At one time, I had a deep fascination with holograms, largely because of my role in credit and debit card manufacturing some years ago. However, after a while, the number of philatelic issues got to the point where I called it a day.

This article is what was intended to become a catalogue of all philatelically inspired items with a holographic theme, but I stopped work on this project at the end of 1994. Still, it is hoped that the content may interest some collectors.

Thanks to a kind French collector it has been possible to illustrate some of the hologram stamps issued to 2005 on the illustration link below. The illustration link will be a large page and it is suggested that only those users with a broadband connection attempt to open it, or expect longer download times. They are illustrated in no particular order.
ILLUSTRATION LINK


Listing of Hologram Issues in Chronological Order  

This section indicates the growth of material in this collecting field on a year-by-year basis from their inception.  Click on the camera for an image of the item.

1988
Austria: Sheet stamp x 1

1989    
Brazil: Miniature Sheet x 1

1990    
Finland: Sheet stamps x 2
 United States of America: Pre-paid envelope x 1 

1991    
Poland: Miniature Sheet x 1
United States of America: Pre-paid envelope x 1 

1992    
Canada: Sheet stamp x 1
Finland: Sheet stamps x 3
United States of America: Pre-paid envelope x 1 

1993    
Mongolia: Miniature Sheet x 1
San Marino: Miniature Sheet x 1              

1994    
Bhutan: M/Sheet x 1 (perforated)
Guyana: M/Sheet x 1  (Perforated)
Guyana: M/Sheet x 1  (Imperforate)
Guyana: Sheet stamps x 1 (Perforated)
Guyana: Sheet stamps x 1 (Imperf.)
Hong Kong: Pre-paid postcards x 2
Hungary: Miniature Sheet x 1
Isle of Man: Sheet stamp x 1
Isle of Man: First Day Cover envelope x 1
New Zealand: Sheet stamp x 1

1996
Hong Kong postcards set of six

1998    
Brazil
Lithuania

1999   
Canada
France
Kyrgystan
Malaysia - Imperf version
Namibia

2000   
United States of America - Escaping Gravity
United States of America - Landing on the Moon
United States of America - Space Achievement

Hong Kong Millennium

 2002
  Singapore Festival

WHEN?
China Panda sheet
 Grenada Grenadines
Malaysia MEASAT

LISTING OF HOLOGRAM ISSUES IN COUNTRY NAME ORDER

AUSTRIA  

SHEET PRINTED STAMPS

Issue Date: 18 October 1988                 
Issue Title: Made In Austria - Export Fair   

Stamp Designer: Wolfgang Stocker        
Stamp Printer:  Austrian State Printing Office  
Stamp Printing Process: 3 colour lithography    
Size of Stamp Image: 35mm x 50mm
Sheet Format: 8 (4 stamps across x 2 rows down)       
Perforation: 13.5 x 13.75    

Hologram Designer: Wolfgang Stocker
Hologram Modeller: Light Fantastic 
Hologram Producer: Kurz Foils
Stamping Machine: Platen Press GTP
Foil Feeding:Steur double track device       
Holographic Effect:                     
Hologram Shape/Colour: Horizontal silver rectangle             

Stamp Value and Description:                      
S8  Stamp Depicts: Stylised. Hologram Depicts: A cube bearing the words AUSTRIA and MADE IN AUSTRIA (in English). When tilted, a large stylised 'A' appears

Quantity Printed: 3,040,000     

Notes: The issue sold out in three days and was a  world first.

BRAZIL  

MINIATURE SHEETS

Issue Date: 14 October 1989                 
Issue Title: Twentieth International Cultural Biennale, Sao Paulo     

Stamp Designer: Carlos Horcades         
Stamp Printer: State Mint      
Stamp Printing Process: Offset lithography      
Size of Stamp Image: mm x mm
Sheet Format: 3 (3 stamps across x 1 row down)
Size of sheet: mm x mm
Perforation: 10.75 x 11      

Hologram Designer: Carlos Horcades 
Hologram Producer:                      
Holographic Effect:                     
Hologram Shape/Colour: Rectangular silver band across the base of the three stamps                

Stamp Values and Descriptions:                  
Ncz$2.00 Stamp depicts: Limes, painting by Danilo di Prete. Hologram depicts: The emblem of the Biennale and '20', both repeated across the sheet    
Ncz$3.00 Stamp depicts: Sculpture by Brecheret. Hologram depicts: As NCZ$2.00 value
Ncz$5.00 Stamp depicts: Portrait of Francisco Matarazzo. Hologram depicts: As NCZ$2.00 value     

Quantity Printed:       

CANADA   

SHEET  PRINTED STAMPS

Issue Date: 1 October 1992                  
Issue Title: Canada in Space 

Stamp Designer: Debbie Adams    
Stamp Printer: Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd  
Stamp Printing Process: 10 colour lithography   
Size of Stamp Image: 40mm x 26mm
Sheet Format: 20 (stamps across x rows down)
Perforation: 13 x 13         

Hologram Designer:                      
Hologram Producer:                      
Holographic Effect:                     
Hologram Shape/Colour: Horizontal silver TV monitor shape        

     
Stamp Values and Descriptions:                  
42c Stamp Depicts: Text. Hologram Depicts: Space Shuttle over Canada with human cardiogram
                        
Quantity Printed: 10,000,000                    

Notes: Printed se-tenant with a stamp depicting a satellite and photographs from space taken on board Anik E2.      

FINLAND  

SHEET  PRINTED STAMPS

Issue Date: 19 January 1990                 
Issue Title:  Posts and Telecommunications as a State Commercial Company

Stamp Designer: Pirkko Vahtero  
Stamp Printer: Bank of Finland Security Printers       
Stamp Printing Process: 4 colour offset lithography     
Size of Stamp Image: mm x mm
Sheet Format :20 ( stamps across x rows down)
Size of sheet: mm x mm
Perforation: 13 x 13.75      

Hologram Designer: Photograph by Matti Poutavaara  
Hologram Producer:                      
Holographic Effect:                     
Hologram Shape/Colour: Silver circle

Stamp Values and Descriptions:                  
1.90fm  Stamp depicts: Lake Paijanne. Hologram depicts: P&T emblem and globe
2.50fm Stamp depicts: Lake Paijanne. Hologram depicts: P&T emblem and globe

Quantity Printed:             

Issue Date: 8 May 1992                      
Issue Title: Finnish Technology

Stamp Designer: Pirkko Vahtero  
Stamp Printer: Setec Oy of Finland
Stamp Printing Process: Lithography
Size of Stamp Image: mm x mm
Sheet Format: 15 (5 stamps across x 3 rows down)
Perforation: 13 x 13         

Hologram Designer:                      
Hologram Producer:  Applied Holographics plc        
Holographic Effect:                     
Hologram Shape/Colour: Vertical silver rectangle       

Stamp Values and Descriptions:  
2.10fm   150th Anniversary of  the first Finnish patent. Stamp depicts: Blowing machine and fractal.  Hologram depicts: Outdoor scene with trees and  flowing river with background of the Aurora  Borealis.  The words HIGH TECH appear as ASCII computer coding
2.90fm   Finnish chairmanship of  the EUREKA technology development scheme. Stamp depicts: Triangles and microcircuits. Hologram depicts: As 2.10fm value.
3.40fm   50th Anniversary of  VTT  (Government Technology Research Centre Laboratories).  Stamp depicts: Inverted triangles Hologram depicts: As 2.10fm value

Quantity Printed:                  

POSTAL STATIONERY - PRE-PAID POSTCARDS

Issue Date: 6 May 1993                              
Issue Title: Nordia '93 Stamp Exhibition     

Postcard Designer:                              
Printer: Setec Oy of Finland
Printing Process: Lithography
Size of Postcards: mm x mm

Hologram Designer:                      
Hologram Producer:                      
Holographic Effect:                     
Hologram Shape/Colour: Silver square                   

Card Types and Descriptions:                    
Card 1      Stamp Depicts: Burnet Rose. Hologram Depicts: - Card Depicts: Rocks under water
Card 2      Stamp Depicts: -. Hologram Depicts: -. Card Depicts: 1901 commemorative postcard
Card 3      Stamp Depicts: -. Hologram Depicts: -. Card Depicts: Defences of fortress
Card 4      Stamp Depicts: - .Hologram Depicts: -. Card Depicts: Five owls on mossy tree trunk

Quantity Printed:                       
Notes:  Issued one card per day at the exhibition for 8fm each and  sold subsequently for 32fm a set.

GUYANA  

MINIATURE SHEETS & SHEET PRINTED STAMPS

Issue Date: (Lacking issue date) 1994               
Issue Title: 60th Birthday of Elvis Presley          

Stamp Designer:    
Stamp Printer:              
Stamp Printing Process: Lithography     
Size of Stamp Image:  mm x mm
Sheet Format:  4 (2 stamps across x 2 rows down)       
Perforation:  Die cut         

Hologram Designer:           
Hologram Producer:     
Holographic Effect: See below       
Hologram Shape/Colour:  Vertical silver rectangular frame       

Stamp Values and Descriptions:      
$300  Stamp depicts: Elvis portrait. Perforated version.
$300  Sheetlet of four. Perforated version
$300  Imperforate version
$300  Sheetlet of four. Imperforate version
$300  Miniature sheet depicts:
$300  Imperforate version

Quantity Printed: "extremely small quantities printed"          
        
Notes:  Each item is individually numbered and printed on a thin card, rather than on paper. This stamp issue is an appalling attempt at taking money from  collectors.  It appears to have only been offered by an American stamp dealer, whose advertisement stated: "....the first ever holographic rendition of the King of Rock 'n' Roll. We believe that the hologram of Elvis is the first such stamp commemorating any entertainer by a  legitimate postal entity."  Do not be taken in by this hog-wash.

The stamp is NOT a  holographic rendition of Elvis, but merely  incorporates a frame of  an 'off-the-shelf' type of  holographic foil.  Do not waste your money on this issue.  

The retail cost of buying an example of each item in this listing is  almost US $200, so we are fortunate that a similar set for Marilyn Monroe was cancelled, despite having appeared in their advertisement.  First Day Covers of the Elvis issue exist (for an extra US $210!!!).

HONG KONG  

POSTAL STATIONERY - PRE-PAID POSTCARDS

Issue Date: 15 February 1994      Issue Title: Hologram Postcard Series 1 and 2        

Designer: Arde Lam
Photographer:  Hans Lindberg (card 2)
Printer: Government Printer, Hong Kong
Printing Process: Lithography
Size of Cards:  mm x mm

Hologram Designer:  Not applicable  
Hologram Producer:             
Holographic Effect:                     
Hologram Shape/Colour: Silver square   

Card Types and Descriptions:                    
Card 1  Card depicts: Hong Kong Waterfront circa 1920. Hologram depicts: 1865 Queen Victoria 96c stamp
Card 2  Card depicts: Hong Kong Waterfront 1993. Hologram depicts: Current Q.E.II $1 definitive stamp

Quantity Printed:
                
Notes: Produced in commemoration of the first international philatelic exhibition to be held in Hong Kong.   

ISLE OF MAN  

SHEET PRINTED STAMPS

Issue Date: 5 July 1994                             
Issue Title: 21st Anniversary of the Isle of Man Post Office Authority   

Stamp Designer: Colleen Corlett 
Stamp Printer: Walsall Security Printers Ltd   
Stamp Printing Process: 3 colour photo-lithography      
Size of Stamp Image: 30.56mm x 38mm
Sheet Format: 10 (5 stamps across x 2 rows down)      
Perforation: 14.2 x 14.2     

Hologram Designer: Photo by Alpha Photo Press Agency       
Hologram Producer: Applied Holographics Ltd        
Holographic Effect:                     
Hologram Shape/Colour: Vertical silver rectangle               

Stamp Value and Description:                    
£5 Stamp depicts: Text, royal cypher and Three Legs of Man design. Hologram depicts: H.M. Queen Elizabeth II

Quantity Printed:          
                        

FIRST DAY COVER ENVELOPES

£5   The same hologram, but in a much larger format,  was used for the official IoMPO FDC envelope.

MONGOLIA  

MINIATURE SHEETS

Issue Date: 1993                            
Issue Title: Homage to Hugo Eckener

Stamp Designer:                 
Stamp Printer:                          
Stamp Printing Process:         
Size of Stamp Image:   mm x mm
Sheet Format: Sheetlet of four
Size of sheet:    mm x mm
Perforation: 14 x 14         

Hologram Designer:                      
Hologram Producer:                      
Holographic Effect:                     
Hologram Shape/Colour: Silver rectangle with rounded corners   

Stamp Value and Description:                      
80t  Stamp depicts: Value and country name on stamp, with hot air balloons in flight over open countryside in the miniature sheet margin. Hologram depicts: Airship in flight

Quantity Printed:                       

NEW ZEALAND   

SHEET PRINTED STAMPS

Issue Date:                                                     
Issue Title:                            

Stamp Designer:                 
Stamp Printer:                          
Stamp Printing Process:         
Size of Stamp Image: mm x mm
Sheet Format: 10 (2 stamps across x 5 rows down)
Perforation:       

Hologram Designer:                      
Hologram Producer:                      
Holographic Effect:                     
Hologram Shape/Colour: Silver vertical rectangle with rounded corners         

Stamp Value and  Description:                       

Quantity Printed:                       

Notes: NZ Post sold out within a short time, such was the popularity of this issue.                  

POLAND  

MINIATURE SHEETS

Issue Date: 16 November 1991                        
Issue Title: PhilaNippon '91 International Stamp Exhibition

Stamp Designer: Ovidiu Opresco  
Stamp Printer:                          
Stamp Printing Process: Lithography     
Size of Stamp Image: mm x mm
Sheet Format:Miniature sheet of 1 stamp and 1 commemorative label
Size of sheet:127mm x 63mm
Perforation: 

Hologram Designer: Ovidiu Opresco  
Hologram Producer:                      
Holographic Effect: 2 Channel, full spectrum
Hologram Shape/Colour: Horizontal sliver rectangle

Stamp Value and Description:
1500z Stamp depicts: Text. Label depicts: Philanippon exhibition logo. Hologram depicts: Aporia Crataegi butterfly

Quantity Printed: 2,000,000
                        
Notes: The latest computer imaging techniques were utilised to ensure entomological accuracy. Poland was the first Eastern European country to issue a holographic stamp, especially one with such movement.          

SAN MARINO  

MINIATURE SHEETS

Issue Date: 26 March 1993           
Issue Title: Inauguration of State Television

Stamp Designer: Franz Ramberti for Studio Expansion  
Photography by: Fotocronache Olimpia, Milan
Stamp Printer: Setec Oy of  Finland
Stamp Printing Process: 4 colour offset lithography
Size of Stamp Image: 30mm x 40mm
Sheet Format: 3 (3 stamps across x 1 row down)
Size of sheet: 70mm x 140mm
Perforation: 13.5 x 13.5     

Hologram Designer: Pirkko Vahtero of Setec Oy
Hologram Producer: Setec Oy of Finland
Holographic Effect: Three dimensional
Hologram Shape/Colour: Silver circle on stamp 2 only

Stamp Values and Descriptions:  
2000L  Stamp depicts: Finish of the men's 100m in Tokyo World Championships, 25 August 1991
2000L  Stamp depicts: Panoramic view of Monte Titano,   San Marino, at night. Hologram depicts: Communications satellite in sky
2000L  Stamp depicts:  Neil Armstrong saluting USA flag on lunar surface, 21 July 1969

Quantity Printed: 250,000 miniature sheets

Notes:  The linking idea is that the greatest events of history in the making, are brought to us live by television.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA   

POSTAL STATIONERY  - PRE-PAID ENVELOPES

Issue Date: 3 December 1989                 
Issue Title: Space Station   

Artist: Ken Hodges      
Designer: Richard Sheaff
Printer: Westvaco, US Envelope Division  
Printing Process: Offset flexography
Size of Envelope: 4.125" x 9.50"

Hologram Designer: Ken Hodges      
Hologram Producer: ABN Holographics Inc    
Holographic Effect: 2D/3D   
Hologram Shape: Silver square with rounded corners      

Envelope Value and Description:                 
25c  Hologram Depicts: Space Station orbiting the Earth

Quantity Printed:
                        
Notes: The holographic foil is set in behind a die-cut window and was applied to the envelope paper whilst still on the web. The USPS had been exploring the idea of holograms for stamps for several  years.  At the time of issue, the Assistant Postmaster General Gordon C Morison explained: "Our customers have been telling us for years that they would like to see more innovative  philatelic designs. This hologram concept is a unique approach to satisfying that demand.

Issue Date: 9 September 1990                        
Issue Title: 25th Anniversary of the Super Bowl              

Designer: Bruce Harman            
Printer:  US Envelope Division
Printing Process: Flexography
Size of envelope: 4.125" x 9.50"

Hologram Designer: Airbrushed artwork and modelling created by Light Impressions Inc. Hologram Producer: Spectratek
Holographic Effect: 2D/3D   
Hologram Shape/Colour: Silver square with rounded corners      

Envelope Value and Description:  
25c  Hologram Depicts: The Lombardi Trophy awarded to Super Bowl's winning team with players in the background          
                
Quantity Printed: "Over 10,000,000"

Issue Date: 21 January 1992                 
Issue Title: Space Station   

Designer: Richard Sheaff  
Printer: Westvaco, US Envelope Division
Printing Process: Offset flexography
Size of Envelope: 4.125" x 9.50"

Hologram Designer: Richard Sheaff  
Hologram Producer: ABN Holographics Inc    
Holographic Effect:                     
Hologram Shape/Colour: Silver square with rounded corners      

Envelope Value and Description:
29c Hologram Depicts: Space Station circling the Earth
                        
Quantity Printed: Not released yet         

(Previously unpublished, written 1995)

 Page updated on 1 April 2006.  All material Copyright  © 2000-Date Glenn H Morgan FRPSL.