End of November, Swiss Post will launch the "Swiss Crypto Stamp", the first crypto stamp in Switzerland. It is a digital representation for a physical stamp and will be issued on the Polygon Blockchain. This marks a milestone in Swiss stamp history.
The crypto stamp consists of two parts. First, it is a physical stamp worth 8.90 francs. Second, each crypto stamp contains a digital image associated with it. The digital image shows one of 13 possible subjects, and can be collected, exchanged and traded online. With the Swiss Crypto Stamp, Swiss Post is also building a bridge between the physical and digital worlds in philately.
Update 25.11.2021: The high demand for Swiss Crypto Stamps paralyzed the website of the Swiss Post, all stamps were sold out within a few hours.
A milestone in Swiss stamp history
In 1843, Switzerland became the second country ever to introduce stamps; the United Kingdom was the first in 1840. Every year, the Swiss Post issues around 50 different new stamps. Stamps with different subjects, made of different materials, even in different shapes and, in November 2021, of the digital kind. The Swiss Crypto Stamp is a milestone in Swiss stamp history. It is the first crypto stamp in Switzerland. Swiss Post is thus building a bridge from the physical stamp world to the digital crypto universe.
At first glance, the Swiss Crypto Stamp looks like a conventional stamp. It is self-adhesive, shows the Matterhorn and the moon on a blue background and has a face value of 8.90 Swiss francs. Like any other stamp, the owner can use it to frank mail items. However, the actual crypto stamp is digital. It is a digital collector's item. This is because each physical Swiss Crypto Stamp is access to a digital stamp stored in a blockchain.
Digital stamps for collecting, exchanging and trading
Anyone who buys a Swiss Crypto Stamp does not yet know at the time of purchase which digital subject is associated with it. Buyers can first uncover the digital twin of the physical stamp online. This is done via a QR code printed next to the physical stamp. If someone scans this code, they can view their digital crypto stamp online. The special thing about it is that the digital crypto stamps are available in 13 different designs. There are subjects that are common, but also subjects that are much rarer and therefore more desirable. There are 65,000 of the most common digital subject, but just 50 of the rarest one. So it's obvious: with the Swiss Crypto Stamp, stamp collecting, exchanging and trading will also become digital.
The Swiss Crypto Stamp will be published on November 25th 2021, in an edition of 175,000 copies. It will be available and can be ordered from this date in selected post offices and online in the Post shop. Switzerland is not the first country to experiment with blockchain technology to offer digital stamp collectibles. The Austrian Post has already integrated NFC chips into the third issue of its limited-edition NFT collectible stamp series in June.
