PRESS RELEASE. Austrian Post, the national postal service of Austria, has announced the launch of its latest product called Crypto stamp art (CSA), which is based on the Ethereum blockchain. The shift to focus on going digital first is significant, since Austrian Post is a major player in the blockchain industry and have successfully sold out several iterations of Crypto stamps since 2019. Previous generations of Crypto stamps, however, mostly centered the sale around the physical stamp which was accompanied by its digital twin.
The launch of the CSA is planned on July 22, 2022, after releasing the associated physical special stamp block on July 1. Collectors can purchase 2,500 CSA Mystery Boxes exclusively on tokapi.com.
Each digital mystery box contains 4 non-fungible tokens (NFTs), a special stamp block and a physical trading card, known as a special art stamp. Each NFT has colour values distributed with different frequencies with increasing rarity.
Rarities include:
Red: 100 editions | 1% rarity.
Yellow: 1000 editions | 10% rarity.
Blue: 3000 editions | 30% rarity.
Rose: 5896 editions | 58.96% rarity.
Purple/Green/Turquoise/Friedrich: 1 edition each | 0.01% rarity.
It is important to note that only buyers of the mystery boxes will receive an exclusive physical art stamp after purchase.
What makes the unique art stamp so special?
This exclusive art card is a strictly limited trading card that is equipped with various security features and an NFC chip. Additionally, it can be broken in the middle. The right side shows an artwork imprint, while the left side can be used as a conventional stamp.
Bridging the gap between the traditional and digital world with classic stamps
The first edition of the CSA is a modern reinterpretation of the Merkur newspaper stamps from 1851.The original series appeared in four colour values. Unfortunately, only very few specimens of the Red Mercury remain today, making it one of the rarest stamps in Europe and by far the most valuable stamp in Austria.
Josef Anxmann, a copper engraver, designed the original stamps in the 19th century. Encode Graphics together with Ari Pratama and PR1MAL CYPHER, a famous Austrian digital artist and NFT expert, designed the new edition in 2022. The new special stamp block with a nominal value of 3.70 euros was issued 150,000 times. It is available in all post offices, under onlineshop.post.at
To drive the adoption of NFTs in Austria and worldwide, the Austrian Post will give away the special stamp block free of charge to buyers of the CSA Mystery Boxes. Furthermore, every box comes with four NFT collectibles and a limited edition special art stamp.
The CSA Mystery Boxes will be available exclusively on Tokapi.com for 500 euros per box from July 22. You do not need to be a blockchain expert to participate in the drop. Tokapi makes it easy for you to use your credit card or perform an instant transfer and does not require you to create a cryptocurrency wallet.
Crypto stamp art is just the start
This edition marks the beginning of the newly developed Crypto stamp art project. It forms a digital collector’s item with a physical counterpart, but the focus is on collecting digital works of art and collaborating with greats from the NFT scene.
Austrian Post is betting on new interpretations and has already been able to attract other internationally renowned artists who will implement future editions of Crypto stamp art.
In support of the upcoming launching event, Patricia Liebermann, Head of Philately for Austrian Post AG, states: “There has been a generational shift 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 the Crypto stamp art that speaks to all generations.”
Daniel Lenikus, CEO of Tokapi, commented the partnership with Austrian Post:
“Blockchain is changing the world at an even faster pace than the internet did and typically adds significant complexity. We are removing those 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 provide the easiest way for collectors to buy digital assets, and thus help onboarding a new wave of collectors.”
About Austrian Post
Austrian Post AG is the leading postal, logistics and service provider central to Austria’s economy, with over 20,000 employees. The company focuses on delivering at the highest quality every day and offers a comprehensive product and service portfolio to best match its customer’s needs.
In addition, the top logistics company groups its operations into three divisions: Mail, Parcel & Logistics and Retail & Bank. It also has an international presence, especially in Germany, Turkey and other countries in central and eastern Europe.
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