THE HAGUE, the Netherlands, 2 September 2022 – PostNL today revealed the design of the very first Dutch crypto stamp – a proud bull among Dutch tulips, in the three colours that make up the country’s flag. The reveal also kicked off official pre-sales.
In collaboration with Austrian Post, PostNL today revealed the first crypto stamp issued in the Netherlands. This crypto stamp breaks down into two parts: its physical manifestation may be used like any other “normal” stamp. The digital copy – in the shape of a non-fungible token (NFT) – can be saved in a digital stamp collection, as well as traded, swapped or given away in the blockchain. The NL crypto stamp has been stored in the blockchain in five different colours, and in different issues. Some of these stamps are on pre-sale from today, with regular sales starting on 22 September 2022. The NL crypto stamp costs €9.05.
The crypto stamp is new to the Netherlands but has already been pioneered in its neighbouring countries. And successfully so: crypto stamps are popular and typically sell out. The value of these stamps tends to rise after issue by at least its purchase value (source: Crypto Insiders).
Bob van Ierland, Director of Mail in the Netherlands at PostNL, is pleased with the opportunities that the NL crypto stamp holds out for attracting new target customers in the collectors’ market: “In the run-up to the actual launch, we saw a great deal of interest in the NL crypto stamp, with over 2,000 crypto afficionados signing up to our offer ahead of the launch in the first three weeks after our announcement – something we’re incredibly proud of. What’s more, by launching this crypto stamp we’re also making NFTs accessible to a wider public. We’re hoping to fire up people to discover this new way of stamp collecting.”
The design of the new stamp is the brainchild of PostNL and Austrian Post, and was developed by graphic designer David Gruber from Vienna, who had previously designed various Austrian crypto stamps. The NL crypto stamp sheet is the size of a bank card and is made of extra strong paper. The front of the sheet has the physical stamp, with the flipside showing the bands of the Dutch flag in a crystalline structure. Across the flag there’s a pattern of rows of silver tulips, and the sloping bands of the flags suggest that they’re rippling in the wind.
The stamp sheet contains a single crypto stamp, with a designation of its value as “R” for registered mail up to two kilogrammes to any address in the Netherlands. NL crypto stamps will be on pre-sale at €9.05 from 2 September in limited numbers, with regular sales starting on 22 September in Bruna shops and via PostNL’s web shop, subject to availability. The stamps will remain valid indefinitely. For more information about the NL crypto stamp, go to nlcryptostamp.nl.
A crypto stamp fits in with PostNL’s digitalisation drive and, for this very first issue, it has joined forces with Austrian Post, which boasts a great deal of experience with crypto stamps. The two postal businesses have chosen to launch a joint issue and Austrian Post is also revealing a new crypto stamp today. In terms of design, the two stamps are companion pieces, making them unique collectors’ items.