Understanding crypto stamps
- Compare the colour of the cow under “Crypto Stamp CHLI” and find out more about more your Crypto Stamp CHLI.
- Digital use only: rub off the gold field, scan the QR code and see if your NFT is there.*
- You can have your password (mnemonic phrase) generated after scanning the QR code. Paste this under “Wallet” and transfer your stamp to the digital world..*
- Collect, exchange, trade – the choice is yours.
* We recommend using MetaMask (and for mobile devices in particular the browser in the MetaMask app) for these steps to go smoothly.
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 end-to-end digital recording of the crypto stamp’s ownership and history is guaranteed. 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 Swiss 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 standard also enables better interoperability with future NFT marketplaces.

1 SQR code (private key, mnemonic and public address)
Scanning the QR code shows which of the digital versions is available. 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.
Additionally, the mnemonic phrase is now integrated in the same SQR code, so to speak. This can be generated automatically after scanning. It is the private key for transferring the NFT. The twelve words serve as a “password” for transferring the token from the paper wallet to a digital wallet.
The Crypto Stamp CHLI consists of six different colour editions. Each country has the same number of copies per edition.
The print runs of the various editions are different.
- Green Edition: 7,500 copies per country (15,000 copies in total)
- Blue Edition: 3,250 copies per country (6,500 copies in total)
- Yellow Edition: 1,250 copies per country (2,500 copies in total)
- Orange Edition: 300 copies per country (600 copies in total)
- Pink Edition: 150 copies per country (300 copies in total)
- Rainbow Edition: 50 copies per country (100 copies in total)
The cow for the Crypto Stamp CHLI was AI-generated by Swiss Post (using Midjourney), with backgrounds added by Liechtensteinische Post and colours modified.
The technical solution was developed in cooperation with InactaTarget not accessible in Zug.
Purchasing crypto stamps
The Crypto Stamp CHLI will be released on 7 May 2025 at 7.30 a.m. The Swiss editions of the Crypto Stamp CHLI can then be ordered online at www.postshop.ch. You can also order them at the counter in all Swiss Post branches from 7 May 2025 and have them delivered to your home. In selected larger branches, the green edition of the Crypto Stamp CHLI will also be physically available directly at the counter. While stocks last, of course, as the print run is limited.
The Liechtenstein editions of the Crypto Stamp CHLI can be purchased via Liechtensteinische Post’s online shop. Crypto Stamps − Philatelie Liechtenstein
Prices for the various editions of the Crypto Stamp CHLI are different because the edition print runs vary and so the NFT versions are different in terms of rarity. The selling price is made up of the face value of the stamps (CHF 8.50 for all versions) and the price for the NFT (price varies according to print run):
- Green Edition: CHF 9.90 (CHF 8.50 + CHF 1.40)
- Blue Edition: CHF 29.00 (CHF 8.50 + CHF 20.50)
- Yellow Edition: CHF 99.00 (CHF 8.50 + CHF 90.50)
- Orange Edition: CHF 199.00 (CHF 8.50 + CHF 190.50)
- Pink Edition: CHF 299.00 (CHF 8.50 + CHF 290.50)
- Rainbow Edition: CHF 499.00 (CHF 8.50 + CHF 490.50)
Yes, the following limits apply to each order or shopping basket:
Miniature sheet:
- Green Edition: 10 copies
- Blue Edition: 5 copies
- Yellow Edition: 3 copies
- Orange Edition: 2 copies
- Pink Edition: 2 copies
- Rainbow Edition: 1 copy
Each miniature sheet comes with one crypto stamp per country, cancelled:
- Green Edition: 5 copies
- Blue Edition: 5 copies
- Yellow Edition: 3 copies
- Orange Edition: 2 copies
- Pink Edition: 1 copy
- Rainbow Edition: 1 copy
In principle, the same risks as when buying a regular postage stamp. Your purchase is essentially 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/sharing of mnemonics or private keys, can also result in the loss of NFTs. The marketplaces can’t always ensure that everything will run smoothly.
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.
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. There are however strictly limited, cancelled special covers, each with one stamp per country from the same colour edition.
The Swiss Post stamp may only be cancelled/invalidated with the Swiss Post first-day cancellation or a Swiss cancellation mark. Liechtensteinische Post stamps, however, can only be cancelled with the corresponding Liechtensteinische Post cancellation marks. Exception with Swiss Post’s Cancellation Service: if the stamps of the two countries are arranged so that both can be cancelled with one of the two cancellation marks at the same time, this can be done.
If you create your own special covers with both stamps, these rules apply here too. For more information on cancellation guidelines, please refer to PhilaNews or contact the Swiss Post or Liechtensteinische Post Cancellation Service.
Trading crypto stamps
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. Go to the “Crypto Stamp CHLI” overview page and compare the colour of the cow on your Crypto Stamp CHLI. The colour matches the digital version that you own.
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 centime1.
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 Swiss Crypto Stamps physically in the conventional way.
1 ↑ 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.
2 ↑ 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.
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 of the smart contract for the Swiss edition is 0x5e0aB579959511B66BDcaC450e3055999aAe91C2, the identification of the smart contract for the colour combination is 0x61965c87299c05a63A5A2738369cE462601E5B0.
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).
About the most recent version of the Swiss Crypto Stamp
- Scan the QR code in the white field or look up your token ID under “Crypto Stamp 5.0” and find out more about your Swiss Crypto Stamp 5.0.
- Digital use only: rub off the silvery field, type in the password under “Wallet” and transfer your stamp to the dig-ital world.
- Collect, exchange, trade – the choice is yours.
The Swiss Crypto Stamp 5.0 consists of five different editions (a Basic Edition, a Bronze Edition, a Silver Edition, a Gold Edition and a Unique Edition). Each edition consists of 11 different versions.
The print runs of the various editions are different.
- Basic Edition: 11 versions at 10,000 copies each (110,000 copies in total)
- Bronze Edition: 11 versions at 500 copies each (5,500 copies in total)
- Silver Edition: 11 versions at 150 copies each (1,650 copies in total)
- Gold Edition: 11 versions at 50 copies each (550 copies in total)
- Unique Edition: 11 versions at 1 copy each (11 copies in total)
Prices for the various editions of the Swiss Crypto Stamp 5.0 are different because the edition print runs vary and so the NFT versions are different in terms of rarity. The selling price is made up of the face value of the stamps (CHF 8.50 for all versions) and the price for the NFT (price varies according to print run):
- Basic Edition: CHF 9.90 (CHF 8.50 + CHF 1.40)
- Bronze Edition: CHF 49.00 (CHF 8.50 + CHF 40.50)
- Silver Edition: CHF 149.00 (CHF 8.50 + CHF 140.50)
- Gold Edition: CHF 299.00 (CHF 8.50 + CHF 290.50)
- Unique Edition: will be auctioned for a good cause
Yes, the following limits apply to each order or shopping basket:
- Basic Edition: 30 copies
- Bronze Edition: 1 copy
- Silver Edition: 1 copy
- Gold Edition: 1 copy
- Unique Edition: will be auctioned for a good cause