Questions and answers

With the Swiss Crypto Stamp, Swiss Post combines the traditional postage stamp with a digital image, an NFT (non-fungible token). This is mapped in the Polygon blockchain. This means that the crypto stamp can be traded online and it is guaranteed that the ownership and history of the crypto stamp are seamlessly digitally mapped. The miniature sheet contains all the information you need to view your digital image, to ensure that it is on the blockchain, and to transfer the NFT.

NFT is the abbreviation for “non-fungible token”. “Non-fungible” means that it cannot be exchanged for something else. In other words, each token is uniquely identified and cannot be exchanged for other tokens.

The Swiss Crypto Stamp is based on the ERC1155 technical standard. All stamps with the same design form a “group” on the blockchain and are clearly registered as such.
Each group of postage stamp images therefore forms a non-fungible token. Such a group contains fungible tokens – i.e. exchangeable tokens or tradeable digital stamps.

In the ERC1155 standard, each token ID (token type) can contain any number of tokens. This characteristic therefore makes it more suitable for the crypto stamps. This means that not every single crypto stamp runs under its own token ID, but a token ID is assigned an entire group to which all the crypto stamps of a design are attached (semi-fungible token). Therefore, there are not 175,000 available token IDs, but 13. On marketplaces, etc., it is possible to search for a specific crypto stamp design using the token ID.

This standard also enables better interoperability with future NFT marketplaces.

1 Public QR code (public key and wallet address)

Scanning the QR code shows which of the 13 digital versions is being used. It is also possible to see whether the NFT still exists in the original wallet (the paper wallet, in this case the stamp itself) or has already been transferred to a digital wallet.

2 Public wallet address

Using the public wallet address, the token can also be checked without a QR code. In other words, it is possible to check whether the NFT still exists in the original wallet or has already been transferred.

3 Short link

Entering the short link shows which of the 13 digital versions is being used. This link refers to the digital version that the customer received.

4 Token ID

The token ID can be used to check on the overview page which digital version is available.

5 Mnemonic phrase

Private key for the NFT transfer

The twelve words serve as a “password” for transferring the token from the paper wallet to a digital wallet.

6 QR link to the wallet (private key)

Fills the twelve words into the input field when scanned (advantage of the QR code).

Physical stamp (175,000 copies in total)

Matterhorn: 175,000 copies

Digital versions (175,000 copies in total)

• Matterhorn: 65,000 copies
• Dent Blanche: 45,000 copies
• Piz Bernina: 30,000 copies
• Säntis: 18,000 copies
• Pilatus: 8,000 copies
• Dufourspitze: 4,500 copies
• Rigi: 2,500 copies
• Eiger/Mönch/Jungfrau: 1,000 copies
• Matterhorn with Marmot: 350 copies (special edition)
• Piz Bernina with Ibex: 250 copies (special edition)
• Säntis with Cow: 200 copies (special edition)
• Rigi with Golden Eagle: 150 copies (special edition)
• Pilatus with Dragon: 50 copies (special edition)

With the Swiss Crypto Stamp, Swiss Post is bridging the gap from the physical to the digital world in the area of philately, too. Traditional postage stamps have always been physically collected, traded and exchanged. With the crypto stamp, this can now also be done online on the blockchain. This makes the stamp a digital collectible. Swiss Post itself does not operate a blockchain platform on which crypto stamps can be traded. If you want to trade, sell or exchange the crypto stamp on the blockchain, you have to do this in an existing application, which supports Polygon and the ERC-Standard 1155.

The Swiss Crypto Stamp was designed by Gregor ForsterTarget not accessible.

With Inacta AGTarget not accessible in Zug, Switzerland.

The Swiss Crypto Stamp is being launched on 25 November 2021. You can order it online at www.postshop.ch from 6 a.m. You can also order it at all Swiss Post branches from 25 November 2021. It is additionally available directly over the counter at selected larger branches.

The Swiss Crypto Stamp will be available in a limited issue of 175,000. There will be no advance sales, to ensure that all interested buyers have the same opportunity to acquire one or more crypto stamps. Sales will open for all buyers at 6 a.m. on 25 November 2021 at www.postshop.ch.

The Swiss Crypto Stamp costs 8.90 francs. It can be used to frank postal items just like any other stamp.

Yes, a maximum of 30 crypto stamps and five special covers per order can be purchased at postshop.ch. In the branches, a maximum of five crypto stamps and two special covers can be physically^* purchased per person. We want to give as many interested people as possible the opportunity to buy some crypto stamps.

^* ↑For branch orders where the Crypto Stamps are delivered to your home, the limit remains 30 per order. This is also possible in branches that physically sell the crypto stamps on the premises.

When you order the physical crypto stamp, we process your personal data (title, first name, last name, address, e-mail address) for the purpose of fulfilling the contract and ordering and sending the crypto stamp.

In principle, the same risks as when buying a regular postage stamp. You are essentially purchasing a miniature sheet including a postage stamp with access/interface to the NFT. However, you do not have to get involved with the crypto market if you do not want to, and you can store and collect the stamp as normal and/or exchange and trade it in the conventional manner.

No, the exchange and return of crypto stamps is generally excluded.

Yes, there will be a special cover at a price of 10.90 francs and a corresponding postmark. The special cover will have a limited release of 2,500 copies. It can also be ordered at www.postshop.ch and purchased in branches with stamp counters. You can contact Swiss Post’s Cancellation Service in Lyss for cancellations.

If you don't have a mobile phone or your mobile phone doesn't have a QR scanner, you can also view your digital version on our website at swisspost.ch/crypto-stamp. To do this, go to the “My Stamp” overview page and look for the token ID printed on your Crypto Stamp. The number matches the digital version that you own. Alternatively, you can also call up the page with your digital design directly using the link printed on your Crypto Stamp.

In theory, no you don't. The miniature sheet functions as a paper wallet – the digital token is therefore integrated into the physical miniature sheet and you can keep the postage stamp in paper form as a collector's item.

Alternatively, you can check which digital version you have purchased and, based on this information, resell or trade the stamp. You don't need a digital wallet for this, either.

For trading on NFT platforms, we currently recommend that you import the paper wallet into your Wallet app as a new account. This is because platforms such as OpenSea do not yet fully support the ERC-1155 standard for self-created smart contracts.

If you want to create your own Swiss Crypto Stamp collection in your digital wallet, you can transfer the NFT to your digital wallet.

The transfer normally costs less than a centime^*.

The transaction fees for a transfer from a paper wallet to a digital wallet depend on whether the account already has MATIC or an NFT of the same type. MATIC is the currency with which payments are made in the Polygon blockchain.

There are also fees for each additional transaction in the digital wallet.

Please note that MATIC must be available in your wallet for these transaction fees. You can obtain MATIC from the relevant crypto brokers on the market. Information about this is available from the relevant providers. Please note that transaction fees may be incurred when exchanging or obtaining MATIC.

Alternatively, you can also exchange and trade your Swiss Crypto Stamps physically in the conventional way.

^* ↑Information subject to change

You can obtain MATIC from the relevant crypto brokers on the market^*. Information on this is available from the relevant providers. Please note that transaction fees may be incurred when exchanging or obtaining MATIC.

Alternatively, you can also exchange and trade your Swiss Crypto Stamps physically in the conventional way.

^* ↑Please note that digital wallets and crypto brokers are third-party providers and Swiss Post cannot provide any further support in this regard.

You can find a list of wallets that support Polygon here: awesomepolygon.com/walletsTarget not accessible

We recommend MetaMask as it is the most popular wallet.

A transaction error can occur if certain parameters change between the sending of the transaction and the confirmation.

The most common transaction error occurs when there are insufficient funds to pay the transaction fees on the blockchain. To alleviate this problem, many modern wallets can calculate the transaction costs in advance and notify the user in the event of problems.

Entering an incorrect address can also lead to the loss of the digital token. This problem can be alleviated through the use of checksum addresses and the ability to enter the address directly from a wallet application.

The greatest risk is that you lose the private key for the digital token (NFT). In this case, the NFT is “lost” forever and cannot be passed on by anyone.

There are many Internet fraudsters who, if you experience problems with a digital wallet, for example, will try to coax your private key from you in order to steal the contents of the wallet. Therefore, you should not give your private key to third parties under any circumstances.

When transferring NFTs to other wallets, always ensure that you are using the correct destination address (e.g. by scanning a QR code). Otherwise, you risk permanently transferring the NFTs to an unknown address.

Counterfeit versions of the Swiss Crypto Stamp NFT may be available on digital trading platforms. Please ensure that you are purchasing an original NFT managed by Swiss Post’s smart contract.

A smart contract is a computer program that runs on a blockchain. The code is completely transparent, so everyone can see exactly how it works and how someone interacts with it. Because the blockchain is unalterable, this code cannot be changed retroactively. This means that users can be sure that these rules will not change in the future either.

The identification code for the Swiss Crypto Stamp smart contract is identified as 0x6DdCC90614d47AcD7596447686c4fD6aEE782742Target not accessible, and it was created by the address 0x97ebE3Fe2FEb21ba8f99d99E8275A8c4D5066fC2Target not accessible.

From a technical perspective, Polygon is not a sidechain, but a commit chain. This means that the blocks in the Polygon chain are anchored in the Ethereum chain and therefore connect both blockchains with each other. Therefore, the Polygon chain does not run independently of the Ethereum chain.

The important characteristic of Polygon is that it provides high throughput (fast transaction times) and low transaction fees (gas costs).

A sidechain would be a blockchain that exists in parallel to the Ethereum blockchain and functions independently of it. These sidechains are usually based on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), so that smart contracts run there in the same way as on the Ethereum Mainnet (i.e., in the main Ethereum network).