[from press materials] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
December Stamps 2025
(Decemberzegels 2025)

Issue date: 10 November 2025
Appearance: Sheet of 20 stamps in 10 different designs, with special December rate for destinations within the Netherlands
Item number: 451061
Design and illustrations: Sander de Bruijn, Efteling, Kaatsheuvel

Each year, PostNL issues new December stamps allowing consumers and businesses to send Christmas and New Year cards at a reduced rate. The special December rate of €1.21 [about US$1.41] per stamp is valid through 3 January 2026. A sheet of 20 December stamps costs € 24.20. When purchasing two sheets of December stamps in-store, each customer receives a unique fairy tale book as a gift, featuring the ten fairy tales illustrated on the stamp sheet. The illustrations were created by designer Sander de Bruijn from Efteling, who also designed the accompanying book.

Efteling began in 1952 as a modest fairy tale park in Kaatsheuvel, North Brabant, featuring ten fairy tales designed by Anton Pieck. In its first year, the park welcomed 222,000 visitors. Today, Efteling is an international theme park with more than 62 attractions, including eight rollercoasters and four dark rides. The Fairy Tale Forest remains the green heart of the park, now featuring 31 fairy tales. Each year, the park attracts over five million visitors. In 2024, the iconic Haunted Castle was replaced by the dynamic dark ride Danse Macabre. In 2025, the Efteling Grand Hotel and the fairy tale The Princess and the Pea opened their doors, while the existing Efteling Hotel was transformed into the Efteling Wonder Hotel.

Each of the 10 stamps 2025 features a scene from a well-known fairy tale, illustrated in muted tones based on the typical red, yellow, and green-blue colours used by Anton Pieck for Efteling. The stamps depict fairy tales shown in Efteling, plus a newly created tale, Journey of the Well-Wish. The other nine fairy tales are Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, Frog King, Tom Thumb, The Princess and the Pea, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats, and The Six Servants. The stamps have unique free-form shapes inspired by heraldry, such as oval shields, rounded-top shields, and flatiron-shaped shields. Each illustration is designed as a medieval miniature with a gold-coloured frame. The festive December atmosphere is enhanced with snowflakes, holly branches, Christmas trees, and envelopes containing December cards. The reverse side of the stamp sheet includes mailing recommendations for December post, illustrated with a medieval miniature and an enlarged initial letter. At the bottom is a detail from the Journey of the Well-Wish stamp, showing a mouse and a squirrel reading the fairy tale book gifted with the purchase of two stamp sheets.

The December stamps 2025 were designed by Sander de Bruijn, Manager of Design & Experience at Efteling. He first visited Efteling at the age of four, an experience that deeply influenced his life and career. “As a child, you accept that magical world as a given,” he says. “But my father explained that the park was created based on designs by the legendary illustrator Anton Pieck. That’s when my love for drawing and illustration began.”

In his proposal to PostNL, De Bruijn introduced the concept of the stamp as a romantic journey, like in a fairy tale. “The stamp crowns the long journey between sender and recipient, with the act of sending as an expression of affection. The stamp itself had to be an adventure – a sheet that makes you feel like a child in a sweet shop. That’s how the unusual shapes came about, to evoke a sense of another world. A world full of wonders, fairy tales, and stories.”

The stamps will remain valid indefinitely, but will need additional postage after 3 January 2026. A sheet of 20 December stamps costs €24.20 [currently US$28.20].

Technical Data:
Stamp size: 29.63 x 25.20 mm, 22.73 x 32.91 mm, 22.60 x 34.22 mm, 22.76 x 36.02 mm, 23.85 x 31.49 mm, 21.65 x 39.90 mm, 22.49 x 31.10 mm, 22.95 x 34.17 mm, 22.49 x 31.10 mm, and 26.06 x 31.46 mm
Sheet size: 144 x 180 mm
Paper: standard with phosphor suppression (red)
Gumming: self-adhesive
Printing technique: offset
Colours: cyan, magenta, yellow, black, and gold
Print run: 2,850,000 sheets
Format: Sheet of 20 stamps in 10 different designs
Design and illustrations: Sander de Bruijn, Efteling, Kaatsheuvel
Printer: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Item number: 451061

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.

Collectors may also wish to contact the U.S. firm Bombay Stamps, which can also obtain first day covers upon request, with lower shipping fees. The email is sales@bombaystamps.com Again, The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

[drawn from the press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Autumn Palette

Issue date: 24 October
Sheetlet with five different stamps for domestic use, up to 20 grams
Item #850069
Design: Yvonne Warmerdam, Orange Licensing, Gouda
Illustrations: Janneke Brinkman-Salentijn
Cost: A sheetlet of five stamps costs €6.55.

In addition to the official issue program, PostNL offers a framework stamp program every year. This program is flexible. Each issue is designed based on a fixed layout, with a fixed number of framework stamps. The stamps are available exclusively through the webshop and from Collect Club customer service at +31 88 868 99 00, while supplies last.

Janneke Brinkman-Salentijn is best known as an illustrator and watercolorist of nature subjects, who has a master’s degree in microbiology. Her watercolors have been featured on planners, calendars, greeting cards, puzzles, bed and kitchen linens, and a wide variety of other products for over 30 years. In 2017, Brinkman-Salentijn celebrated her 25th anniversary as a botanical artist with a special exhibition at Slot Zeist, which PostNL commemorated with a silver stamp entitled “25 Years of Passion for Flowers.”

She loves this time of year. “Autumn is the best season there is. I think it’s a truly wonderful time, when you can often go outside without a coat. Everyone’s back from vacation, looking tanned and well-rested, ready to get back out there. The same goes for nature, which is still full of autumn flowers, berries, and other fruits. The sun no longer shines brightly but gently, so the colors are much more vibrant, especially warm shades of red, orange, and brown. Truly vibrant colors, as you can see on the beautiful Autumn Palette stamp sheet. It’s a beautiful design, and I still consider it a great honor when your work is chosen to be featured on stamps.”

The subjects on the stamps and selvage include a maple leaf, a feather, dahlias, a butterfly and berries.

“It all fits,” says issue designer Yvonne Warmerdam. “[Brinkman-Salentijn] always draws her inspiration from nature or gardens. The dahlias on the stamp sheet, for example, come from the Het Zoete Land picking garden, near Leiden where she lives. She found the feather on the street, and the rose is from her own garden. So she always finds something from everywhere.”

The flowers, plants, and fruits on the stamp sheet capture the desired autumnal atmosphere, with red-orange and purple as the dominant colors.

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.

Collectors may also wish to contact the U.S. firm Bombay Stamps, which can also obtain first day covers upon request, with lower shipping fees. The email is sales@bombaystamps.com Again, The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Jan van Haasteren designs Children’s Stamps 2025 and brings playing together to life

More than 100,000 children from grades 7 and 8 started going door-to-door on September 24.

Renowned cartoonist Jan van Haasteren has designed the 2025 Children’s Stamps. For the first time in years, Van Haasteren has designed them himself, making this stamp sheet extra special. This year’s Children’s Stamp campaign focuses on “Together Against Loneliness,” and the colorful illustration of a sandbox full of playing children powerfully brings the message of playing together and being connected to life. The 2025 Children’s Stamp campaign officially launched September 24.

Cheerful design with hidden jokes
The stamp sheet is designed in the recognizable Van Haasteren style:
colorful, friendly, and accessible, with humor that sometimes veers towards the absurd. The sheet consists of five stamps depicting twelve children playing, reading, and having fun together. Unexpected animals appear among them, from an octopus and a snake to a turtle, a snail, and a dog. As always with Van Haasteren, countless humorous details are hidden. Van Haasteren himself calls it special that his artwork is now featured on stamps: “I’ve been blessed with some of the greatest artists: Dick Bruna, Marten Toonder, Jan Kruis, and Joost Swarte, for example. I’m honored to be included in this list.”

Together against loneliness
The theme of the 2025 Children’s Stamp Campaign is “Together against loneliness.” In the Netherlands, 1 in 10 children feels lonely every day. This means that in every classroom, an average of 2 to 3 children often or always experience loneliness. Kinderpostzegels is committed to helping these children find a safe place, access to sports and play, and the support of a buddy to share their stories with.

Availability
The Kinderpostzegels were sold door-to-door from September 24th to October 1st, 2025, by over one hundred thousand children in grades 7 and 8. Starting October 6th, 2025, the stamps are also available, while supplies last, at Bruna, through the PostNL website, and on the Kinderpostzegels website. They can also be ordered by phone through Collect Club customer service: 088 – 868 99 00. A sheet of five stamps costs €9.80.

Since 1924, PostNL has been issuing children’s stamps to support the Children’s Stamps mission: promoting equal development opportunities for children, both in the Netherlands and internationally. Proceeds from the annual Children’s Stamps campaign help fund projects that strengthen children’s resilience.

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.

Collectors may also wish to contact the U.S. firm Bombay Stamps, which can also obtain first day covers upon request, with lower shipping fees. The email is sales@bombaystamps.com Again, The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
PostNL launches stamp sheet with Fibula van Dorestad

The Hague, 9 May 2025 – Today, PostNL is issuing the Fibula of Dorestad stamp sheet. The issue ties in with the European theme for 2025: National Archaeological Discoveries, part of the annual collaboration between the European postal companies under the flag of PostEurop. The stamp sheet features six identical stamps with an image of one of the most famous archaeological finds in the Netherlands.

Historical ornament from the time of Charlemagne
The fibula was discovered in 1969 in a well in the former Dorestad, now Wijk bij Duurstede. In the time of Charlemagne, Dorestad was an important trading city. The richly decorated gold brooch, inlaid with glass, ornamental stones, pearls and enamel, was probably worn by a high-ranking woman as subtle propaganda for Christianity. The fibula is included in the Canon of the Netherlands under the theme ‘Charlemagne’.

Golden design with an eye for detail
The design of the stamp sheet is by Studio Maud van Rossum from Amsterdam. Van Rossum previously made various stamps with a historical angle for PostNL. For this design, she was inspired by the circular shape of the fibula and the geometric inlay. The stamps show a large image of the fibula on a white background, with a smaller version next to it in a stylized graphic context. The texts on the stamps and tabs are set in a round shape, as a tribute to the piece of jewelry itself. The fibula is depicted in actual size on the edge of the sheet, framed by an explanatory text in gold.

Availability and value
The stamps with the value indication ‘international 1’ are intended for mail up to and including 20 grams with an international destination. The price for a sheet of six stamps is € 11.40.

The Fibula stamp sheet from Dorestad is – while stocks last – available from 9 May at Bruna stores, via www.postnl.nl/bijzondere-postzegels and can be ordered by telephone via Collect Club: 088 868 99 00.

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.

Collectors may also wish to contact the U.S. firm Bombay Stamps, which can also obtain first day covers upon request, with lower shipping fees. The email is sales@bombaystamps.com Again, The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

[in het Nederlands voor de nieuwsmedia]
PostNL lanceert postzegelvel met Fibula van Dorestad

Den Haag, 9 mei 2025 – PostNL brengt vandaag het postzegelvel Fibula van Dorestad uit. De uitgifte sluit aan bij het Europese thema voor 2025: National Archaeological Discoveries, onderdeel van de jaarlijkse samenwerking tussen de Europese postbedrijven onder de vlag van PostEurop. Op het postzegelvel staan zes gelijke postzegels met een afbeelding van een van de beroemdste archeologische vondsten van Nederland: de fibula van Dorestad.

Historisch sieraad uit de tijd van Karel de Grote
De fibula werd in 1969 ontdekt in een waterput in het voormalige Dorestad, het huidige Wijk bij Duurstede. In de tijd van Karel de Grote was Dorestad een belangrijke handelsstad. De rijkversierde gouden broche, ingelegd met glas, sierstenen, parels en email, is vermoedelijk gedragen door een hooggeplaatste vrouw als subtiele propaganda voor het christendom. De fibula staat in de Canon van Nederland bij het thema ‘Karel de Grote’.

Gouden ontwerp met oog voor detail
Het ontwerp van het postzegelvel is van de hand van Studio Maud van Rossum uit Amsterdam. Van Rossum maakte eerder diverse postzegels met een historische invalshoek voor PostNL. Voor dit ontwerp liet zij zich inspireren door de cirkelvorm van de fibula en het geometrische inlegwerk. De postzegels tonen een grote afbeelding van de fibula op witte achtergrond, met daarnaast een kleinere variant in een gestileerde grafische context. De teksten op de postzegels en tabs zijn in een ronde vorm gezet, als een eerbetoon aan het sieraad zelf. Op de velrand is de fibula op ware grootte afgebeeld, omlijst door een toelichtende tekst in goud.

Verkrijgbaarheid en waarde
De postzegels met waardeaanduiding ‘internationaal 1’ zijn bedoeld voor post tot en met 20 gram met een internationale bestemming. De prijs voor een vel van zes postzegels bedraagt € 11,40.

Het postzegelvel Fibula van Dorestad is – zolang de voorraad strekt – vanaf 9 mei verkrijgbaar bij de Bruna-winkels, via www.postnl.nl/bijzondere-postzegels en telefonisch te bestellen via Collect Club: 088 868 99 00.

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
PostNL pays tribute to Dutch writers with RomanReuzen stamp sheet
10 contemporary writers immortalized in special issue

The Hague, April 22, 2025 – On April 22, 2025, PostNL will present the RomanReuzen stamp sheet, an ode to ten remarkable Dutch writers. The issue is part of the national project of the same name that encourages reading among young people. The ten stamps feature portraits of Kader Abdolah, Abdelkader Benali, Peter Buwalda, Adriaan van Dis, Jessica Durlacher, Bregje Hofstede, Mensje van Keulen, Astrid Roemer, Manon Uphoff and Tommy Wieringa.

Stimulating reading among young people
The RomanReuzen initiative was launched by journalist Frénk van der Linden and photographer Fjodor Buis, in collaboration with libraries, the Reading and Writing Foundation and the Libris bookstore chain. Through interview sessions with pupils, podcasts, masterclasses, a book and a travelling exhibition, literature is brought to the attention of young people in a fresh way.

Journalist Frénk van der Linden, who interviewed 52 writers for the project, emphasises the importance of reading: “Just like us, they see how incredibly important it is to stimulate reading, especially among young people. The essence of people is that we tell each other stories. Reading stimulates empathy and that is what connects us as people.”

The 52 podcasts with writer interviews can be listened to via romanreuzen.nl.

A visual ode to the novel
The stamps were designed by graphic designer Lex Reitsma, based on portrait photos by Fjodor Buis. Each stamp shows a black-and-white portrait of a writer in a drawn book cover, creating the impression of a table full of books on display in a bookstore. The drawing continues visually across the stamps and the sheet edge, as a reference to the wealth of literature.

Fjodor Buis says about his approach:
“It had to be a series with sufficient similarities, but at the same time with enough differences to avoid monotony. Photographing outdoors is exciting, because something unexpected always happens. Like with Tommy Wieringa, who I photographed behind his house at the moment his chickens escaped. That is why he is holding one in his arms.”

Availability
The RomanReuzen stamp sheet contains ten stamps with value indication 1, intended for mail up to and including 20 grams with a destination within the Netherlands. The price is € 12.10. The stamps are available – while stocks last – from 22 April at Bruna stores, via www.postnl.nl/bijzondere-postzegels and can be ordered by telephone via Collect Club: 088 868 99 00.

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.

Collectors may also wish to contact the U.S. firm Bombay Stamps, which can also obtain first day covers upon request, with lower shipping fees. The email is sales@bombaystamps.com Again, The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

[in Nederlands voor kranten]
PostNL brengt ode aan Nederlandse schrijvers met postzegelvel RomanReuzen
10 hedendaagse schrijvers vereeuwigd op bijzondere uitgifte

Den Haag, 22 april 2025 – PostNL presenteert op 22 april 2025 het postzegelvel RomanReuzen, een ode aan tien markante Nederlandse schrijvers. De uitgifte maakt deel uit van het gelijknamige landelijke project dat lezen onder jongeren stimuleert. Op de tien postzegels prijken portretten van Kader Abdolah, Abdelkader Benali, Peter Buwalda, Adriaan van Dis, Jessica Durlacher, Bregje Hofstede, Mensje van Keulen, Astrid Roemer, Manon Uphoff en Tommy Wieringa.

Lezen stimuleren onder jongeren
Het initiatief RomanReuzen werd in het leven geroepen door journalist Frénk van der Linden en fotograaf Fjodor Buis, in samenwerking met onder andere bibliotheken, Stichting Lezen en Schrijven en boekwinkelketen Libris. Via interviewsessies met scholieren, podcasts, masterclasses, een boek, en een reizende tentoonstelling wordt literatuur op een frisse manier onder de aandacht gebracht bij jongeren.

Journalist Frénk van der Linden, die voor het project 52 schrijvers interviewde, benadrukt het belang van lezen: “Net als wij zien zij in hoe ontzettend belangrijk het is om lezen te stimuleren, met name onder jongeren. De essentie van mensen is toch dat wij verhalen aan elkaar vertellen. Lezen stimuleert empathie en dat is toch wat ons mensen met elkaar verbindt.”

De 52 podcasts met schrijversinterviews zijn te beluisteren via romanreuzen.nl.

Een visuele ode aan de roman
De postzegels zijn ontworpen door grafisch ontwerper Lex Reitsma, op basis van portretfoto’s van Fjodor Buis. Elke postzegel toont een zwart-witportret van een schrijver in een getekend boekomslag, waarmee de indruk ontstaat van een tafel vol uitgestalde boeken in een boekhandel. De tekening loopt visueel door over de postzegels en de velrand, als verwijzing naar de rijkdom aan literatuur.

Over zijn aanpak zegt Fjodor Buis:
“Het moest een serie worden met voldoende overeenkomsten, maar tegelijkertijd met genoeg verschillen om eentonigheid te vermijden. Buiten fotograferen is spannend, want er gebeurt altijd iets onverwachts. Zoals bij Tommy Wieringa die ik achter zijn huis fotografeerde op het moment dat zijn kippen ontsnapten. Vandaar dat hij er 1 in zijn armen houdt.”

Verkrijgbaarheid
Het postzegelvel RomanReuzen bevat tien postzegels met waardeaanduiding 1, bedoeld voor post tot en met 20 gram met een bestemming binnen Nederland. De prijs is € 12,10. De postzegels zijn – zolang de voorraad strekt – vanaf 22 april verkrijgbaar bij de Bruna-winkels, via www.postnl.nl/bijzondere-postzegels en telefonisch te bestellen via Collect Club: 088 868 99 00.

[from PostNL press materials] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Experience Nature – Butterflies of Sint Eustatius

Issue date: 31 March 2025
Appearance: Sheet of 10 stamps in 10 different designs, each with denomination 1 for mail weighing up to 20 grams sent within the Netherlands
Item number: 450361
Design: Frank Janse, Gouda
Photography: Alamy, Dreamstime, Shutterstock, and Wikimedia Commons (Francisco Farriols Sarabia and Charles J. Sharp)

The Experience Nature – butterflies of Sint Eustatius sheet features 10 stamps in 10 different designs. The stamps have a denomination of 1 for mail up to 20 grams within the Netherlands. The price for a sheet of 10 stamps is €12.10 (currently about US$13.15).

The sheet is part of the multi-year series Experience Nature dedicated to the Caribbean Netherlands from 2024-2026. Each year, the series features four stamp sheets, each with 10 different stamps. The stamps depict plants and animals found in this part of the Netherlands. The islands in this region boast an extraordinary biodiversity by Dutch standards, with thousands of plant and animal species. In 2025, attention will be given to the birds, butterflies, underwater world, and flora of the island of Sint Eustatius.

The island of Sint Eustatius, like Bonaire and Saba, has a special status within the Netherlands. The collective name for the three islands is the Caribbean Netherlands. Sint Eustatius lies between Saba and Saint Kitts, separated from these islands by a shallow sea. The only city and capital of Sint Eustatius is Oranjestad. Since 2010, Sint Eustatius has been a special municipality, with the island council as the highest governing body responsible for local legislation. The executive power lies with the island commissioners appointed by the island council, chaired by the governor. About 3,000 people live on Sint Eustatius, and the island’s official language is English.

Sint Eustatius is dominated by the dormant volcano The Quill (601 meters) in the southeast and a 200,000-year-old extinct volcanic area in the north around the hill Bergje (223 meters). There are three national parks on the island: Quill/Boven National Park, Statia National Marine Park, and Miriam Schmidt Botanical Garden.

Butterflies belong to an order of winged insects, with approximately 160,000 described species in total. The collective name is Lepidoptera. This word comes from Greek, where ‘lepis’ means scale and ‘ptera’ means wings. The literal translation is therefore ‘scale-winged.’ Indeed, the wings of butterflies are covered with scales that absorb light in various ways, creating visible colours and patterns.

Of all the butterfly species in the world, about 265 are found in the Caribbean Netherlands, with nearly 30 day-flying butterflies on Sint Eustatius (both permanent residents and occasional visitors). The large number of yellow butterflies on the island is particularly striking, including the Small Sulphur and the Cloudless Sulphur. The latter has its own stamp in the Experience Nature – Butterflies of Sint Eustatius issue. From the family of brush-footed butterflies, the Zebra Longwing stands out, gliding through the area around the volcano The Quill. Another brush-footed butterfly is the Painted Lady, with its orange-brown colour pattern with black and white spots on the forewings and, of course, its preference for thistles. Another remarkable species from the tropical forest area is the Red Rim, while the Tropical Buckeye, with its striking peacock-like eyes, is a more common species on the island. The Florida Leafwing is a striking butterfly in flight but blends completely into its surroundings when at rest, making it difficult to spot among the leaves.

The stamp sheet Experience Nature – butterflies of Sint Eustatius is designed by graphic designer Frank Janse from Gouda. The sheet features all the butterflies portrayed in their natural environment, each on its own stamp. The butterflies include: Caribbean Blue, Painted Lady, Manuel’s Skipper, Long-tailed Skipper, Cloudless Sulphur, Lime Swallowtail, Tropical Buckeye, Banded Yellow, Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak, and Florida Leafwing.

Technical Specifications:

Stamp Size: 40 x 30 mm
Sheet Size: 122 x 170 mm
Paper: Normal with phosphor coating
Gumming: Self-adhesive
Printing Technique: Offset
Print Colours: Cyan, magenta, yellow, and black
Edition: 275,000 sheets
Format: Sheet of 10 stamps in 10 different designs
Denomination: 1 for mail up to 20 grams within the Netherlands
Design: Frank Janse, Gouda
Photography: Alamy, Dreamstime, Shutterstock, and Wikimedia Commons (Francisco Farriols Sarabia and Charles J. Sharp)
Printer: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Item Number: 450361

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.

Collectors may also wish to contact the U.S. firm Bombay Stamps, which can also obtain first day covers upon request, with lower shipping fees. The email is sales@bombaystamps.com Again, The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

[from PostNL press materials] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Experience Nature – Birds of Sint Eustatius

Issue date: 2 January 2025
Appearance: Sheet of 10 stamps in 10 different designs, each with denomination 1 for mail weighing up to 20 grams sent within the Netherlands
Item number: 450162
Design: Frank Janse, Gouda
Photography: Alamy, Dreamstime, Shutterstock, and Wikimedia Commons

The Experience Nature – Birds of Sint Eustatius stamp sheet features 10 different designs. The stamps are denominated 1, for mail weighing up to 20 grams sent within the Netherlands. The price of a sheet with 10 stamps is €12.10.

This stamp sheet is part of the multi-year Experience Nature series, dedicated to the biodiversity of the Caribbean Netherlands during 2024-2026. Each year, four stamp sheets will be issued, each with 10 different stamps. These stamps feature plants and animals found in this part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This region boasts remarkable biodiversity, with thousands of plant andanimal species. In 2025, the stamps will focus on the island’s birds, butterflies, underwater world, and flora. The Experience Nature – Birds of Sint Eustatius stamps highlight the following birds: merlin, laughing gull, indigo bunting, lesser Antillean bullfinch, semipalmated plover, green heron, purple-throated carib, royal tern, American oystercatcher, and northern parula.

Sint Eustatius, also known as locally as “Statia,” is an island of approximately 8 square miles. “Sint” means “Saint” in Dutch.

Like Bonaire and Saba, the island of Sint Eustatius holds a special status within the Netherlands. These three islands are collectively referred to as the Caribbean Netherlands. Along with Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten, they make up the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Known locally as Statia, Sint Eustatius is one of the Leeward Islands, referring to their position relative to the prevailing northeastern trade winds. The island lies between Saba and Saint Kitts and is separated from them by shallow seas. Its sole town and capital is Oranjestad. Since 2010, Sint Eustatius has been a special municipality, governed by an island council, which is responsible for local legislation, with executive power held by island commissioners appointed by the council and overseen by the island governor.

Sint Eustatius has a population of around 3,000 people, and the official language is English. The island is dominated by the dormant volcano The Quill (601 metres) in the southeast and the extinct volcanic area surrounding Bergje hill (223 metres) in the north. It boasts three national parks: Quill/Boven National Park, Statia National Marine Park, and the Miriam Schmidt Botanical Garden.

Sint Eustatius is a haven for bird enthusiasts, with a rich diversity of species. According to Bird Checklists of the World (2022), 123 different bird species have been recorded on the island, including approximately 30 breeding species. Among the island’s remarkable avian residents is the smallest bird in the Kingdom of the Netherlands: the Antillean crested hummingbird. Another notable resident, shared with nearby Saba, is the red-billed tropicbird. These islands are home to 40% of the world’s 8,000 breeding pairs of this species. Known for its striking red bill and long tail, this seabird nests on the cliffs and rocks of the islands’ coasts. The red-billed tropicbird is the only seabird that breeds on Sint Eustatius. Bird conservation efforts on the island are supported by Vogelbescherming Nederland (BirdLife Netherlands) through collaboration with local organisations and the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance. Initiatives include projects aimed at preventing nest predation by rats and feral cats, and protecting the endangered bridled quail-dove.

The stamp sheet was designed by Frank Janse from Gouda. Each bird is portrayed in its natural habitat on its own stamp. He has previously designed the earlier entries in the Experience Nature series starting in 2018. In 2024, Janse designed the stamp sheet and stamps featuring the Regalia of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 24-karat gold, and in 2023, the Holland America Line 150 years, Girl with a Pearl Earring, and Juliana’s Inauguration 1948 stamps, also in 24-karat gold.

All the bird photos are integrated into a graphic design of circular shapes, which also appear on the sheet’s border. In some instances, the image extends onto the adjacent stamp and the border. Janse has also added graphic elements at various points on the stamp sheet, inspired by symbols found on old topographic maps, such as representations of landscape forms, contour lines, vegetation, soil structures, and watercourses.

Technical Specifications:

Stamp size: 40 x 30 mm
Sheet size: 122 x 170 mm
Paper: Normal with phosphor print
Gumming: Self-adhesive
Printing technique: Offset
Printing colours: Cyan, magenta, yellow, and black
Print run: 275,000 sheets
Appearance: Sheet of 10 stamps in 10 different designs
Design: Frank Janse, Gouda
Photography: Alamy, Dreamstime, Shutterstock, and Wikimedia Commons
Printing company: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Item number: 450162

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.

Collectors may also wish to contact the U.S. firm Bombay Stamps, which can also obtain first day covers upon request, with lower shipping fees. The email is sales@bombaystamps.com Again, The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

[from press materials] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
PostNL celebrates 750 years of Amsterdam with special stamp sheet

PostNL is celebrating Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary with a special stamp sheet. The stamp sheet contains five unique stamps designed by Michiel Schuurman, who was born and raised in Amsterdam. The stamps reflect the rich past and festive atmosphere of the capital, which will celebrate its anniversary from 27 October 2024 to 27 October 2025.

Summary:
Issue: Amsterdam 750 Years
Issue date: 2 January 2025
Appearance: Sheet of 5 special stamps in 5 different designs, each with a denomination of 1 for mail up to 20 grams sent within the Netherlands
Item number: 450161
Design: Michiel Schuurman, Amsterdam

Special design
The stamps show the number 750 in the form of a continuous ribbon, a playful reference to the city’s official anniversary banner. Each design has its own colour scheme, inspired by the diversity and vibrancy of Amsterdam. The typical Amsterdam St. Andrew’s crosses and serpentines add extra recognisability. “With this special stamp sheet, we are not only honouring the past, but also celebrating the future of Amsterdam,” says Maurice Unck, Director of Mail Netherlands at PostNL. “As the capital, Amsterdam has a unique place in our country and in the hearts of many. PostNL is proud to contribute to this festive milestone with this design.”

The Amsterdam 750 years stamp sheet was designed by Michiel Schuurman, a graphic designer from Amsterdam. Schuurman not only lives and works in the capital but was also born and raised there.

He describes the topic of Amsterdam 750 Years as vast, in every sense. “Big and grand. Both the city itself and its history and culture,” he said. “How do you summarise 750 years of city life? You’d need at least an entire book.”

“In true Amsterdam fashion, the stamps are boldly large,” he added. “They have that big-city attitude.”

750 years of history in a nutshell
The history of Amsterdam dates back to 1275, when Count Floris V granted the residents of ‘Amestelledamme’ freedom to pay tolls. In the centuries that followed, Amsterdam grew into a global city with a rich trading history and iconic urban expansions, such as the famous canal belt. Sietse Bakker, program director Amsterdam 750; ‘During our anniversary year Amsterdam 750, we celebrate the resilience, creativity and diversity of our city on its anniversary. These stamps are a beautiful symbol of the solidarity of Amsterdammers and all Dutch people in our past, present and future!

About the designer
In recent years, Schuurman has worked on projects for Amsterdam Roots (festival organisation), Block C (gallery), Lush Netherlands (cosmetics), The New Institute (cultural centre), Nike (fashion), Vlisco (textiles), De Volkskrant (newspaper), and Ymere (housing corporation). In addition to his design work, Schuurman teaches at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. For PostNL, Schuurman previously designed the stamp sheet “Gewoontjes” [“Ordinary”] (2019).

Availability
The stamp sheet ‘Amsterdam 750 years’ contains 5 stamps 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 2 January 2025 at Bruna stores and via the PostNL webshop. The stamps can also be ordered by telephone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number 088 – 868 99 00. The validity period is indefinite. The price per sheet with 5 stamps is € 6.05.

Technical Data
Stamp size: 61.89 x 29.89 mm
Sheet size: 144 x 150 mm
Paper: normal with phosphor coating
Gumming: self-adhesive
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black
Print run: 115,000 sheets
Appearance: sheet of 5 stamps in 5 different designs
Denomination: 1 for mail up to 20 grams within the Netherlands
Design: Michiel Schuurman, Amsterdam
Printing company: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Item number: 450161