Regalia of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
On November 19, 2024, PostNL issued the Regalia of the Kingdom of the Netherlands stamp sheet. Coinciding with this regular issue, PostNL is issuing 5 stamps in 24-karat gold in a limited edition based on the same design. These stamps depict the same regalia as on the stamp sheet: the orb, the national standard, the scepter, the crown, and the national sword.
Regalia of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
The regalia, also known as imperial insignia, are objects that symbolize the power and dignity of a monarch, emperor, or king. The Kingdom of the Netherlands also has its own regalia. The Dutch regalia were commissioned by King William II in 1840 on the occasion of his inauguration. He had new ones made because he found the regalia of his abdicated father, King William I, too simple. The 5 regalia have been present at every inauguration since then. The Dutch regalia are the orb (symbol of the king's territory), the imperial standard (the banner with the Dutch coat of arms), the scepter (symbol of the king's authority), the crown (sign of royal dignity), and the imperial sword (symbol of the king's power). Price: 5,70 euros (edition: 6000 pieces).
The 5 stamps on the Regalia of the Kingdom of the Netherlands stamp sheet feature standalone photographs of the 5 regalia against a blank white background. The regalia are the orb, the Imperial Standard, the scepter, the crown, and the Imperial Sword. Next to each photograph, a gold logo specially designed for this issue is depicted. At the bottom of the stamps is a brief description of the meaning of the depicted regalia. On the sheet margin, the logo is repeated in an enlarged form, alongside a short text about the origin of the Dutch regalia. To the right of the sheet margin is a rasterized representation of a monochrome gold orb. The design of the Regalia of the Kingdom of the Netherlands stamps in 24-karat gold is virtually identical to that of the regular regalia stamps. The 24-karat gold stamps are framed in the same order as on the regular stamp sheet. Price: 325 euros (edition: 350 pieces).
The design of the Regalia stamp sheet of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the derived stamps with 24-karat gold was created by graphic designer Frank Janse from Gouda. Source: PostNL
These stamps should have been included in the official issuance program….
Unfortunately, this is the trend we are seeing more and more often.