As the popularity of “snail mail” dwindles in our digital age, it seems sadly plausible that some people today have never used a postage stamp. And that’s a pity.

Postage stamps of the world tell fascinating stories. And stamps—like the design of paper currency noted in an OIC Moments story last month—reveal much about a country’s cultural heritage and traditions.

Postal services have exploded with creativity to offer stamps that people look forward to adding to their letters and cards—like an artistic bow on a heartfelt package.

These tiny works of art and historical significance also generate revenue and inspire collectors who value the documentation of a country’s artistic style, heroes, leaders, icons, symbols, natural and manmade treasures, national brand, hobbies, holiday themes, and important moments—as well as creative ingenuity.

As The Philatelic Database says in their mission statement, postage stamps are a pictorial history of human progress.

The Penny Black . . . And Beyond

Stamps come in all shapes and sizes, all colors, all materials, and often push the boundaries of media, with offerings that are holograms, tiny phonograph records, CD-ROMs, and motionstamps.

Who would have imagined that when the first stamp—The Penny Black—was invented in the U.K. in 1840, stamps would become a true art form.

It should also be noted that, because of the innovation and elegance of The Penny Black and the popularity of sending a message for only one penny, this original stamp set in motion a significant increase in people sending messages by mail.

The most interesting thing about a postage stamp is the persistence with which it sticks to its job.
—Napoleon Hill

While this quote is meant to inspire sticking with any job until its done, it is an apt use of the postage stamp as a central idea. Stamps get a letter, card, or package from one end of the planet to the other, for not much money in the grand scheme of things.

Who Nose What’s Next

Over the years, the postal path has been filled with interesting smells. Many countries issue flora-scented stamps.

Bhutan created the first scented stamp in 1973—a series of rose stamps infused with rose essence. India has jasmine- and sandalwood-scented stamps. South Korea issued a set of four endangered flowers that smelled of violets.

And Germany, known for its scented stamps, has a popular series featuring fruit (strawberry, apple, lemon, and blueberry).

Often, a country issues a scented stamp that tells a cultural or commemorative story. Switzerland has a chocolate-scented stamp. Brazil promotes its coffee trade with a stamp that wafts the aroma of fresh brewed coffee. A Hong Kong stamp series emits the subtle fragrance of jasmine tea.

The U.K issued a healing eucalyptus-scented stamp in honor of its medical Nobel Prize in 2001. And China issued a sweet-and-sour-pork infused stamp for the Year of the Pig in 2007.

The U.S.—a little slow to the world scented-stamp stage—just issued its first scratch-and-sniff stamp this year. The popsicle series smells like the frozen treats of summer. (I get notes of sweet red fruit and a hint of pink cotton candy on the finish.)

Sometimes, it’s not all chocolate and roses. Brazil issued a set of stamps in 1999 with the smell of burnt wood to remind people of the risk of forest fires and deforestation to the environment.

A Stamp-ede of Creativity

Bhutan seems to lead the pack for its originality and series of “firsts.” As a small country in need of revenue, there was a royal push for stamps that would interest the world of philately. With the help of American Burt Todd, the Bhutan Stamp Agency was founded.

The agency started conventionally with the Bhutanese royal crest, a yak, a monastery, and a soldier from the royal bodyguard force.

Their artistry began to bloom as they created the first scented stamp (the aforementioned roses), stamps printed on silk and steel, and, finally, stamps that also served as tiny phonograph records, playing the Bhutanese national anthem and traditional folk songs.

Most recently, stamps have been produced that are CD-ROMs presenting a history of the country.

Austria has also been innovative in its postal approach. The country created an embroidered stamp, a stamp made out of soccer ball material to commemorate a 2008 UEFA soccer tournament, a stamp of a crystal swan with actual crystal particles attached, and a stamp picturing a meteorite that actually has embedded particles of meteorite dust (promoted as “mail from another world”).

Malaysia has a series of stamps featuring its exotic nocturnal animals. Their eyes glow in the dark. Finland also has a glow-in-the-dark series celebrating its lighthouses.

Canada honors it culture with a range of offerings—from a stamp with its national symbol, the maple leaf, to a motionstamp showing their ice hockey heroes scoring goals via lenticular magic.

The Netherlands has a stamp with hidden flower seeds. And Portugal, the world’s leading manufacturer of cork, promotes its product with stamps made entirely of cork (each one unique because of the nature of the material).

Postal Poetry

The “Oh, I see” moment in the postage stamp world reflects Einstein’s sentiment. The creation of postage stamps thrives on artistic imagination that has no limits.

The Penny Black was elegant . . . and perfect for the cultural heritage and traditions of the time. However, we’ve come a long way since that innovative moment. There are no boundaries.

I imagine we will continue to be surprised by the artistry of postage stamps . . . and the stories they tell. And, hopefully, we will continue to send letters and cards to friends and family all over the world.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

$\"Giant$

What does a postage stamp say about its country?
\u00a9 Gingwa\/iStock<\/p><\/div>\n

Cultural Heritage and Traditions of the Mighty (Yet Tiny) Postage Stamp<\/h2>\n
As the popularity of \u201csnail mail\u201d dwindles in our digital age, it seems sadly plausible that some people today have never used a postage stamp. And that\u2019s a pity.<\/p>\n
Postage stamps of the world tell fascinating stories. And stamps\u2014like the design of paper currency noted in an OIC Moments story<\/a> last month\u2014reveal much about a country\u2019s cultural heritage and traditions.<\/p>\n
Postal services have exploded with creativity to offer stamps that people look forward to adding to their letters and cards\u2014like an artistic bow on a heartfelt package.<\/p>\n
$\"Chinese$
Chinese postage stamp artistry
\u00a9 zjzpp163\/iStock<\/p><\/div>\n
These tiny works of art and historical significance also generate revenue and inspire collectors who value the documentation of a country\u2019s artistic style, heroes, leaders, icons, symbols, natural and manmade treasures, national brand, hobbies, holiday themes, and important moments\u2014as well as creative ingenuity.<\/p>\n
As The Philatelic Database says in their mission statement, postage stamps are a pictorial history of human progress.<\/p>\n
$\"As$
A panoramic set of stamps showing the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence
Photo by DMT<\/p><\/div>\n
The Penny Black . . . And Beyond<\/h4>\n
Stamps come in all shapes and sizes, all colors, all materials, and often push the boundaries of media, with offerings that are holograms, tiny phonograph records, CD-ROMs, and motionstamps.<\/p>\n
Who would have imagined that when the first stamp\u2014The Penny Black\u2014was invented in the U.K. in 1840, stamps would become a true art form.<\/p>\n
$\"The$
The first postage stamp\u2014The Penny Black
(Image in Public Domain)<\/p><\/div>\n
It should also be noted that, because of the innovation and elegance of The Penny Black and the popularity of sending a message for only one penny, this original stamp set in motion a significant increase in people sending messages by mail.<\/p>\n
The most interesting thing about a postage stamp is the persistence with which it sticks to its job.<\/em>
\n\u2014Napoleon Hill<\/p>\n
While this quote is meant to inspire sticking with any job until its done, it is an apt use of the postage stamp as a central idea. Stamps get a letter, card, or package from one end of the planet to the other, for not much money in the grand scheme of things.<\/p>\n
$\"Two$
Native flora and fauna are a common postage stamp theme.
Photo by DMT<\/p><\/div>\n
Who Nose What\u2019s Next<\/h4>\n
Over the years, the postal path has been filled with interesting smells. Many countries issue flora-scented stamps.<\/p>\n
Bhutan created the first scented stamp in 1973\u2014a series of rose stamps infused with rose essence. India has jasmine- and sandalwood-scented stamps. South Korea issued a set of four endangered flowers that smelled of violets.<\/p>\n
$\"German$
The German strawberry-scented postage stamp<\/p><\/div>\n
And Germany, known for its scented stamps, has a popular series featuring fruit (strawberry, apple, lemon, and blueberry).<\/p>\n
Often, a country issues a scented stamp that tells a cultural or commemorative story. Switzerland has a chocolate-scented stamp. Brazil promotes its coffee trade with a stamp that wafts the aroma of fresh brewed coffee. A Hong Kong stamp series emits the subtle fragrance of jasmine tea.<\/p>\n
The U.K issued a healing eucalyptus-scented stamp in honor of its medical Nobel Prize in 2001. And China issued a sweet-and-sour-pork infused stamp for the Year of the Pig in 2007.<\/p>\n
The U.S.\u2014a little slow to the world scented-stamp stage\u2014just issued its first scratch-and-sniff stamp this year. The popsicle series smells like the frozen treats of summer. (I get notes of sweet red fruit and a hint of pink cotton candy on the finish.)<\/p>\n
$\"U.S.$
The U.S. released its first scratch-and-sniff stamps in the summer of 2018.
Image courtesy of the U.S. Post Office.<\/p><\/div>\n
Sometimes, it\u2019s not all chocolate and roses. Brazil issued a set of stamps in 1999 with the smell of burnt wood to remind people of the risk of forest fires and deforestation to the environment.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
France features its architectural history in this panoramic postage stamp.
Photo by DMT<\/p><\/div>\n
A Stamp-ede of Creativity<\/h4>\n
Several countries stand out as creative stamp designers.<\/p>\n
$\"Dutch$
Stamps come in all shapes and sizes.
\u00a9 Kaato\/iStock<\/p><\/div>\n
Bhutan seems to lead the pack for its originality and series of \u201cfirsts.\u201d As a small country in need of revenue, there was a royal push for stamps that would interest the world of philately. With the help of American Burt Todd, the Bhutan Stamp Agency was founded.<\/p>\n
The agency started conventionally with the Bhutanese royal crest, a yak, a monastery, and a soldier from the royal bodyguard force.<\/p>\n
$\"CD-ROM$
Bhutanese postage stamp that doubles as a CD-ROM history of the kingdom<\/p><\/div>\n
Their artistry began to bloom as they created the first scented stamp (the aforementioned roses), stamps printed on silk and steel, and, finally, stamps that also served as tiny phonograph records, playing the Bhutanese national anthem and traditional folk songs.<\/p>\n
Most recently, stamps have been produced that are CD-ROMs presenting a history of the country.<\/p>\n
Austria has also been innovative in its postal approach. The country created an embroidered stamp, a stamp made out of soccer ball material to commemorate a 2008 UEFA soccer tournament, a stamp of a crystal swan with actual crystal particles attached, and a stamp picturing a meteorite that actually has embedded particles of meteorite dust (promoted as \u201cmail from another world\u201d).<\/p>\n
Malaysia has a series of stamps featuring its exotic nocturnal animals. Their eyes glow in the dark. Finland also has a glow-in-the-dark series celebrating its lighthouses.<\/p>\n
$\"Jerboa$
Mongolia celebrates the Long-Eared Jerboa in a creative triangular stamp.
Image \u00a9 Alexander Zam\/iStock<\/p><\/div>\n
Canada honors it culture with a range of offerings\u2014from a stamp with its national symbol, the maple leaf, to a motionstamp<\/a> showing their ice hockey heroes scoring goals via lenticular magic.<\/p>\n
$\"Maple$
From iconic symbols to moving pictures, Canada is a creative force
in the postage stamp world.
\u00a9 Manakin\/iStock<\/p><\/div>\n
The Netherlands has a stamp with hidden flower seeds. And Portugal, the world\u2019s leading manufacturer of cork, promotes its product with stamps made entirely of cork<\/a> (each one unique because of the nature of the material).<\/p>\n
$\"The$
The U.S. goes circular with this series of sports balls.
Photo by DMT<\/p><\/div>\n
Postal Poetry<\/h4>\n

\nImagination will take you everywhere.
\n<\/em>\u2014Einstein<\/p>\n
The \u201cOh, I see\u201d moment\u00a0<\/strong>in the postage stamp world reflects Einstein\u2019s sentiment. The creation of postage stamps thrives on artistic imagination that has no limits.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
No limits to the artistry of the postage stamp
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n
The Penny Black was elegant . . . and perfect for the cultural heritage and traditions of the time. However, we\u2019ve come a long way since that innovative moment. There are no boundaries.<\/p>\n
I imagine we will continue to be surprised by the artistry of postage stamps . . . and the stories they tell. And, hopefully, we will continue to send letters and cards to friends and family all over the world.<\/p>\n
Long live the postage stamp!<\/p>\n
$\"A$
The U.S. issued a set of heat sensitive stamps to commemorate the 2017 total eclipse of the sun.
Photo by DMT<\/p><\/div>\n
Comment<\/a><\/i>\u00a0on this post below, or inspire insight with your own\u00a0OIC Moment\u00a0<\/em>here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":32459,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[99,179,227],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-heritage-culture","category-symbols-culture","category-worldwide-mappoints"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32465"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32465\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32524,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32465\/revisions\/32524"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

Cultural Heritage and Traditions of the Mighty (Yet Tiny) Postage Stamp

The Penny Black . . . And Beyond

Who Nose What’s Next

A Stamp-ede of Creativity

Postal Poetry

Postal Poetry<\/h4>\n\nImagination will take you everywhere.\n<\/em>\u2014Einstein<\/p>\nThe \u201cOh, I see\u201d moment\u00a0<\/strong>in the postage stamp world reflects Einstein\u2019s sentiment. The creation of postage stamps thrives on artistic imagination that has no limits.<\/p>\n