A look at December stamps from the Netherlands

By Denise McCarty

Each year, the Netherlands’ PostNL issues stamps at a reduced rate for use on Christmas mail. PostNL calls them December stamps.

The most recent December stamps, issued Nov. 5, 2018, included 11 different designs, two of which are related to ice skating.

One design depicts two ice skates, along with a winter hat, ivy and berries, a candle, a string of Christmas lights, hot cocoa topped with whipped cream, a wrapped gift, snowflakes and stars.

The design is framed by the words “Nederland” (Netherlands) in gray on the left and “December” in red at the bottom. This frame also can be used for stamps that people can personalize with their own photos or other designs.

Connect with Linn’s Stamp News: 

    Sign up for our newsletter
    Like us on Facebook
    Follow us on Twitter

Sanny van Loon designed the stamp, and Martin Majoor designed the frame. Joh. Enschede printed the stamps in panes of 10.

Van Loon reported that the skates shown on the stamp were based on a pair that she had as a child.

The other 10 stamps in the December issue are se-tenant in a pane of 20 (two of each design). One design depicts an adult and child ice skating.