4069) "Making Music" - Netherlands: "New Dutch Design Stamp Series: Third in the new Series of Stamps: Date/Year of Stamp Sheet issue: 11.08.2025:
About New Dutch Design - Making Music:
On 11 August 2025, PostNL has released New Dutch Design – making music, the third stamp sheet in this new series.
The New Dutch Design series showcases the work of the next generation of Dutch graphic designers.
The stamps were designed during the 2023-2024 academic year by second-year Graphic Design students at ArtEZ in Zwolle, in collaboration with Nicole Uniquole.
The stamps bear the denomination “1” for mail up to 20 grams within the Netherlands.
The New Dutch Design series, a successor to the Typically Dutch series, is dedicated to the theme of “celebration,” expressed through colour and form.
After brainstorming the theme, the students decided to explore it by focusing on different rituals.
The 11 August release, a sheet of 6 stamps in 2 designs, focusses on the ritual of making music. Earlier this year, the first two sheets in the series were released: one on coffee and tea rituals (17 February) and one on greeting rituals (22 April).
The final issue of 2025, on dancing as a ritual, will follow on 22 September.
SUBJECT:
According to a 2017 study, 10% of the Dutch population regularly plays a musical instrument.
Musical activities, including singing, are most common among 6 to 19-year-olds, as shown in the 2017 “Monitor Amateurkunst” (“Amateur Arts Monitor”).
People with a migration background are slightly more musically active than those with a Dutch background.
Most musicians spend 1 to 2 hours (33%) or 3 to 4 hours (28%) per week on music, often in groups. 77% make music with others at least occasionally, and 51% are members of a club or informal group.
In addition to professional orchestras, the Netherlands has around 5500 music associations, including wind orchestras, brass bands, big bands and other amateur instrumental groups. Traditionally, the provinces of North Brabant, Limburg and Gelderland have the highest number of music associations.
These often fall under national organisations, primarily the Koninklijke Nederlandse Muziek Organisatie (Royal Dutch Music Organisation, KNMO), the national advocacy body for instrumental amateur music.
Many associations also organise concerts, events and competitions, such as the Dutch Championships for Wind Music, the Dutch Brass Band Championships and the Open Dutch Harmony Championships.
DESIGN:
The stamp sheet New Dutch Design – making music features 6 horizontal-format stamps in 2 different designs.
The stamps depict people making music with various instruments. The 3 stamps on the left show musicians with a double bass and a tambourine; the 3 on the right show a guitarist, a saxophonist and a drummer, watched by a black cat.
All figures are shown in motion, with golden-yellow stars symbolising both movement and the volume of the music.
Colours used for the figures, their clothing and the background are drawn from the palette for the entire New Dutch Design series.
The country name ‘Nederland’ and the year ‘2025’ appear alternately on the left and right of the stamps. Denomination ‘1’ is placed bottom left or right, and the sorting hook top left or right.
The sheet border features two illustrations also found on the stamps: the cat and the child with the drum. Next to the child is a new illustration of someone playing a post horn.
The stamp illustrations extend onto the top and bottom of the sheet border.
TYPOGRAPHY:
Two typefaces were used for the text. The first is “Vier”, designed by Maureen Ketting in 2024 specifically for the New Dutch Design series, in collaboration with fellow Graphic Design students at ArtEZ. The second is LTR Limited Grotesque, created in 2024 by Dutch type designer Erik van Blokland for LettError in The Hague.
DESIGN – SERIES:
The design of the New Dutch Design stamp series is the result of an educational project within the Graphic Design programme at ArtEZ in Zwolle.
Music square:
All four stamp sheets in the New Dutch Design series were eventually adapted to a shared layout grid developed by fellow students.
Expressive stars:
A striking feature of the illustrations is the expressive stars.
DESIGN – THE GRID:
In stamp series design, the different releases usually share certain features, such as typography or a common layout framework. For the New Dutch Design stamp series, a separate team of students was responsible for creating this ‘grid,’.
Using books from the library, the designers first studied various examples and then started sketching—each of them individually—while the other teams were busy designing their stamps.
Custom typeface:
To give the series a distinctive character, the grid team designed a custom typeface.
They created a 4 x 4 grid to literally reflect the theme of ‘celebration’ in the dimensions.
The typeface
features flowing shapes that seem to come together, just like people do when
they gather to celebrate. That’s why the typeface was named “Vier” (‘Four’ in
Dutch).
The second typeface, LTR Limited Grotesque provides a playful counterbalance to the blocky forms of design.”
Sheet border guidelines:
The stamps feature the text “Nederland” and “2025” displayed vertically, alternating between the left and right sides. Maureen
Technical details:
Issue Date: 11.08.2025
Designers: Nicole
Uniquole in collaboration with Chantal Idzerda, Jolijn Bos, Lillian Löhrer,
Maartje Louwers, Maureen Ketting, Rémon Westendorp and Tinka Leeuw (students
Graphic Design aan ArtEZ, University of the Arts, Zwolle)
Printer: Cartor Security
Printers, Meaucé La Loupe, France
Process: Offset
Colours: Cyan, magenta,
yellow, and black
Size: Stamp size: 40 x 30
mm,
Sheet size:
122.00 mm x 170.00 mm
Dutch Castles Coin Series:
For other interesting posts on issues from the Royal Dutch Mint, Netherlands and PostNL, please visit the following links:
10) First Atlases, Netherlands: Commemorating 450 Years of the first Atlas (1570-2020) & others: A Stamp Sheet of six stamps depicting the Atlases which were compiled in the Netherlands in the 16th & 17th Centuries AD: Stamp Set issued by POstNL: Date of Stamp Set issue: 23.03.2020
Intangible Cultural Heritage, Netherlands:
For interesting posts from the Caribbean Netherlands on "Experience Nature":
For interesting posts from the Caribbean Netherlands on this blog:
5) City of Bruges (or Brugge), Belgium: 20 Years as UNENCO World Heritage Site: A 20 Euro Silver Proof Coin issued by the Royakl Dutch Mint under licencing of the Royal Belgian Mint, on behalf of the National Bank of Belgium: Coin issue date: 26.02.2020
6) 100 Years of Nature & Environment Protection, Luxembourg: Commemorating the Centenary Anniversary of the "Letzebuerger Natur a Vulleschutsliga a.s.b.l. (Luxembourg Nature and Bird Protection Society):A 0.80 Euro Stamp issued by Luxembourg Postes (Post): Date of stamp issue: 10.03.2020
7) Celebrating 25 Years of listing on UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Luxembourg: A Commemorative Stamp of 0.80 Euro issued by Luxembourg Postes (Post): Stamp issue date: 10.03.2020
30) 100 Years of Surrealism in Belgium: Date of Stamp issue: 26.08.2024
16) Ancient Postal Routes - the Postal Boat Race - between Aland and Sweden", Aland, Finland: A EUROPA Postage Stamp of 2.00 Euro issued by Aland Post: Date of Stamp issue: 08.05.2020
Posts on Aruba on this blog:
Posts on Finland on this Blog:
Posts on Aruba on this blog:
Links to Posts on Curacao on this Blog:
8) New Caribbean Guilder Banknotes and Coin designs for the Centrale Bank of Curacao & Sint Maarten
Other posts on European Capitals of Culture Posts - 2024:
Posts on SEPAC issues on this blog:
Links:
Posts on Aruba on this blog:
Posts on Sweden:
Links:
The undernoted two links will take you to our blog "Footloose" for two interesting posts written by me on the Dutch presence in Sadras in the 17th Century AD:
5) City of Bruges (or Brugge), Belgium: 20 Years as UNENCO World Heritage Site: A 20 Euro Silver Proof Coin issued by the Royakl Dutch Mint under licencing of the Royal Belgian Mint, on behalf of the National Bank of Belgium: Coin issue date: 26.02.2020
6) 100 Years of Nature & Environment Protection, Luxembourg: Commemorating the Centenary Anniversary of the "Letzebuerger Natur a Vulleschutsliga a.s.b.l. (Luxembourg Nature and Bird Protection Society):A 0.80 Euro Stamp issued by Luxembourg Postes (Post): Date of stamp issue: 10.03.2020
7) Celebrating 25 Years of listing on UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Luxembourg: A Commemorative Stamp of 0.80 Euro issued by Luxembourg Postes (Post): Stamp issue date: 10.03.2020
Posts on SEPAC issues on this blog:
Links to Posts on Turks and Caicos Islands:
Links to Posts on Curacao on this Blog:
Posts on Colombia:
3) Banknotes and Coinage of Colombia (Prat 1): The evolution of Coinage in Colombia
4) Banknotes and Coinage of Colombia (Part 2): History of evolution of Banknotes in Colombia
For some other interesting posts on Currencies of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, please visit the following links:
18) Sea Motifs, Bahamas: Gold Bullion Coins in the denominations of 100 Dollars (depicting a Blue Marlin) and 250 Dollars (depicting a Conch Shell): Coins issue date: 03.12.2019
19) A new Generation $100 Polymer Banknote, Trinidad and Tobago with enhanced security features to "raise the bar" for counterfeiters & unscrupulous elements: Banknote circulation date: 09.12.2019:
20) Festival di Tumba (Carnival of Curacao), Curacao: "50th Edition of the Curacao Carnival/Festival" held from 27-31.01.2020: A set of six Commemorative Postage Stamps brought out by Cpost (Curacao Post) on 20.02.2020
21) New Polymer Banknotes, Trinidad and Tobago: The entire series will consist of $100, $50, $20, $10, $5 and $1 denominations: $100 has already been issued on 09.12.2019
23) "Caribbean Sea-Horse", Barbados: $10 (Ten Dollars) 1.0 Oz. Gold Bullion Coins & $1 (One Dollar) 1.0 Oz. Silver Bullion Coins minted by the Scottsdale Mint; Year of issue: 2020
24) Cayman Islands, A British Overseas Territory (BOT): A set of identically numbered Banknotes of the presently circulating Banknotes from the "D" Series of Banknotes
Links to some other interesting posts from South American countries & Mexico:
26) A new 100 Boliviano Banknote from Bolivia: issued by the "Banco Centrale de Bolivia" (Central Bank of Bolivia) on 15.01.2019 under its new 2018 Banknote Series
27) Central Bank of Uruguay ("Banco Centrale del Uruguay"): 50th Anniversary (Golden Jubilee) - 1967-2017 - celebrated with the issue of a 50 Peso Commemorative Banknote on 14.09.2018
Links to Posts on Curacao on this Blog:
Republic of Peru:
Links to some other interesting posts from Mexico:
Posts on Colombia:
3) Banknotes and Coinage of Colombia (Prat 1): The evolution of Coinage in Colombia
4) Banknotes and Coinage of Colombia (Part 2): History of evolution of Banknotes in Colombia
2) Currency & Coinage of Ghana: Cedis & Pesewas
6) Two new Cedi Banknotes of GH200 & GH100 and a GH2 Cedi Coin introduced in 11/2019
Links to other interesting posts on our Ghana visit in 2013:
1) Lake Bosumchwe or Bosumchwi, Ghana
2) El Mina Castle/Fort, Cape Coast, Ghana
3) History of Coinage and Banknotes of Ghana
6) Larabanga mosque and the Mystic Stone
7) Food, Culture and Music of Ghana
9) Oware: The Ancient National Board Game of Ghana
Links:
2) Some ancient coins depicting Greek mythology & history
13) Ancient Greek Theatres, Greece: Hellenic Post has brought out a set of five stamps featuring the Ancient Theatres of Dodona, Nocopolis, Kassope, Amvrakia and Gitana (all in Epirus): Stamp issue date: 08.04.2020
14) "MYRTIS", Greece: A 5 Euro Silver Coin dedicated to an 11 year old girl who was a victim of the PLague of Athens (430-426 BC) issued by the Bank of Greece: Coin issue date: 25.02.2020
For some other interesting posts on Currencies of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, please visit the following links:
18) Sea Motifs, Bahamas: Gold Bullion Coins in the denominations of 100 Dollars (depicting a Blue Marlin) and 250 Dollars (depicting a Conch Shell): Coins issue date: 03.12.2019
19) A new Generation $100 Polymer Banknote, Trinidad and Tobago with enhanced security features to "raise the bar" for counterfeiters & unscrupulous elements: Banknote circulation date: 09.12.2019:
20) Festival di Tumba (Carnival of Curacao), Curacao: "50th Edition of the Curacao Carnival/Festival" held from 27-31.01.2020: A set of six Commemorative Postage Stamps brought out by Cpost (Curacao Post) on 20.02.2020
21) New Polymer Banknotes, Trinidad and Tobago: The entire series will consist of $100, $50, $20, $10, $5 and $1 denominations: $100 has already been issued on 09.12.2019
23) "Caribbean Sea-Horse", Barbados: $10 (Ten Dollars) 1.0 Oz. Gold Bullion Coins & $1 (One Dollar) 1.0 Oz. Silver Bullion Coins minted by the Scottsdale Mint; Year of issue: 2020
24) Cayman Islands, A British Overseas Territory (BOT): A set of identically numbered Banknotes of the presently circulating Banknotes from the "D" Series of Banknotes
Links to some other interesting posts from South American countries & Mexico:
26) A new 100 Boliviano Banknote from Bolivia: issued by the "Banco Centrale de Bolivia" (Central Bank of Bolivia) on 15.01.2019 under its new 2018 Banknote Series
27) Central Bank of Uruguay ("Banco Centrale del Uruguay"): 50th Anniversary (Golden Jubilee) - 1967-2017 - celebrated with the issue of a 50 Peso Commemorative Banknote on 14.09.2018
Links to Posts on Curacao on this Blog:
Interesting Posts from Algeria:
Interesting posts from Sierra Leone:
Links to posts on Zaire/Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC):
2) Currency & Coinage of Ghana: Cedis & Pesewas
6) Two new Cedi Banknotes of GH200 & GH100 and a GH2 Cedi Coin introduced in 11/2019
Links to other interesting posts on our Ghana visit in 2013:
1) Lake Bosumchwe or Bosumchwi, Ghana
2) El Mina Castle/Fort, Cape Coast, Ghana
3) History of Coinage and Banknotes of Ghana
6) Larabanga mosque and the Mystic Stone
7) Food, Culture and Music of Ghana
9) Oware: The Ancient National Board Game of Ghana
Interesting posts from Sierra Leone:
Links to posts on Zaire/Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC):
New Banknotes of Mozambique:
1) New Banknotes of Mozambique
ZiG: The new currency of Zimbabwe:
1) ZiG: The new Currency of Zimbabwe
Eswatini (Swaziland):
Interesting Posts from Algeria:
Interesting posts from Sierra Leone:
Links to posts on Zaire/Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC):
Rajan Trikha has commented:
ReplyDelete"Very interesting and informative post."
Thank you so much Trikha sahab.
Delete