[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.