14th International Scout Conference, Vaduz — Lord Baden-Powell

On 4 August 1953 Liechtenstein issued four commemoratives for the 14th International Scout Conference — the meeting known today as the World Scout Conference — held at Vaduz later that month. It was the first time the conference met in Liechtenstein; the movement then counted 35 member countries. The stamps appeared a few days before the delegates did, and Domfil catalogues the set as 953.5/8 under «14 Conferencia Internacional», recording the design of all four values simply as «Lord Baden-Powell».

The four values share one engraved design: a bust of Baden-Powell in the Scout hat. They are 10 Rp green (Domfil 953.5), 20 Rp brown (953.6), 25 Rp brown-red (953.7) and 40 Rp blue (953.8). Canon Anton Frommelt, who supplied most Liechtenstein stamp designs between 1951 and 1958, drew the set; Waterlow & Sons of London printed it in recess, in sheets of 20 with marginal designs, perforated 13. SOSOW records print runs of 297,408 (10 Rp), 149,270 (20 Rp), 148,654 (25 Rp) and 149,051 (40 Rp) — the low value printed at roughly double the others, matching its use as the ordinary rate. The stamps remained valid for postage until 31 December 1956.

The set matters beyond Liechtenstein: SOSOW records it as the first stamp to honour Baden-Powell, twelve years after his death, and SOSSI notes it as the first philatelic item created for a World Scout Conference. Liechtenstein returned to the theme in 1957 with the Baden-Powell centenary and 50th anniversary of Scouting issue. Catalogue cross-references for the 1953 set are Scott LI 270–273, Michel LI 315–318, Yvert LI 277–280, Stanley Gibbons LI 313–316 and Unificato 277/280. All four values are catalogued here in rising face-value order.