Austrian Post ushers in the future of digital stamp collection via blockchain technology

Austrian Post, the national postal service of Austria, has announced that it will launch a unique product – Crypto stamp art (CSA) powered by the Ethereum blockchain. This is no surprise, as the Austrian Post has always been an active player in the blockchain space and has even sold out a couple of variants of crypto stamps since 2019. However, the previously sold crypto stamps were exclusively physical stamps combined with their digital equivalents. (twin).

The stamp collection is a modern reinterpretation of Merkur newspaper stamps from 1851. On 1 July 2022, the associated special stamp block was released. 2,500 CSA Mystery Boxes will be available for purchase. The CSA Mystery Boxes with four NFTs will be available exclusively on Tokapi.com starting July 22nd, priced at €500 per box.

This exclusive art card is a limited edition trading card with various security features and an NFC chip. It can also be split in half. The right side has an artwork, while the left side acts as a standard stamp.

Each digital mystery box comes with four non-fungible tokens (NFTs), a special stamp block and a physical trading card called a special art stamp. Each NFT has different color values ​​that are distributed with increasing rarity.

The various rarities are:

Red: 100 issues | 1% rarity.
Yellow: 1000 issues | 10% rarity.
Blue: 3000 issues | 30% rarity.
Rose: 5896 issues | 58.96% rarity.
Purple/green/turquoise/Friedrich: 1 issue each | 0.01% rarity.

It should also be noted that only those who purchase the mystery boxes will receive an exclusive physical art stamp.

Classic stamps bridge the gap between the traditional and digital worlds

The original series was available in four color variants. Unfortunately, only a few examples of the red mercury remain today, making it one of Europe’s rarest stamps and Austria’s most valuable.

The original stamps were designed in the nineteenth century by Josef Anxmann, a copper engraver. The new 2022 edition was designed by Encode Graphics in collaboration with Ari Pratama and PR1MAL CYPHER, a well-known Austrian digital artist and NFT expert. The new special stamp block, worth €3.70, was printed 150,000 times. It is available at all post offices and online at onlineshop.post.at.

There is more to come for crypto stamp art

This edition kicks off the newly developed Crypto stamp art project. It is a digital collectible with a physical counterpart, but the emphasis is on collecting digital works of art and collaborating with NFT greats.

Austrian Post is betting on new interpretations and has already attracted other internationally recognized artists who will participate in future Crypto stamp art editions.

Patricia Liebermann, head of philately for Austrian Post AG, states in support of the upcoming launch event: “There has been a generational change in collecting. Younger people are using NFTs to make digital collectibles truly valuable and unique. It is the perfect opportunity for us to bridge the gap between physical and digital collecting with Crypto stamp art that speaks to all generations.”

Tokapi CEO Daniel Lenikus commented on the partnership with Austrian Post:

“Blockchain is changing the world at an even faster pace than the internet did, usually adding significant complexity. We are removing these barriers. NFTs should be an inclusive technology for everyone to use and not limited to a select few with extensive blockchain knowledge. At Tokapi we offer the easiest way for collectors to buy digital assets, helping to onboard a new wave of collectors.”

About Austrian Post

Austrian Post AG is the leading postal, logistics and service provider in Austria, with over 20,000 employees. Every day, the company focuses on delivering at the highest quality level and offers a diverse product and service portfolio to meet customers’ needs as best as possible.

Furthermore, the top logistics company divides its operations into three divisions: mail, parcel, logistics and retail and banking. It also has a global presence, particularly in Germany, Turkey and other Central and Eastern European countries.