When you think of Swiss inventions, an excavator probably isn’t the first thing that springs to mind. But when he invented the Menzi Muck, Ernst Menzi from the Rhine Valley actually created his own new category of machine – the walking excavator. Walking excavators feature a chassis fitted with spider-like legs to which both wheels and stabilizers can be attached. This means that walking excavators can be used on rough terrain that is very difficult or almost impossible to access. Ernst Menzi (1897–1984) designed the first machine of this kind in 1966. He named his invention after the fairy-tale character Little Muck. Since its invention, the Menzi Muck has been refined on a continual basis. Nowadays, a wide variety of high-tech excavators are available. At the company premises in the Rhine Valley in St. Gallen, every machine is configured by the innovative engineering team to correspond perfectly to each customer’s requirements. The special stamp shows a Menzi Muck in action on challenging terrain. Various wheel and excavator positions are also depicted. A special varnish granulate is used for the miniature sheet, which illustrates the stony terrain to impressive effect. “Menzi Muck” is the first in the new annual miniature sheet set named “Swiss inventions”, which will pay tribute to five different subjects.

The current stamps remain valid and their value can be increased using the three “Coins” supplementary stamps worth 5, 10 and 20 centimes respectively.