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 on 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 2.0 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). This means there are not 250,000 available token IDs, but ten. 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.

• In contrast to the Swiss Crypto Stamp 1.0, there aren’t just one but ten different physical stamp designs in the form of miniature sheets. When combined, these 10 miniature sheets create an overall optical image.
• The NFTs aren’t just one image – like the Crypto Stamp 1.0 – but instead a film sequence produced by young, up-and-coming Swiss filmmakers.
• The issue of NFTs is distributed equally this year, which means there are the same number of all ten NFTs.
• In contrast to the Swiss Crypto Stamp 1.0, customers know which physical miniature sheet and associated NFT they’re buying.
• The collaboration with a partner – the Locarno Film Festival – is also new.
• There’ll be a competition again this year too. Anyone who buys the Swiss Crypto Stamp 2.0 can enter a prize draw for 50 exclusive NFTs.

1 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.

2 Short link

Entering the short link shows which of the 10 digital versions is being used. This link refers to the digital version that the customer received.

3 Token ID

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

4 Public QR code (public key and wallet address)

Scanning the QR code shows which of the 10 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.

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.

Physical stamp (250,000 copies in total)

• Valentin Merz: 25,000 copies
• Samuel Patthey: 25,000 copies
• Elie Grappe: 25,000 copies
• Klaudia Reynicke: 25,000 copies
• Maya Kosa / Sergio da Costa: 25,000 copies
• Denise Fernandes: 25,000 copies
• Cyril Schäublin: 25,000 copies
• Nora Longatti: 25,000 copies
• Yan Hirschbühl: 25,000 copies
• Elene Naveriani: 25,000 copies

Digital versions (total: 250,000 copies)

• Valentin Merz: 25,000 copies
• Samuel Patthey: 25,000 copies
• Elie Grappe: 25,000 copies
• Klaudia Reynicke: 25,000 copies
• Maya Kosa / Sergio da Costa: 25,000 copies
• Denise Fernandes: 25,000 copies
• Cyril Schäublin: 25,000 copies
• Nora Longatti: 25,000 copies
• Yan Hirschbühl: 25,000 copies
• Elene Naveriani: 25,000 copies

This is currently still a closely guarded secret. The NFTs will be exclusively unveiled on 6 August 2022 at the Locarno Film Festival on the Piazza Grande in Locarno and then published at swisspost.ch/crypto-stamp. Anyone interested can sign up for a newsletter at swisspost.ch/crypto-stamp so they don’t miss any crypto stamp news.

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, too. 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 that supports Polygon and the ERC standard 1155.

The Swiss Crypto Stamp 2.0 was designed by Corina VögeleTarget not accessible from Kriens.

The technical solution was developed in cooperation with Inacta AGTarget not accessible in Zug.

The Swiss Crypto Stamp 2.0 will be issued on 8 August 2022. It can be ordered online from 7.30 a.m. at www.postshop.chTarget not accessible. It can also be ordered at all Swiss Post branches from 8 August 2022. It is additionally available directly over the counter at selected larger branches.

The Swiss Crypto Stamp 2.0 costs 9 francs. It can be used to frank postal items just like any other stamp.

Yes – you cannot purchase more than 30 Swiss Crypto Stamps 2.0 per order at postshop.ch. In branches where physical purchases are possible, the number is limited to 10 Swiss Crypto Stamps 2.0 ^* (one crypto stamp per version) per person. We want to give as many interested people as possible the opportunity to buy some crypto stamps.

^* ↑Swiss Crypto Stamps 2.0 ordered in a branch and delivered to your home are also limited to 30 per order.

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.

It’s worth weighing up the market risks before entering the crypto market, such as the volatility of the market with sharp price fluctuations at times. Wrongdoing, such as the disclosure of mnemonics or private keys, can also result in the loss of NFTs. The marketplaces can’t always ensure that everything will run smoothly.

On secondary markets, such as auction platforms, unopened Swiss Crypto Stamps 1.0 are sometimes offered at prices well above the official Swiss Post sale price. When purchasing, please note that print runs for the different versions of the Swiss Crypto Stamp 1.0 are not evenly distributed. This means that certain versions are rarer or less rare than others. In turn, there is a certain risk that sellers can demand an overly inflated price for Crypto Stamps 1.0, which does not correspond to the print run or the market value of the relevant Crypto Stamp.

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

No, subscriptions cover the issue programme for stamps and philately products officially defined by Swiss Post. In the case of other offers issued outside the official programme, such as Crypto Stamps, subscribers are not entitled to receive subscription deliveries.

Yes, there’ll be a first-day cancellation this year too. You can contact Swiss Post’s Cancellation Service in Lyss for cancellations. First-day covers are not available.

If you don’t have a mobile phone or your mobile phone doesn’t have a QR scanner, you can also view your NFT on our website at swisspost.ch/crypto-stamp. Go to the “Crypto Stamp 2.0” overview page and compare the token ID printed on your Crypto Stamp 2.0. 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 on 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 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.

^* ↑ 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 0x2667F4B92A4DEe4A8579844E2A92B3A6576C7dBdTarget 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.

A key feature 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).

No, even if the crypto market collapses, the Crypto Stamp is still a normal stamp that can be collected or used for postage.