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Postal History
Faeroese Postal History
Hungarian Hyperinflation
Soviet-Lithuania
1947-90
Encased Stamps
Dutch Silver Stamp
A Jewel on a Stamp
TPG Post
Azad
Hind
Christmas Island
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Kaulbach Island
Canadian Nat. Symbols
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St. Zeno
St.
George
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Messages
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Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
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Bjørn Wiinblad
Tordenskiold
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On 25th September 2001 The Netherlands issued a very
interesting stamp, made of a thin piece of solid silver, and minted
(not printed) by the Royal Dutch Mint in Utrecht. The stamp is
self-adhesive. It has the face value of 12,75 Guilders and is
intended for registered mail. It is the first time ever this
stamp minting technique has been applied. As the Netherlands converted to the Euro by January
2002, it is also the last Dutch stamp issued in Guilders, and neither
is it combined with the Euro.
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The Dutch PTT had announced that the only possibility
to obtain such a stamp in cancelled condition was to send a
self-addressed envelope to a stamp club in Groningen (Holland), that
would then take care of proper cancellation, because the stamp could
be severely damaged by the post office's cancel.
After cancellation the envelope would be sent to you
by the club, but that would, of course, not be a real postally used
item.
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As the stamp is intended for registered mail, the precaution
taken by Dutch PTT simply did not sound right, so a friend of mine decided to
send me a registered letter carrying the stamp. Inside the envelope my
friend had included a mint copy of the stamp.
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On 1st October my friend went to the post office to
have her letter cancelled, but due to the warning already given, the
window clerk totally refused to cancel the stamp !!
My
friend had to go to another post office to have stamp hand cancelled,
and she succeeded in having a very faint cancellation as shown above.
With a little bit of good will, clean glasses and a magnifier it is
possible to read the date as 01.X.2001.
At any rate the letter
arrived safe and sound in Denmark on 4th October, nicely wrapped up in
a cellophane bag to protect the stamp from damages.
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The rumors about this stamp must have reached Denmark in
advance, because the mail man delivering the letter with shaky hands and gloves
on to protect it further from being crushed or dirty, asked in a trembling and
excited voice if he could have the stamp for his own collection !!!
For good luck my husband, who received the letter in my absence, had enough
presence of mind to say "No !" ...
So the Dutch stamp, intended for registered mail, but which the
post office refused to cancel, is now finally in my possession, both mint and
postally used. Certainly a dignified good-bye to Dutch stamps denominated
in Guilders.
Technical data:
| Size: 21 x 25 mm |
Product: minted stamp |
| Thickness: 0,1 mm |
Mint Run: 1 million stamps |
| Material: silver.999 |
Designer: Rutger Fuchs, Amsterdam |
| Gum: self-adhesive |
Minting: Royal Dutch Mint, Utrecht |
A number of people have asked me how to protect this stamp from
being tarnished by oxygen. If you possess a commercially used stamp on
cover the only way to protect it is to wrap the cover carefully in plastic film
and keep it "sealed" that way. You cannot polish the stamp with
silver cleaner, because that will remove the cancellation; even rubbing your
fingers over the stamp will remove the cancellation. The mint stamp can simply
be rubbed with your fingers to keep it clean.
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