As of November 1st, 2013, the old guilder stamps from The Netherlands will no longer be valid and it seems I've been getting a few more interesting stamps lately as a result of this as people get rid of their old stamps. For Sunday Stamps, I'm showing the above set sent from Paul "from below sea level" in Groningen as it has a handwritten note of the values in guilders and euros!
1999 - The International Year of Elderly People
These stamps show that elderly people can still look very good and can still be very active. To avoid a stately portrait I photographed the persons in profile, while they ‘walk’ out of the stamp, and look at you. The grey stripes change in colourful background patterns once the portraits appear.
[artist's description, from a website I can not find again....]
These next two are from 1991 for Child Care. I couldn't find a description for them which is a shame as I'd like to know the backstory behind these designs. The little girl with the robot doesn't look terribly happy, but maybe she is just pensive. Maybe they are exchanging toys and she is going to be stuck with the Barbie doll. I'd have been a little sad, too. In the second one, the boy seems to be blindfolded and the girl is excitedly whispering something to him. I'm wondering about that disembodied arm....
They are very colourful aren't they? I guess I wouldn't have been very happy if I had been stuck with the Barbie either.
ReplyDeletethey are colourful, but I don't think I would choose any of them to keep.
Deleteand I really don't like the 1999 one.
Interesting that the old stamps are being used up, 10 years seems a reasonable time for both being allowed.
ReplyDeleteit's more time than any of the other countries!
Deletewe can still use any old stamps - and I do!
Hmm, I am active in Postcrossing and I have not received any guilder stamps. Maybe this week!
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining in.
maybe you didn't recognize it? I had to check the dates to be sure on some of them.
DeleteI don't think the elderly design honors the elderly.
ReplyDeleteneither do I
Deletenow i have to rummage through my postcards from netherlands to see if i have one of those gilder stamps. yours are really very colorful + have such interesting designs. the ones featuring kids are my favorites!
ReplyDeleteNice designs for the Child Care. Same with Jared's mum, I'm curious if I also have guilder stamps in my collection...
ReplyDeleteAnother currency bites the dust thanks to the euro. Like these stamps. I don;t have any guilder stamps.
ReplyDeleteyes, I miss those old money - but I remember the constant conversions while travelling was a hassle.
DeleteI didn't realise there was a time limit on the guilder stamps. A Postcrosser sent me a mix and bemoaned the fact they were in the euro! I wonder if that hand is to stop the little girl spinning the boy around too enthusiastically:-) The remember the Dutch do a children's stamp every year on a different theme. I think some of the money goes to charity.
ReplyDeleteah, that could explain the +30ct and +40ct (a donation?)
Deleteand you could be right a bout the hand to stop the spinning (he does have a strange look on his face!)
The children's stamps or 'kinderpostzegels' in Dutch are meant to raise and allocate funds for the benefit of vulnerable children in the Netherlands and selected other countries. If you go to www.kinderpostzegels.nl and choose for English language there's all kind of information.
ReplyDeleteIt is so nice to see this item on your blog, as I am from the Netherlands and just recently started postcrossing :))