A proud moment? Absolutely! It’s like a special occasion when you post a letter with a stamp you have created yourself. The letter is to Grandma and the stamp is bound to bring her pleasure – it’s a photo of her new grandchild. Children are one of the most popular subjects for personalised stamps.
Personalised stamps have proved a success all over the world. They first appeared at the end of the 1990s, initially as perforated labels with no denomination or country name, but have since been given the status of stamps. Norway launched them in 2006 with immediate success. Orders poured in, and continue to do do. Norway Post has so far delivered one million personalised stamps. The photos that are sent in demonstrate creativity as well as skill with a digital camera. Children, bridal couples and pets top the list of subjects.
The use of personalised stamps is not restricted to the general public. Norway Post’s corporate customers use stamps to promote their company and organizations mark anniversaries on stamps. Tourist destinations have also discovered their possibilities. Last summer, tourists queued up for stamps in Geiranger, on the coastal steamers, at the North Cape and at the Polar Circle Centre. Beautiful subjects, popular stamps!
Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis) has been chosen as the standard subject for this issue. It grows on rich, chalky soil in both coniferous and deciduous forests. Hepatica was long an endangered species in Norway, but care in picking it has probably saved it from extinction. Perhaps Norway Post’s choice of subject will inspire other people to create their own flower stamps. Time will show.
Subject: Hepatica
Design: Enzo Finger
Photo: Tom Schandy / NN / Samfoto
Value: NOK 8.00 (A-Priority, domestic) No. per booklet: 8
Printing: Standard subject and frame: 5-colour offset by Cartor, France.
Sales prices:
First day cover: NOK 12.00
Presentation pack: NOK 38.00
Collector’s set: NOK 54.00
Collector’s sheet:
NOK 52.00