06/03/2026
Country of Issue Austria (Österreich).
Year of Isssue 2019.
Subject / Theme
A stylized unicorn head, representing the "Crypto Stamp 1.0," the world's first blockchain-integrated postage stamp.
Printing Method
Offset lithography with holographic foil application and scratch-off security layers. The sharp edges of the pixelated text and the smooth solid black background are characteristic of high-quality modern offset printing.
Designer
David Gruber / Julia Obermüller (credited for the Austria Crypto Stamp series).
Printer
Variuscard (an Austrian security printing company known for manufacturing these specific crypto-stamps).
Catalogue References
Michel: AT 3492.
Condition Assessment
Overall Grade: Very Fine (VF).
Centring: Design is perfectly centred on the card substrate.
Perforations: Die-cut edges are clean and intact.
Overall Faults: None visible. Critically, the scratch-off panels [2] and [3] are completely intact, which is the most important condition factor for this issue.
Postmark Analysis
Mint / Uncancelled.
Market Value
For a 2019 Austria Crypto Stamp 1.0 "Green" variant in unscratched condition:
Mint (Unscratched): Approximately €150 – €250 ($160 – $270 USD).
Used / Scratched: If the scratch-offs are removed (revealing the private keys), the value drops significantly to near the physical stamp's face value or a small premium for the collectible card (approx. €10–€30), as the digital asset may have been transferred.
Note: The "Green" variant had a print run of 26,667 units, making it scarcer than the "Black" (150,000) but more common than the Blue, Yellow, or Red variants.
Varieties & Notes
This is the "Green" color variant of the 2019 Unicorn issue. The physical stamp functions as a standard postage stamp (6.90 Euro), but it also contains a digital "twin" stored on the Ethereum blockchain.
Security Features: The ID "2L6h58" is visible in the clear panel [1]. Panels [2] and [3] (currently unscratched) hide the Secret Token and the Private Key required to access and transfer the digital version of the stamp.
Variant Logic: While all physical stamps in the 1.0 series look similar, the color of the digital unicorn (and the holographic accents on the physical card) varies. The Green variant represents one of the five specific rarity tiers.
Historical Context
Issued on June 11, 2019, this stamp marked a significant milestone in philatelic history as the first "Crypto Stamp." It bridged the gap between traditional physical mail and digital blockchain technology. The project was so successful it spawned an annual series in Austria and inspired similar issues from Switzerland, Gibraltar, and the United Nations. The 2019 "Unicorn" remains the most sought-after set due to its status as the "Type 1" issue.
