver overprint for the stamp – as seen on the stamps below.
And here we have a definitive set of “Sitting Helvetia” stamps from 1881, the image retained the original 1862 design.