Two souvenir sheets issued May 20, 2019, each with its own press release from PostNL.
[press release]
Schiermonnikoog gets its own stamp depicting nature and architecture 
The Hague – The well-known ‘Mooi Nederland’ (‘Beautiful Netherlands’) stamp series will be dedicated to the Dutch Frisian Islands in 2019. Today, the fifth stamp sheetlet from this series was published, paying ample attention to Schiermonnikoog’s nature and architecture. Stamps depicting Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling and Ameland were published earlier this year. At the same time as the stamps about Schiermonnikoog, PostNL today published an assembled stamp sheetlet depicting all five islands.
Scenic beauty
Since 2005, the ‘Beautiful Netherlands’ stamp series has drawn attention to local history, cultural wealth and scenic beauty. This year’s new series about the Dutch Frisian Islands was designed by Birza Design from Deventer.
Recognisable images of Schiermonnikoog
In the design of ‘Beautiful Netherlands 2019: Schermonnikoog’, the island shape plays the leading role. This is reflected in the map of Schiermonnikoog, which the designers have positioned in miniature on the stamps and in large on the stamp sheetlet. The stamps show recognisable images of the island: the current lighthouse (North Tower, Noordertoren), the former lighthouse (South Tower, Zuidertoren), the lower jaw of a blue whale and the statue of theSchiere Monnik (literally ‘the Grey Monk’), both of which are in the centre of the village. The typical shape of the island is also reflected in the design in other ways. For example, the font used for the captions is a ‘stencil font’, made up of elements that are separate from each other.
Friendly and pleasant
Almost all of the photographs used were taken during a working visit to Schiermonnikoog by graphic designers Ingmar and Carla Birza in the sunny summer of 2018. Carla Birza praises the atmosphere in Schiermonnikoog. ‘It’s very friendly; very pleasant. When we arrived by boat it was immediately obvious how the wind affects tree growth, hence the photo of the windswept rowans. The Westerplas is a beautiful area with a large population of waterfowl, and there is a bird-watching hut in the middle of the water. Schiermonnikoog is home to special objects, some of which we have included on the sheet. There are the images of the monks, of course, and the huge whale jaw. And the special lines of Cape Kobbeduinen. We also incorporated personal memories from our visit in the sheetlet, such as the strikingly woolly common cottongrass. It’s just beautiful when you see it for yourself in nature.’
Availability
The ‘Beautiful Netherlands 2019: Schiermonnikoog’ stamp sheetlet features five identical stamps with ‘Nederland 1’, the denomination for items up to 20g in weight destined for mail in the Netherlands. The stamps are available from 20 May 2019 from PostNL locations on the island of Schiermonnikoog and online at postnl.nl/bijzondere-postzegels. The stamps can also be ordered by phone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number +31 (0)88 – 868 99 00. The validity period is indefinite.
[press release]
Five stamps about the Dutch Frisian Islands, depicting nature and architecture
The Hague – The well-known ‘Mooi Nederland’ (‘Beautiful Netherlands’) stamp series will be dedicated to the nature and architecture of the Dutch Frisian Islands in 2019. Today, the stamp sheetlet from this series has been published, together with the stamp sheetlet about Schiermonnikoog. Stamps depicting Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling and Ameland were published earlier this year.
Scenic beauty
Since 2005, the ‘Beautiful Netherlands’ stamp series has drawn attention to local history, cultural wealth and scenic beauty. This year’s new series about the Dutch Frisian Islands was designed by Birza Design from Deventer.
Recognisable images of Schiermonnikoog
In the design of each of the five stamps of the ‘Beautiful Netherlands 2019’ assembled stamp sheetlet, the island shapes of the five islands plays the leading role. This is reflected in the island maps, which the designers have positioned in miniature on the stamps. Each of the five inhabited Dutch Frisian islands has its own stamp with a distinctive colour. In the background of each stamp there is a duotone landscape photo with a view of the lighthouse of the relevant island. Around it there are photos with typical and recognisable images of the island in question, usually with a nautical character. The typical island shape is also reflected in the design in other ways. For example, the font used for the captions is a ‘stencil font’, made up of elements that are separate from each other.
Friendly and pleasant
Almost all of the photographs used were taken during a working visit to the five islands by graphic designers Ingmar and Carla Birza in the sunny summer of 2018. Carla Birza explains how each island shows its own character. ‘Texel, for example, is very special from a landscape point of view. It’s a kind of mini Netherlands, with polders, a hill, bulb fields, meadows, forests, brook landscapes, farming villages and harbours. Vlieland’s small scale is particularly striking, with its sheer abundance of nature. Terschelling, again, is the most vibrant of all of the islands. And the vast beaches are magnificent, of course.’ The centuries-old commander’s houses were our best memory of Ameland, with a serene street screen. Finally, Schiermonnikoog, where friendliness is perhaps the most distinctive feature.’
