Everybody under 25: “What’s a stamp?”

The South African Post Office is celebrating the 18th anniversary of our transition to democracy this Friday with a set of eight gorgeous new stamps designed by Lize Marié Dreyer, a third-year student at the Open Window School of Visual Communication in Gauteng.

The stamps “celebrate South Africa’s national symbols and the way they reflect our fauna and flora, cultures and people,” according to the SAPO press release.

If you look closely below, you’ll notice the images have a particular kind of detail. The stamps use individual symbols, Dreyer explains, “for instance,  the illustration of the protea is made up of tiny proteas.”

If you want to get your mitts on a set of these philatelic fancys, they cost R2.65 per stamp and can be used as postage on any domestic DL-sized letter [Tech Note: In the olden days people used to send emails on paper, they called them “letters”, you know, like they do on Downton Abbey!]. They became available at all post offices from 20 April 2012 and can also be ordered online at www.virtualpostoffice.co.za.

If you’re interested in learning more about our national symbols, you can do so here. Note, unlike India, we do not have a national drink. Yet.

The stamps are truly beautiful, but also a little niche, in my opinion. Could someone perhaps knock together a Google doodle for Friday?

[Source: SA Post Office]