Since 1962, Bhutan postage stamps have served as a gateway for the country to showcase its creativity and innovation skills. The little emissary has been traveling the world, telling stories and spreading awareness about the existence of the blissful kingdom hidden among the giant peaks of the Himalayas. They have been sharing the country’s cultural and social aspects with the world and have achieved historic innovation records. The world’s most valuable collectible is about to write another chapter in the history of philately. Bhutan Post enters the NFT space and released Bhutan’s first NFT postage stamp collection with amazing real-life ownership benefits on September 20, 2022. The inventive and unique stamp collections of Bhutan are well-known in the philatelic community. It wouldn’t be surprising if the NFT stamps generated excitement among philatelists given the historic prominence the small messenger has already garnered.
If you aren’t familiar with the world of philately and how creative it became in Bhutan, keep on reading to find the most interesting moments.
The Evolution of Bhutan Postage Stamps
A land where so much is governed by tradition became known as a country of wildly groundbreaking innovation due to postage stamps. Colourful, creative, and collectible, Bhutan’s stamps, launched in the 1960s, were the world’s most innovative stamps. While they created a stir each time they were introduced, they also served as Bhutan’s main source of revenue for many years. Bhutan’s postage stamps have always played an important part in documenting the nation’s way of life, rich culture, and accomplishments.
Bhutan opened its first post office in Phuentsholing, a small town on the Indian border, and produced its first postage stamps. This was made possible by Burt Todd, a dynamic and pioneering businessman. He was invited to Bhutan by Her Majesty Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck, having known him from her time studying in England. Todd returned to the county with his wife for his honeymoon. They stayed for three months and cemented a lifelong friendship and love for the wonderful country.
The beginning of an era
Bhutan issued its first series of stamps in 1962. It was a collection of seven appealing designs that included a postal runner, the Bhutanese crest, an archer, a wild yak, a map of the nation, and the fortress and monastery of the King. After that, Todd released his first creative circular stamp to commemorate the 40th anniversary of King Jigme Wangchuk’s accession to the throne. It used a rainbow-colored paper embossed with a heraldic motif in gold. This was followed by the “abominable snowman,” depicted on a set of triangle-shaped stamps.
World's Firsts: Bhutan's Postage Stamps Create History
3-D Stamp
Bhutan issued the first three-dimensional stamps ever in 1967 with a space exploration theme. A laminated prismatic-ribbed plastic surface was used to print the spacemen and spacecraft, giving them a three-dimensional appearance. Thousands of sets of 3D stamps were sold after they ignited a philatelic craze. Following the popularity of the 3D stamps, Burt unveiled several outstanding designs. The bas-relief stamps included molded plastic representations of well-known figures and sculptures. Then there was the silk-printed Religious Banner series from 1969.
Record Stamp (talking stamp)
The little record stamps, made of silk or steel foil with an embossed melody, are among the oddest and most alluring pieces of vinyl available. Perhaps no other Bhutanese postal stamp has garnered as much interest as the “talking stamps” around the globe. It was released in 1972 as a set of seven in two sizes with the following colors: red, yellow, green, blue, purple, and white. They are tiny one-sided vinyl records with adhesive backs that could be attached to letters and played on a regular turntable as well.
The stamps included audio clips of folk songs and the national anthem. It also featured a special recording of the history of Bhutan in English narrated by Burt Kerr Todd himself.
CD-ROM postage stamps
The Bhutan Post started creating its stamps in 1996 and they continue to innovate. In 2008, Bhutan Post released CD-ROM postage stamps, another world first. It was a part of Bhutan’s commemoration of the 100th anniversary of its monarchy. Bhutan has chosen to bring this message to the world by premiering it on stamps. The small-format disc contained videos from the events. It also included documentaries of some of the historic events, such as the coronation of the Fifth King and the signing of the new Constitution. Frances Todd Stewart partnered with Bhutan to launch this new stamp series, continuing the legacy after her father, Burt Todd, passed away.
Bhutan postage stamps remain world-renowned
Even though philately isn’t as popular as it once was, stamps are nevertheless vital to Bhutan. One of the top tourist attractions in the capital city is the recently opened postal museum. Regarded as Bhutan’s “little ambassadors’, visitors are still amazed by the rich and interesting array of stamps on display. Bhutanese postage stamps play an important role in historical preservation.
Personalised Stamps
Tourists can not only purchase Bhutanese stamps, but they can also produce personalised stamps featuring their own portrait set against Bhutan’s iconic Tiger’s Nest Monastery (Taktsang). Visitors can select the postcards available for purchase at the counter and post the freshly printed stamp on each postcard as the tiny stamps are printed off. You can either have your photo taken at the post office or bring your photos in a thumb drive to ensure that will have the nicest pictures on the stamps. For many tourists, this is a very popular and distinctive souvenir to take home.
Bhutanese postage stamp collections have long been a favorite among stamp collectors worldwide. However, conventional methods of collecting place restrictions on their possession. You can now possess your digital versions while lounging at home. It’s time to stop spending countless hours in libraries and preserving your prized stamp collections in attics. Anyone can buy, sell, or trade the rarest Bhutanese stamps online.
The First NFT Stamps from Bhutan Post
Bhutan Postage Stamps entered the digital philatelic arena and became the first Asian operator to issue NFT (Non-fungible token) stamps. It features the famous 2014 historic stamp set “The 12 Deeds of Lord Buddha”. There are five design variations in this set, ranging from common to unique. It is launched by Bhutan Post, the nation’s first postal operator, in collaboration with Stampsdaq Estonia OU. They aim to gradually tokenise the entire collection of Bhutan Post’s philatelic heritage into NFT to make it accessible to all enthusiastic collectors. Stampsdaq is an EU-based NFT company that focuses solely on collaborating with postal operators throughout the world. This significant partnership seeks to provide an enjoyable, engaging, and rewarding online stamp collecting experience. Bhutan’s first NFT postage stamps are now available for purchase with lifetime ownership benefits that have never been available to philatelists before.
Digital ownership along with real-life experience
Art reflects the creator, the world around them, and the wider universe. It builds curiosity among people who experience it to know more about the other inhabitants and their surroundings. Be it the precious art of paper stamps or the innovative NFT stamps, they remain valuable collectibles. Furthermore, they continue to be a factor in bringing people together. Philatelists who were intrigued by Bhutan’s history, culture, and environment portrayed on the stamp images were eventually drawn to the mystical Kingdom. Bhutan’s first NFT postage stamps have arrived, with a lifetime opportunity for all its supporters. Along with being a proud owner of it, you can win an exclusive trip to Bhutan up to four times a year.
For more information, refer to the Summary of Official Rules of the Promotion.
What is a Non-fungible Token (NFT)?
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are cryptographic assets on a blockchain that can be distinguished from one another by their distinctive identifying codes and metadata. When something is Non-Fungible, it’s unique. You cannot exchange one for another as there isn’t another that is identical, or even remotely similar. NFTs can represent real-world items like artwork and real estate.
Bhutan’s unmatched innovation in stamps is once again leading the way with the release of NFT stamps to become one of the most prominent digital collectibles worldwide. Philatelists and NFT collectors worldwide can now own a piece of the tokenized historic collection of stamps from Bhutan Post. Bhutan’s first NFT postage stamp collection is only available from https://stampsdaq.com/.
