The digital revolution in philately. Polish Post presents the first Cryptostamp.
The Polish Post Office has launched its first Cryptostamps. Traditional philately is moving online and becoming possible online, on the blockchain, transforming NFT tokens into digital collectibles. One of the new stamps was designed by artificial intelligence.
The first Polish edition of the Cryptostamp, in four unique versions, references the traditional coins introduced into circulation in December 2022. They can be purchased at post offices nationwide starting February 14th. Cryptostamps are also available for sale in Poczta Polska's online philatelic store.
"The Cryptostamp is an expression of our commitment to the traditional role of the postal service and our openness to developments in the NFT field, which Polish and international organizations are successfully leveraging to enhance their offerings. Poczta Polska is a company that most of us associate with tradition and a rich, nearly five-century-long history. However, times are changing, and we are moving with the times. We are adapting our operations to the realities of a digitalizing world, as reflected, for example, in the Kryptostamp project, " says Krzysztof Falkowski, CEO of Poczta Polska.
"We see the Cryptostamps issue as an innovative way to promote philately, especially among those who prefer more modern forms of entertainment. Our smartphones allow us to handle more and more everyday matters, and thanks to the development of digital collecting, they can replace, for example, traditional stamp albums. We are opening up to younger customers who are aware of technological innovations and follow new trends. The enormous interest in our project demonstrates that this is a good decision and the right direction for change, " adds Wiesław Włodek, Vice President of Poczta Polska.
What is a Cryptostamp?
A crypto stamp is a traditional postage stamp, attached to a label with the public wallet address and the wallet's private key phrase, which contains the Crypto Stamp NFT token. Poczta Polska has issued four categories of crypto stamps related to the December "Poland in Space" issue, as well as an additional stamp exclusively in the form of an NFT token.
Collectors can store the traditional version of the Cryptostamp in a binder, while the digital version can be stored in a crypto-clasper. When the stamp is linked to a dedicated paper wallet, purchasing it no longer incurs any additional transaction costs on the blockchain network.
Interestingly, an additional stamp, exclusively in the form of an NFT token, was designed for the first time by artificial intelligence. The image used to design the stamp is an interpretation of the slogan "Polish scientific satellite exploring space." The crypto stamp depicts a computer neural network, a completely synthetic data processing system modeled on the functioning of the human brain. The resulting graphic effect was further enhanced by human intervention to better adapt it to human perception and the stamp's form.
The Polish Cryptostamp collection also includes digital Philatelic Thalers, which are a special type of NFT tokens that enable preferential purchase or exchange for a digital version of the Category 5 Cryptostamp (NFT).
The physical version of the Cryptostamps of categories 1–4 can be purchased at selected Polish Post offices and on the website filatelistyka.poczta-polska.pl , and then the digital version can be "activated" on nft.poczta-polska.pl/. The digital version of the Cryptostamp can be purchased on the website nft.poczta-polska.pl.
The partners of the issue are the Polish Space Agency and the Polish Security Printing Works. Roch Stefaniak designed all the stamps, based on graphics by Bartosz Morawski. The technical solution was designed and implemented in collaboration with ArchXS Dariusz Tyszka.
About stamps:
CATEGORY 1 EARTHCARE Colors: 4+0 CMYK + InkJet (personalization)
Circulation: 100,000 pcs.
Stamp face value: PLN 3.90
Folder price: PLN 18.50
EarthCARE is an Earth observation mission organized by the European Space Agency in cooperation with the Japan Space Agency and the Japanese National Institute of Information and Communications Technology.
CATEGORY 2 BRITE Colors: 4 + 0 CMYK + metallic paint + InkJet (personalization)
Circulation: 50,000 pcs.
Stamp face value: PLN 3.90
Folder price: PLN 30.80
The BRITE-PL mission is part of a Canadian-Austrian-Polish project. The mission resulted in the creation of two Polish satellites: Lem and Heweliusz.
CATEGORY 3 PROBA-3 Colors: 4+0 CMYK + metallic paint + UV paint + InkJet (personalization)
Circulation: 20,000 pcs.
Stamp face value: PLN 3.90
Folder price: PLN 61.50
The PROBA mission is a European Space Agency program demonstrating satellite platform and payload technologies in orbit.
CATEGORY 4 OPS-SAT Colors: 4+0 CMYK + metallic ink + UV ink + microtext in visible ink + InkJet (personalization)
Circulation: 5,000 pcs.
Stamp face value: PLN 3.90
Folder price: PLN 123.00
OPS-SAT is the first mission of the European Satellite Operations Centre (ESOC) performed on a CubeSat satellite, and its main goal is to test new standards for data exchange between the satellite and the ground segment.