[from PostNL materials] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]

Date of issue: 13 November 2023
Appearance: sheet of 20 December stamps in 10 different designs, with a special December rate for destinations in the Netherlands
Item number: 431461
Illustrations and design: Linde Faas, Tromsø (Norway)

The Netherlands doesn’t issue “Christmas” or “Holiday” stamps, but rather “December” stamps. The illustrations for the 2023 December stamps were created by illustrator Linde Faas from Tromsø, Norway.

Each year, PostNL issues new December stamps, which can be used by consumers and companies to send each other Christmas and New Year cards at a reduced rate. The special December rate of €0.96 per stamp is valid from 13 November 2023 until 6 January 2024. This year, a sheet of 20 December stamps costs € 19.20. (€0.96 is approximately US$1.02.)

When purchasing two sheets of December stamps at the store, each customer will receive a free gift: a Christmas ornament especially designed for PostNL by Vondels. This year’s ornament is in the shape of a dog with a letter in its mouth, derived from one of the illustrations on the December stamps.

The stories on this year’s December stamps are set in the far north. Dutch illustrator Linde Faas lives and works in Norway and draws a world full of magic and wonder. The special colours of the northern lights and the grandeur of the landscape create winter scenes full of atmosphere. People and animals enjoying new memories together and the happiness found in little things. Everywhere you discover surprising details, such as the vapour above the tea glass, next to the owl on the branch, around the bear in the forest and by the envelope with December mail.

The subjects are

• a festively set table with magical scenes in a steaming Christmas drink,
• people and animals watching falling stars together,
• a house under the northern lights with footsteps in the snow,
• a cat and a dog with a letter behind the window,
• a tree branch with an owl with birds and presents,
• a rabbit with an envelope with magical contents,
• people and animals decorating a Christmas tree together,
• a hedgehog in the snowstorm with a tall pile of presents,
• a bear surrounded by Christmas trees with birds as Christmas decorations, and,
• an animal parade with lights.

All typography on the December stamps and on the sheet edge was handwritten by Faas. The back of the December stamp sheet [right] features a description of what Linde wants to achieve with her illustrations. It also explains how to use the December stamps. Near the text area on the back is an illustration of a snowy winter forest. The headline “Boom versieren, kaarten versturen” translates as “decorate the tree, send cards.”

Faas didn’t have to think long when PostNL approached her about designing this year’s stamps. “Of course I wanted to!” she said. She follows on Instagram two designers responsible for prior years’ December stamps, Geertje Aalders and Miriam Bos. “I love their work. Back then, I was secretly thinking how great it would be if I could get to do this myself.

“During the first conversation with PostNL, all sorts of images immediately came to mind, typically northern scenes in typically northern light. I then wrote down a list of possible topics. Little stories, with the occasional sketch added in pencil.”

Adds Faas, “the beginning is always the hardest” but once the choices of subjects are made, “I get totally absorbed in making the image. So it really feels like I’m in the middle of the world of the illustration I’m currently working on.”

She has lived in Norway since 2017.

“I think the month of December is a beautiful time, full of magic and wonder,” she says. “There is always snow here then. Also unusual is the fact that the sun doesn’t rise for months. Because of this the colours are very different, very special. Together with the winter landscape, everything I dreamed of as a child comes together. I was already completely happy when even a thin layer of snow fell in the Netherlands. Then I fantasized that I could disappear into a vast forest. In Norway, my dream came true, including a small cottage in the middle of the woods.”

Elements of her life are reflected in these stamp designs. “Our cottage has just such a window through which the cat and the dog are looking out on one of the December stamps [left]. I like to do that myself too, with my nose against the window, hoping for moose to pass by. The bear among the trees also looks like me. I love walking through the forest by myself when there is a thick blanket of snow and the branches of the trees are bending down towards the ground.

“And the shooting stars? As a child, I could spend hours peering at the night sky in the hope of seeing a shooting star.”

Each December stamp features a little story, a snapshot in a larger winter narrative. “The storytelling has to excite,” says Faas. “This is how I hope to make people curious, making them pay extra attention to the stamps. The rabbit, for example, opens an envelope that emits the colourful magic [right]. Who could the envelope be from and what might it contain? That’s always a surprise.”

The validity period for these stamps is indefinite, but the December stamps can only be used on their own from 13 November 2023 through 6 January 2024. One stamp will cover postage for mail within the Netherlands during this period. Two December stamps are enough for mail weighing up to 50g (1.76 ounces) destined for delivery to addresses outside the Netherlands.

Technical Details:
Stamp size: 26.5 x 29 mm
Sheet size: 144 x 151 mm
Paper: normal with red phosphor print
Glue: self-adhesive
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black
Print run: 3,250,000 sheets
Appearance: sheet of 20 stamps with 10 different designs
Illustrations and design: Linde Faas, Tromsø (Norway)
Printing company: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Item number: 431461
Note: PostNL does not sell directly to collectors in North America. Its website refers to a company called Nordfirm, which says it sells Dutch new issues at face value. The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

[from PostNL press material] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Child Welfare Stamps 2023

Date of issue: 9 October 2023
Appearance: sheet of five special stamps in five different designs, marked with the denomination ‘1’ for post up to 20 g in weight destined for delivery within the Netherlands, with a €0.50 surcharge per stamp
Item number: 431260
Illustrations and design: The LEGO Group

On 9 October 2023, PostNL will issue a new sheet of Child Welfare Stamps marked with the denomination ‘1’ for destinations within the Netherlands. The design of this year’s five stamps revolves around LEGO toys.

Since 1924, PostNL has been issuing Child Welfare Stamps to raise money for projects aimed at improving the welfare of vulnerable children. To this end, a €0.50 surcharge is added to each stamp. The proceeds from all surcharges will be used for projects developed by the Child Welfare Stamps Foundation (Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland). This independent foundation is committed to giving children in the Netherlands and other countries equal development opportunities.

The Charity
This year, more than 130,000 pupils from the last two years of primary schools will be taking orders for the Child Welfare Stamps from 27 September through 4 October. PostNL will deliver all orders starting on 11 October. The proceeds from the 2022 campaign amounted to €9.6 million (USD $10.2 million).

The theme of the 2023 campaign is ‘Let every child participate’, with the focus being on children facing social and societal exclusion. More and more children are falling behind at school. They have such big problems at home that they are unable to develop to their full potential, thus being unable to get the best out of themselves. Child Welfare Stamps helps these children with projects that make them feel more confident and broaden their horizons. This way these children can be guided towards positive development, at school and beyond.

‘We see more and more children falling behind and not getting the same opportunities to develop to their full potential,’ says Sofie Vriends, director of Child Welfare Stamps. ‘For example, one in 12 children now grow up in poverty. One in six children has a parent with a mental health or addiction problem. And a lot of children feel lonely on a regular basis. They do not get to learn enough and are isolated, at school and beyond. We believe in the resilience of these children and do all we can to give them the opportunities they deserve.’

About Legos
The LEGO Group is the Danish manufacturer of the well-known plastic building block and figurine toys. The founder of the 1916 family business is Ole Kirk Christiansen, who first made furniture and later wooden toys. The first building blocks appeared on the market in 1947: plastic blocks that you could click together to make structures. The first minifigures appeared in the 1970s, later followed by themed products such as city, medieval, engineering, space, science fiction, pirates and robots. The name LEGO comes from Danish and is an abbreviation of the words ‘leg godt’, which essentially means ‘play well’. The LEGO Group is still a family business, headed by Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, the founder’s grandson.

‘When we were asked whether the LEGO Group wanted to participate, we quickly said yes, of course!’ Marloes Zwagerman, Brand Relations Manager at the LEGO Group in Antwerp, Belgium, says. ‘It was really fun to be able to do this. And for such a great cause.

‘As far as I know, this is the first time LEGO elements have appeared on Dutch stamps. Stamps with LEGO did come out in Austria and Switzerland last year, but those were single issues. This is a complete sheet, with a huge print run. I also used to sell Child Welfare Stamps as a schoolgirl, in Hoogkarspel where I grew up. That made it extra special to be involved in this project.’

Design
The Child Welfare Stamps 2023 feature a winter scene set on the quay of a typical Dutch town, with typical Dutch fun on the ice of a frozen canal. In the background of the top row of stamps is a continuous row of canal houses. On the quay, children are playing: riding their bike, listening to music and riding a skateboard. The children on the ice are sledding and skating. Animals are depicted on the edges of the sheet: two cats, two birds and two squirrels. The middle stamp depicts a dog at the edge of the quay. The illustration continues across all sheet edges.

‘There are no Dutch nationals in our international design team, so I offered some suggestions on possible angles,’ says Zwagerman. ‘The popularity of cycling and skating, for example. And the typical Dutch setting with the row of canal houses. We deliberately avoided stereotypes like tulips and clogs. Other than that, the designers were allowed to tap into all their creativity.’

Technical Details:
Stamp size: four stamps measuring 36 x 25mm and one stamp measuring 36 x 50mm
Sheet format: 144 x 75 mm
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Glue: synthetic
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black
Print run: 1,200,000 sheets
Format: sheet of five stamps in five different designs
Design/illustrations: the LEGO Group
Printing company: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Item number: 431260

Note: PostNL does not sell directly to collectors in North America. Its website refers to a company called Nordfirm, which says it sells Dutch new issues at face value. The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

[from PostNL press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Stamp Day 2023

“Dag van de Postzegel 2023”
Date of issue: 16 October 2023

Format: sheet with ten personal stamps in two different designs, with value 1 for post up to and including 20 grams for destinations within the Netherlands
Item number: 830063
Design: Sandra Smulders, Vormgoed, Gouda

Stamp Day is an annual international event. In most countries, the day is celebrated on the first Sunday after 9 October: the founding date of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). The UPU sets the rules for international postal traffic between member states.

The denomination on these stamps is ‘1’, the denomination for items weighing up to 20g destined for addresses within the Netherlands. The sheet of ten costs €10.10.

The sheet was designed by graphic designer Sandra Smulders from Gouda using the 1923 Artist Series stamps as inspiration. Those were the first modern stamps after architect Karel de Bazel’s 1913 Jubilee stamps. The 1923 Artist Series comprises four stamps in three designs, created by architect Michel de Klerk, typographer Sjoerd de Roos and graphic designer Nicolaas van de Vecht. Their designs were selected from the 90 entries to the Dutch Numerical Stamp Competition launched by the Staatsbedrijf der Posterijen en Telegrafie [‘Dutch State Post and Telegraph Company’] in 1920. All Dutch artists were allowed to enter the competition.

The idea behind the competition was that a competition involving many artists would produce a better result than if one designated artist designed the stamps. However, the philatelic press was not very receptive. Later, the stamps received greater appreciation. For example, art historian Paul Hefting wrote in an article in De Gids in 1993 that the design of the 1923 Artist Series is defined by a mixture of austere and ornate ornamental forms. The atmosphere expressed by these stamps is said to be of a “modern religious propriety” and of a “great seriousness that beauty then entailed”.

Each of the ten stamps featured on the Stamp Day 2023 sheet contains a half diamond: a triangle composed of 25 stacked rectangles with rounded corners. The image area of each half-diamond stamp joins the image area of the adjacent stamp where possible, separated by the fixed frame, to create the illusion of a complete diamond shape. The diamond motif is taken from the 4-cent stamp in the 1923 Artist Series. The numbers and letters in the title Stamp Day 2023 are placed in and against the rectangles on the new stamps. The background colour on the stamps and the selvage changes from green to blue, from top to bottom. Behind the diamond shape on the stamps is a line drawing of an apple and an apple tree changing from white to green. The drawing of the apple also returns in a different form on the left and right hand sides of the sheet edge.

Smulders has produced designs for Stamp Day since 2020. In preparation for this new assignment, she visited the National Archives in The Hague, which manages the largest, most important collection of postage values in the Netherlands. “At the time, it hadn’t been decided which historical stamps would inspire the new design,” Smulders says. “But I already knew that the 1923 Artist Series was a candidate. Seeing the original drawing for the 4-cent stamp from this series in the archives absolutely delighted me. It was a strong graphic design – especially for its era.”

Smulders says the original drawings for the 1923 stamps, which she was able to access, have much more detail than the stamps themselves, because printing technology then was fairly limited.

“When I was sketching, I noticed that the words ‘postzegel’ (stamp) and ‘Nederland’ (Netherlands) contain the same amount of letters,” she says. “This meant I could imitate the 1923 stamp by placing the letters of the new title in the diamond in the same way.”

“Graphically, I created two different designs, with a half diamond pointing up or down,” Smulders says. “But by applying slightly different gradients everywhere, I ensured that no two stamps are the same.”

The apple and apple tree designs come from the 1923 1- and 2-cent stamps, with elements from the 2½-cent issue.

In addition to the past three years’ Stamp Day stamps, Smulders also designed for PostNL the 2022 World Animal Day, the Back to the 20th Century and Trains & Journeys (2019) stamp series, the 2018 Children’s Welfare Stamps, the stamp series celebrating 50 years of the Daily Fable (2018) and the 25 years of Fokke & Sukke (2018) stamp series.

The validity period for these Stamp Day stamps is indefinite.

Technical Details:
Stamp size: 40 x 30mm (wxh)
Sheet size: 122 x 170mm (wxh)
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Glue: gummed
Printing technique: Offset
Printing colours: Cyan, magenta, yellow, black
Edition: 5,000 sheets
Format: Sheet containing 10 personalised stamps in 2 different : designs
Denomination: denomination 1 for post weighing up to 20g with : destinations within the Netherlands
Design: Sandra Smulders, Vormgoed, Gouda
Printing company: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Item number: 830063

Note: PostNL does not sell directly to collectors in North America. Its website refers to a company called Nordfirm, which says it sells Dutch new issues at face value. The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

[from PostNL material] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
100 Years of Disney

• Date of issue: 7 September 2023
• Format: sheet of five personalised stamps in five different designs; one personalised stamp with 24-carat gold denomination 1 for post weighing up to 20g with destinations within the Netherlands
• Item number: 830062 (five stamps) and 830047 (stamp with 24-carat gold)
• Illustrations and design: The Walt Disney Company – Benelux

PostNL will release the 100 Years of Disney personalised stamps on 7 September 2023 to mark Disney’s 100th anniversary. The sheet of five stamps stars the Disney characters Snow White, Dumbo, Princess Elsa, Simba and Mickey Mouse. The denomination on these stamps is ‘1’, the denomination for items weighing up to 20g with destinations in the Netherlands. The stamps were designed by The Walt Disney Company’s Benelux creative team. A sheet of ten stamps costs €5.05.

In addition, PostNL will release a Mickey Mouse stamp with 24-carat gold (shown on the right), in an edition of 1,000 stamps. PostNL will deliver the gold stamp along with a special storage box (shown below; click here) with a certificate of authenticity. The retail price is €50.00.

The special anniversary will be celebrated by Disney in various ways, including new films, festive events, exclusive Disney 100 products and special activities in the theme parks. Brothers Walt and Roy Disney founded The Disney Brothers Studio on 16 October 1923. The company name was later changed, first to Walt Disney Productions and then to The Walt Disney Company. The media group focuses on films, music, media channels, theme parks and consumer products.

The Walt Disney Company’s foundation is the production and distribution of successful content, including classic animated films like Snow White, Bambi, The Lion King and – more recently – Frozen, Encanto and Lightyear. The company operates six theme parks worldwide (in California, Florida, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai) as well as a cruise line (Disney Cruise Line). The group includes TV channels such as ABC and Disney Channel, streaming channel Disney+, sports channel ESPN and 10 regional TV channels and 71 local radio stations in the US. A separate division deals with consumer products, merchandising and licensing, including for children’s books and comics.

The Walt Disney Company acquired the rights to Jim Henson’s Muppets in 2004. It acquired Pixar Animation Studios (known for Toy Story and Finding Nemo, among others) in 2006 and Marvel Entertainment (known for Spider-Man, X-Men and The Incredible Hulk, among others) in 2009, followed by Lucasfilm.

The 100 Years of Disney stamps feature five popular Disney characters. Each stamp features the 100 Years of Disney anniversary logo. The main characters on the stamps are from several of Disney’s classic animated films and comics. From left to right are Snow White (from the film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), Dumbo (from the film Dumbo), Princess Elsa (from the film Frozen), Simba (from the film The Lion King) and Mickey Mouse (from numerous animated films and comics).

The top sheet edge features a collage of the same images in a pattern composed of triangles, representing the facets of a diamond. The sheet edges of the stamp sheet are platinum in colour, with the typography in white. The stamps with 24-carat gold feature the same drawing of Mickey Mouse against a gold background.

“We’re celebrating our 100th birthday together with our fans,” says Roos van der Wijk, Disney’s Senior Manager Brand Partnerships & XLOB Promotions for Benelux. “There are new films coming out, concerts and all sorts of other events. All sorts of things are also happening in the theme parks, including together with the Make-a-Wish Foundation. We are also launching all kinds of exclusive products as part of 100 Years of Disney. Temporarily and in limited editions.”

Van der Wijk says everyone has a connection to Disney. “The unique storytelling, the imagination and creativity, the magic and wonder — all of this makes us have that strong connection with audiences of all ages. Whether it’s a product with a Disney character on it or a fond memory of a specific film or character, we all grew up with it.”

She says at first, just using Mickey Mouse on the stamps was considered, but instead, the five characters were chosen. “These are Disney icons, the classics that everyone knows. Timeless and with something for everyone, young and old,” Van der Wijk says. “Dumbo and Simba appeal mainly to children, while Snow White and Elsa are real power women. And Mickey Mouse is, of course, everyone’s favourite.”

The characters on the stamps span Disney’s 100-year history. The oldest is Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney came up with him in 1928 for the animated film Plane Crazy. Mickey appears in numerous cartoons, animated films and TV shows and has become a true ambassador of the Disney brand.

[The box and certificate for the gold stamp is shown on the right.]

Snow White is also from an animated Disney film titled Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The story in the 1937 film is based on the Grimm brothers’ fairy tale of the same name.

The little elephant Dumbo is from the 1941 animated film of the same name. The story is taken from Dumbo, the Flying Elephant by Helen Aberson. In this 1939 children’s book, a baby elephant learns to fly in the circus.

The lion Simba, son of lion king Mufasa, is the star of the 1994 animated film The Lion King. The great success of this film, set on the African savannah, led to several sequels and a musical, among other things.

Finally, Princess Elsa is one of the main characters from the 2013 animated film Frozen. The film builds on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen. Frozen shows how Elsa, who possesses magical powers she cannot control, overcomes all kinds of adversities together with her sister Anna.

Technical Details:
Stamp size: 30 x 40mm (WxH)
Sheet size: 170 x 122 mm (WxH)
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Glue: gummed
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow, black and PMS gold
Print run: 5,000 sheets (sheet with five stamps)
1,000 stamps (stamp with 24-carat gold)
Format: sheet of five personalised stamps in five different designs; one personalised stamp with gold
Denomination: denomination 1 for post weighing up to 20g with destinations within the Netherlands
Illustrations and design: The Walt Disney Company – Benelux
Item number: 830062 (sheet with five stamps)
830047 (stamp with 24-carat gold)

Note: PostNL does not sell directly to collectors in North America. Its website refers to a company called Nordfirm, which says it sells Dutch new issues at face value. The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

[press release]
Forests and Fens with Ever-Changing Views on Ever-Changing Stamps

The Oisterwijkse Bossen en Vennen [“Forests and Fens”] are loved by nature lovers thanks to the wooded area with atmospheric fens, hidden heaths and the stream valleys of the Rosep, the Reusel and the Achterstestroom. In the series ‘Experience nature’, PostNL is today issuing a new stamp sheetlet that focuses on the flora and fauna of this varied area.

Most fens in the nature reserve date from after the last ice age. The names of some still recall their former use. This is how beer brewers cleaned their vats in the Brouwkuip. The Brandven owes its name to the extinguishing water that used to be extracted here.

Portraits of Nature
The following 10 inhabitants of this nature reserve are depicted on the stamps ‘Oisterwijkse Bossen en Vennen’: royal fern, kingfisher, water purslane, small newt, coral damselfly, black woodpecker, common frog, tufted duck, long-tailed tit and wild gale. On the sheet, the plants and animals, which are portrayed in their natural environment, each received their own stamp.

Lovely Places
It is a special area that is depicted on the stamps. Irma de Potter, forester Communication & Experience at owner Natuurmonumenten agrees. “Precisely because of the combination of forests, fens, streams and heaths. The variety is great, you always come across a different view. It is beautiful to see a forest reflected in a fen. There are lovely spots, such as along the Rosep stream, which regained its natural course 10 years ago. You have everything here for which people like to come to nature.”

Quiet Autumn Days
The stamp sheet ‘Experience nature – Oisterwijkse Bossen en Vennen’ is a design by graphic designer Frank Janse from Gouda. He chose photos that were mostly taken on a nice quiet autumn day, towards nightfall. Janse: “Then the sun is low, which can create all kinds of shades that you would otherwise never see. Just look at the color palette of the brown frog, there is little brown about it. The choice of color also took into account previous issues in the series ‘Experience nature’. Each stamp sheet in this series must be unique, also in the use of colour.”

In or Near the Water
Most animals and plants on the stamp sheet can be found in or near the water, in the fens, but also on the banks of the streams in the nature reserve. “You can spot the kingfisher there, for example, because it prefers running water,” says Janse. “Of course the forests have not been forgotten. For example, the stamp sheet shows the black woodpecker carving a nest in trees. And the royal fern that grows beneath it.”

Availability
The stamp sheet ‘Experience nature – Oisterwijkse Bossen en Vennen’ has 10 stamps in 10 different designs, with the value indication Nederland 1, intended for mail up to and including 20 grams with a destination within the Netherlands. The stamps will be available from August 14, 2023 at the Bruna stores and via the webshop. The stamps can also be ordered by telephone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number 088 – 868 99 00. The period of validity is indefinite. The price per sheet with 10 stamps is € 10.10.

Note: PostNL does not sell directly to collectors in North America. Its website refers to a company called Nordfirm, which says it sells Dutch new issues at face value. The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

[press release]
Seemingly Randomly Scattered Footprints on Waddenpostage Stamps

The last stamp sheet of this year was published 14 August in the series ‘Typisch Nederlands’. In 2024, PostNL will continue this popular series with even more typically Dutch subjects. This multi-year series started in 2020 and this year was devoted to various sights that are important and typical of the Netherlands. The Dutch Wadden Sea is central to the latest PostNL stamps.

In the Netherlands, we mainly know the Wadden Sea from the Wadden Sea, a nature reserve that is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The name Waddenzee was first used in the early 20th century for the northern part of what was then still called the Zuiderzee.

Sole and Heel
Typical of the mudflats is that at low tide it is possible to walk on the seabed. As an organized form of exercise and relaxation, mudflat walking dates from after 1945. The ‘Typisch Nederlands – Wadden’ stamp sheet contains illustrations of iconic forms of footprints, constructed from the sole and heel of a shoe. Complete footprints are depicted on each stamp and footprints that continue on the other stamps and to the sheet edge.

Visible Evidence
The seemingly randomly scattered footprints are grouped in a fixed pattern across the stamps. The stamps for 2023 from the multi-year series ‘Typisch Nederlands’ were designed by Total Design from Amsterdam, just like the previous editions. All stamp sheets feature iconic shapes that would most closely match the landmarks. For the mudflats these have become footprints, the visible proof that mudflat walkers have passed by. A typical shell shape has also been added to the footprints.

Exciting Illustration
Senior graphic designer Adam Lane of Total Design came up with a somewhat chaotic pattern because the bottom of the mudflats actually looks like this when mudflat walkers have walked on it. The pattern continues on the sheet edge, only on the right side of the sheet the shell seems to be just out of place. “This is how we break the pattern to make an exciting illustration of the whole thing,” says Lane. “This is done more subtly than on the other stamp sheetlets in the series. The pattern of the footprints is already irregular enough.”

Rising Water
According to fellow designer Edwin van Praet at Total Design, it is not only the form that dominates on the stamp sheet, there is also a substantive aspect to the choice of this design concept with iconic shapes and patterns. “With these stamps you can see that the footsteps, despite the fact that they seem to run together, still go in the same direction. You have to, because one of the most important agreements when walking on the mudflats is that you stay together as a group. And follow the guide’s directions to avoid being surprised by the rising water.”

Availability
The stamp sheet ‘Typisch Nederlands – Wadden’ has 6 stamps in 6 equal designs, with the value indication Nederland 1, intended for mail up to and including 20 grams with a destination within the Netherlands. The stamps will be available from August 14, 2023 at the Bruna stores and via the webshop. The stamps can also be ordered by telephone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number 088 – 868 99 00. The period of validity is indefinite. The price per sheet with 6 stamps is € 6.06.

Note: PostNL does not sell directly to collectors in North America. Its website refers to a company called Nordfirm, which says it sells Dutch new issues at face value. The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

[press release; Google translation] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
PostNL is launching a new crypto stamp this fall
Unique collaboration between postal companies from the Netherlands, Austria and Luxembourg

PostNL is issuing a crypto stamp for the second time. The new NFT crypto stamp is a unique collaboration between PostNL, Österreichische Post and POST Luxembourg. This fall, the new crypto stamp will be launched simultaneously in the Netherlands, Austria and Luxembourg.

PostNL launched a crypto seal for the first time in September 2022; the NL crypto stamp. For this stamp, PostNL joined forces with Österreichische Post, never before has a crypto stamp been issued jointly by two postal companies.

The second crypto stamp is again the result of a special international collaboration, this time with Austria and Luxembourg. This crypto stamp is a first for POST Luxembourg. Österreichische Post is a forerunner in the field of crypto stamps. In 2019, they were the first postal company ever to also market stamps as NFT.

First Collection Sold Out
“The first NFT crypto stamp proved to be extremely popular among both classic collectors and NFT aficionados,” says Bob van Ireland, Director Mail Netherlands at PostNL. “All variants of the collection of the first NL crypto stamp are now sold out. By cooperating with the postal companies in Austria and Luxembourg, we hope to make even more people enthusiastic about this new stamp.”

Georg Pölzl, CEO Austrian Post: “Our know-how in crypto and blockchain technology is in demand worldwide. We will be issuing the next joint stamp in autumn, together with the post organizations from Luxembourg and the Netherlands, under license. The next generation of the Crypto stamp will stand under the unifying motifs of our three countries.”

Pierre Zimmer, Deputy managing director of POST Luxembourg: “More than 170 years after the first stamps were issued in the Grand Duchy, this year we will introduce a new, innovative way of collecting and trading stamps through the use of blockchain technology. Through the collaboration with PostNL and Austrian Post, we strive to build a global community of stamp collectors while making collecting and trading more accessible, convenient and secure.”

Secret design
The design of the new crypto stamp remains secret for now. It is already known that the crypto seal, as with the first collection, is characterized by a unique symbol. In the previous edition. That symbol was a bull. The final design will be revealed later this year, but PostNL will announce more details of the design in the near future via the website, the Collect Club and the Crypto Stamp newsletter.

Availability
The new crypto stamp consists of a unique combination of a physical stamp and a digital NFT. The crypto stamp comes in a limited edition with a value of €9.25. PostNL will announce more later about the start of the (advance) sales, circulation and points of sale. [PostNL supplied this illustration without explanation.]

[from PostNL handouts] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Echt Hollands (Truly Dutch) Definitives

Date of issue: 3 July 2023

• A sheet of 10 stamps in 10 different designs for destinations within the Netherlands (€10.10)
• A sheet of 5 stamps in five different designs for delivery outside the Netherlands (€8.25)
• A sheet of 50 stamps in one design designs for delivery outside the Netherlands(€82.50)

“Echt Hollands” means “truly Dutch.”

These three stamp sheets are part of the basic range of stamps, which consists of permanent stamps from the basic range and special stamps from the annual collection. Permanent stamps include stamps with the portrait of King Willem-Alexander, the love stamps, birth stamps, mourning stamps, business stamps on rolls and these. The previous permanent stamps were issued in 2014 white-and-blue 3D icons. PostNL regularly redesigns its permanent stamps to reflect the spirit of the times.

The Echt Hollands 10 x Nederland 1 stamps feature 10 ‘Truly Dutch’ (Echt Hollandse) images: a vase with tulips, a carrier pigeon with a letter, a bakfiets (cargo bicycle) with plants, a coffee pot and mug with a Boerenbont motif, a lighthouse, a herring, canal houses, a whipped cream cake, a caravan and a cheeseboard. Of the 10 images, five are also featured on the Echt Hollands 5 x Internationaal 1 stamps: the herring, the vase with tulips, the lighthouse, the carrier pigeon and the coffee pot with mug. The Echt Hollands 50 x Internationaal 1 features the vase with tulips.

All the illustrations were hand-drawn by illustrator Sanny van Loon from Amsterdam, and are placed in the centre of the stamps against a background of diamonds or stripes in different shades of turquoise. The stamps for domestic destinations have a drawn golden-yellow perforated border. The foreign destination stamps have a dark blue border.

Van Loon previously designed the 2018 December stamps. She began by grabbing pen and paper. “My desk was littered with A4 sketches in no time. I drew all kinds of things: landscapes, food, flowers, art, buildings and so on,” she says. “Based on the sketches, I made a selection of subjects that made me happy.”

Sanny’s illustrations are often nostalgic in character. “I love vintage, retro or whatever you want to call it. It is an important aspect of my work, but I always create fresh images that everyone can recognise,” she says. “The 1970s caravan [camper] on the stamp is a good example of how to mix nostalgia with contemporary. Many people will think of past holidays with their parents, but camping has also been rediscovered by younger generations. So this image combines the traditional and what is currently cool.”

Sanny describes the illustrations as “miniature paintings,” each with its own story. “The image of the tulips in the enamelled jug [above] was in my head right from the start. One of the tulips has already hung its head; everybody knows that phenomenon. Some of the petals have fallen onto the table. This refers to the flower still lifes of the Dutch masters, which always show something fleeting, something transient.

“The illustration featuring the cheeses had many iterations,” van Loon says. “I drew countless sketches: cheese sandwiches, cheese markets, cheese cubes, whole cheeses, cheese shops, cheese knives, cheese paper, and so on. Everything finally fell into place when I saw the cheese board in front of me, with the familiar Dutch cheese cubes on skewers and a pickle and a tomato on top.

“I wanted to feature the herring on its wee square cardboard plate on a separate stamp [below right]. Surely no one in the world eats herring the way we do?” she says.

“All these subjects relate to my own life. I often base my work on memories, but I depict them in such a way that they appeal to everyone. For example, when I see Boerenbont crockery [below], I’m always reminded of the cosiness of visits to my grandmother. And the canal houses [below] look like the ones near where I was born and where I live now.”

Technical Details:
Echt Hollands 10 x Nederland 1
Stamp size (wxh): 20.8 x 25.3mm:
Sheet size (wxh): 75 x 126mm:
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Glue: self-adhesive
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black
Print run: 2,050,000 sheets
Appearance: sheet of 10 stamps in 10 different designs
Design: Sanny van Loon, Amsterdam
Printer: Cartor Security Printers, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
Item number: 430961
Copyright: stamp w/ Boerenbont pattern Boerenbont® Royal Boch Bvba

Echt Hollands 5 x Internationaal 1
Stamp size (wxh): 20.8 x 25.3mm:
Sheet size (wxh): 58 x 126mm:
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Glue: self-adhesive
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black
Print run: 1,060,000 sheets
Format: sheet of 5 stamps in 5 different designs
Design: Sanny van Loon, Amsterdam
Printer: Cartor Security Printers, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
Item number: 430962
Copyright: stamp w/ Boerenbont pattern Boerenbont® Royal Boch Bvba

Echt Hollands 50 x Internationaal 1
Stamp size (wxh): 20.8 x 25.3mm:
Sheet size (wxh): 120 x 498mm:
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Glue: self-adhesive
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black
Print run: 75,000 sheets
Format: sheet of one stamp in one design
Design: Sanny van Loon, Amsterdam
Printer: Cartor Security Printers, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
Item number: 430963

Note: PostNL does not sell directly to collectors in North America. Its website refers to a company called Nordfirm, which says it sells Dutch new issues at face value. The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

[taken from a PostNL handout] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Sail Den Helder (Tall Ships Races)

Date of issue: 26 June 2023

On 26 June 2023, PostNL will publish the Sail Den Helder 10-stamp sheet. This year’s maritime event will take place from 29 June to 2 July. Sail Den Helder is organised together with the 2023 Marinedagen (Navy days), marking the start of the Tall Ships Races 2023. The ten stamps feature photos with examples of the types of ships that are present at these three events. A sheet of ten stamps costs €10.10.

This is the 6th time the port of Den Helder has hosted this maritime event. It is expected to attract 300,000 visitors. Den Helder’s harbour and quays will give them the opportunity to learn about what the maritime sector has to offer: from sailing heritage and tall ships to modern training ships and naval vessels. Besides the many hundreds of ships, the focus will be on social issues such as energy transition and protecting life on and under water.

Sail Den Helder will be combined with the Marinedagen, the open days of the Dutch Royal Navy. In addition, the port of Den Helder will be the starting location for the Tall Ships Races 2023 on 1 July. This race, in which just under 100 tall ships are expected to participate, will run via Hartlepool (England), Frederikstad (Norway) and Lerwick (Shetland Islands) to Arendal (Norway). The Tall Ships Races are designed to introduce young people to the world of seafaring and sailing. That is why half of the crew of the participating ships are between the ages of 15 and 25.

The sheet features two different designs. On the left side, the stamps are rotated 180 degrees compared to those on the right side. Both stamp designs feature photos of two different sailing ships. The landscape image features a Navy motor vessel on the right-hand side, on the tab next to the stamp. The perforations extend to the sheet edge. This allows each stamp to be torn from the sheet together with its corresponding tab. The typography on the stamp runs between the pictures at right angles.

All events are listed on the edges of the sheet. At the top is the title Sail Den Helder 2023, with Marinedagen underneath. At the bottom is the title The Tall Ships Races 2023, with, in chronological order, all the ports of call of the sailing race and their corresponding latitude and longitude. The five ships on the stamps are typical of the types of ships that will be present during Sail Den Helder 2023 in June and July. The ships pictured are the air defence and command frigate Zr. Ms. De Ruyter from 2002 (Netherlands), the two-master Abel Tasman from 1913 (Netherlands), the tall ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano from 1927 (Spain), the three-master ARM Cuauhtémoc from 1982 (Mexico) and the three-master Mircea from 1938 (Romania).

The sheet was designed by graphic designer Maud van Rossum from Amsterdam. She explored the subject partly by visiting the Maritime Museum in her hometown. “What fascinates me about this maritime subject is how everything works on board those big ships,” Van Rossum says. “Reflecting the many aspects of the subject on two different stamp designs was a real challenge. And not just Sail Den Helder, but also the Marinedagen and the Tall Ships Races that are linked to it.”

For PostNL, Van Rossum also designed 200 years of the Mauritshuis (2022), Queen Máxima at 50 (2021) and The first atlases (2020). With Piet Gerards, she collaborated on the World Heritage Sites in the Netherlands (2014), Inauguration of Willem-Alexander (2013) and 100 years of Heemschut (2011) stamps.

Technical Details:
Format: sheet of ten stamps in two different designs, with value 1 for post up to and including 20g for destinations within the Netherlands
Item number: 430861
Design: Studio Maud van Rossum, Amsterdam
Photography: Sail Den Helder
Lithography: Marc Gijzen, Voorburg
Stamp size: 40 x 30mm
Sheet size: 170 x 122 mm
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Gum: gummed
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black
Print run: 80,000 sheets
Printing company: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Item number: 430861

Note: PostNL does not sell directly to collectors in North America. Its website refers to a company called Nordfirm, which says it sells Dutch new issues at face value. The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

[from PostNL handouts] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
75 Years of Solex Mopeds

Date of issue: 26 May 2023
Format: sheet of 10 personalised stamps in 10 different designs,
denomination 1 for post weighing up to 20g with destinations within the Netherlands
Item number: 830046
Design: Jan van Mechelen, ZEE [typo]graphic design, Rotterdam
Photography: Hans Tak, Rotterdam
Lithography: Marc Gijzen, Voorburg For the post-war generation, the iconic front-wheel-drive moped became synonymous with the reconstruction period. PostNL is commemorating this special anniversary by publishing 75 years of Solex Netherlands stamp sheet on 26 May 2023, designed by Rotterdam-based graphic designer Jan van Mechelen. The denomination on these stamps is ‘1’, the denomination for items weighing up to 20g with destinations in the Netherlands. A sheet of ten stamps costs €10.10.

The Solex entered the Dutch market in 1948, at a time when the word ‘moped’ was not yet in common usage or in covered by regulations. The authorities still viewed the first models as motorbikes that required a driving licence, a rear-view mirror and a horn.

The black moped manufactured by French company VéloSoleX near Paris stood out for its typical gooseneck frame, front-wheel roller drive with two-stroke engine and a fuel consumption of 1 litre/100km (about 235 miles per gallon, if we’ve done the arithmetic correctly).

Over 8 million Solexes have been produced worldwide, and almost 700,000 of those in the Netherlands. Sales in the Netherlands were dealt with by R.S. Stokvis & Zonen, while production took place under French licence at the Nederlandsche Kroon Rijwielfabriek owned by the firm Van der Heem. The Dutch Solex is directly derived from the French models, but frame parts such as the chain guard, luggage carrier and saddle are their own designs. The Dutch models were manufactured until mid-1969. After that, only French Solexes were supplied, until the factory in France closed in 1988. (See the Wikipedia entry.)

The 75 Years Solex Netherlands stamps feature the following Solex models:

• model year 1948, engine number H1000-H2330, 45cc engine, Peperbus
• model year 1955, engine number 125861-206384, 49cc engine, Suikerpotje/Sleutelgat
• model year 1962, engine number 446412-491000, 49cc engine, OTO round frame
• model year 1969, engine number 4003301-5142999, 49cc engine, OTO square frame
• model year 1980, engine number unknown, 49cc engine, Westerterp

The Solex stamp sheet has 10 vertical stamps, presented in two rows of five. The upper row of stamps features black-and-white photos of 5 iconic Solex models, with a perspective shot at an angle from the front. In the background of each stamp, the model year is visible behind the Solex model, with large numbers covering the total image area of the stamp. Each year has a different colour with a gradient running from bottom to top. The lower row of stamps shows a close-up photograph of the handlebars and engine of the same models, taken from the side. The background of the lower row shows a similar colour gradient to the upper row of stamps, but this time from right to left.

Jan van Mechelen, the designer of the sheet, himself rides a motorbike, but he was introduced to the Solex at an early age. “The boy next door had one,” he says. “I was 10 or 11 at the time, so obviously far too young to ride it,” but he was taken for rides on the Solex. “We had a lot of fun adventures.”

To familiarize himself with the subject, van Mechelen went to the Solex Museum in Colijnsplaat. “It’s extremely interesting to step into a world where people are so passionate about Solex and know so much about it.”

The Solex came to the Netherlands in 1948 and was soon put into production here. The last Dutch Solex rolled off the conveyor belt in 1969. The stamp sheet features the 1948 model and three other models manufactured in the Netherlands, from 1952, 1962 and 1969. “The last model, from 1980, comes from France,” says Van Mechelen. “I knew that there was also an electric version, for example. But that just turned out to be too ugly to put on a stamp.”

The five Solexes were photographed at the museum. “To a layman, they may look similar, but to an enthusiast: of course they don’t,” says Van Mechelen. “Each Solex has been neatly polished, but the images have not been edited to disguise damage and other imperfections.”

Technical Details:
Stamp size: 30 x 40mm (wxh):
Sheet size: 170 x 122 mm (wxh)
Paper: Normal with phosphor print
Gum: Gummed
Printing technique: Offset
Printing colours: Cyan, magenta, yellow, black
Edition: 5,000 sheets
Format: Sheet of 10 personal stamps in 10 different designs
Denomination: Denomination 1 for post weighing up to 20g with destinations within the Netherlands
Design: Jan van Mechelen, ZEE [typo]graphic design, Rotterdam
Photography: Hans Tak, Rotterdam
Lithography: Marc Gijzen, Voorburg
Item number: 830046

Note: PostNL does not sell directly to collectors in North America. Its website refers to a company called Nordfirm, which says it sells Dutch new issues at face value. The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.