What will stamp collectors see next?
By By Walter Kerber on November 20, 2020.
I have seen a lot of odd stamps from countries that take advantage of us collectors to fatten their countries’ coffers. There are lots of ideas from puffy sticker types to 3-D stamps, not that Canada Post hasn’t taken part in that. In this day and with the COVID-19 pandemic, times are tough all over the world.
My Austrian collection has grown over the years. My cousin sent me a couple of Doyle stamps from Austria. When I called him to thank him, I also mentioned the Dirndl and Lederhosen stamps, to which he replied, “I’ve got to find those,” and so he did.
One of our members noticed an announcement for another stamp printed on authentic material for 2020. This one needs special attention because if on a letter, you don’t want to soak it off. Since the pandemic started there were certain shortages around the world, so the Austrian postal service decided to print this stamp on actual toilet paper
The stamp was inspired by the panic-buying of toilet paper when COVID-19 first hit Europe in the spring. It shows a baby elephant, a symbol which has encouraged citizens to keep their distance during the pandemic. The stamp shows a drawing of a baby elephant to indicate the one-metre physical distancing advice used in Austria The national delivery service said it got the idea for the three-layered stamp when hygienic products, in particular toilet paper, became a symbol for panic-buying. The splurges were sparked by lockdowns implemented to curb infections as the pandemic took hold across Europe earlier this year.
The national delivery service said it got the idea for the three-layered stamp when hygienic products, in particular toilet paper, became a symbol for panic-buying. The splurges were sparked by lockdowns implemented to curb infections as the pandemic took hold across Europe earlier this year.
The stamps, which can be torn off the stamp block along a perforated line just like toilet paper, come complete with a self-adhesive foil, and retail at €2.75 (around $3.25), Austria Post said in a statement.
The postal service was scheduled to release 300,000 stamps on Oct. 30, and for each block sold, €2.75 will be donated to charity, Austria Post said in a statement.
Austria has also issued stamps with fabric, lace, leather, porcelain, felt and even glass. They weren’t worried about breakages.
Walter Kerber is a longtime member of the Lethbridge Philatelic Society
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