Around the world, there are plenty of stamps made from materials so unexpected that you find yourself asking, “Wait — is this really a stamp?”
Today I’d like to share a whole collection of these unique-material stamps — ones that Postio Marche carries now or has carried in the past.
Austria 2014 · Augarten Porcelain
This was the world’s first porcelain stamp.
The Augarten Porcelain Manufactory was founded in 1718 in Vienna, during the Habsburg era.
The stamp measures about 33 mm x 33 mm.
It is so solid and thick that you can’t help wondering what would happen if you actually stuck it on a letter!
Austria 2016 · Pietà and Cross (Glass Stamp)
Glass breaks — surely the last material anyone would choose for a stamp. And yet, here it is.
When it comes to stamp issues, Austria seems to fear nothing…
Porcelain worked, so two years later came a glass stamp. Simply amazing!
Austria 2020 · Ski Tip
If we’re talking about original ideas, this one is hard to beat.
It’s a stamp made from the material used for the tips of skis!
You see so many Austrian athletes at the Winter Olympics — Austria is known as a true skiing nation.
Austria 2021 · Dominic Thiem (Tennis Ball)
After the ski material in 2020, along came a stamp made from tennis ball material — I couldn’t stop grinning.
“Austria, you’ve done it again!” — that was exactly how I felt.
Dominic Thiem (born 1993) is a tennis player from Lower Austria who won the 2020 US Open.
Switzerland 2014 · Vinyl Record Souvenir Sheet
Alongside Austria, Switzerland is the other country that keeps issuing stamps in unusual materials.
The whole sheet shows a record player, and the red part in the center is the record itself.
On the FDC, you can clearly see which part is the real record.
Spain 2020 · Beethoven’s 250th Anniversary (Vinyl Record)
Six years after the Swiss record, Spain issued this stamp for the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth.
It contains part of a performance of his Symphony No. 5, the “Fate” Symphony.
Many countries issued Beethoven stamps for the 250th anniversary in 2020, but Spain’s really stood out.
I’d love to try playing it on a turntable!
Spain 2021 · Leather Carving
Spain is also famous for its leather goods. This stamp is made of genuine leather, and the grain pattern is different on every single stamp.
No two stamps are exactly alike — which makes each one special in its own way!
Austria 2015 · Lederhosen
This stamp is modeled on Lederhosen, the traditional leather shorts of the Alpine region.
It is made from Alcantara, a high-quality suede-like material, and was crafted using the same steps as real leather goods — from die-cutting to sewing and embroidery.
Six genuine Swarovski crystals are set into it, standing in for buttons and rivets.
The stamp was created as a collaboration between Austrian Post and Swarovski.
Spain 2018 · Inventor (Rubber Stamp)
A stamp made of rubber — so obvious, and yet nobody had done it before.
It commemorates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Spanish inventor Cosme García Sáez (1818–1874).
He is best known for inventing a submarine, but he is also said to have invented a hand-stamp-style postmark.
Austria 2020 · COVID-19 (Toilet Paper)
Just a little smaller than a postcard, this stamp is printed on toilet paper material.
It illustrates the size of the virus and the recommended social distance, together with an elephant.
Netherlands 2010 · Film Festival (Lenticular)
Lenticular printing uses a sheet of lenticular lenses so that the image changes, or appears three-dimensional, depending on the viewing angle.
Tilt the stamp and the woman’s expression changes!
The photo shows actress Carice van Houten (born 1976), who is highly acclaimed in the Netherlands and has won the Golden Calf award at the Netherlands Film Festival several times.
Perhaps, as a film festival stamp, it was designed to evoke the feeling of moving images.
United Kingdom 2011 · Thunderbirds (Lenticular)
The lenticular effect is a perfect match for the sci-fi atmosphere of Thunderbirds!
Austria 2023 · 100 Years of ÖBB (Acrylic Glass)
This stamp marking 100 years of ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) is made from recycled acrylic glass, and the navy-blue section at the bottom can be detached.
The station name has a magnet on the back, and there are said to be 1,031 versions — the same as the number of railway stations in Austria.
It is quite thick, so it adds real volume once it’s on an envelope.
Switzerland 2025 · Federal Wrestling and Alpine Festival
In Swiss wrestling (Schwingen), competitors wear an “Edelweiss shirt” and short leather trousers called “Zwilchhosen.”
This stamp is made from the fabric of the Edelweiss shirt.
The light-blue shirt fabric is 100% cotton, woven from double-twisted yarn for durability. Originally a work shirt, it came to be worn at this traditional wrestling event.
A shirt for wrestling? It sounds surprising, but the FDC shows you how it looks.
On the sheet of 10, you can see the textile pattern.
Switzerland 2025 · Upcycling
For more than 20 years, Swiss Post staff wore a uniform of a cream-colored shirt and grey trousers.
When the uniform was replaced in 2025, the old one was reborn as a stamp, in homage to it.
Following the wrestling shirt, this stamp recycles the fabric of the post office uniform.
Portugal 2016 · 100 Years of the Fish Canning Industry
The world’s first stamp packed in a real can.
This commemorative set, “Indústria Conserveira Portuguesa” (The Portuguese Canning Industry), was issued by CTT (Correios de Portugal), the Portuguese postal operator.
It was born from a partnership between CTT and Ramirez, one of Portugal’s leading historic canneries (founded in 1853) — a rare experiment in which the stamps themselves were packaged using exactly the same process as real canned food.
The canning itself was actually carried out at the Ramirez factory.
So while it’s a stamp, it is also a genuine “Made in Portugal” can.
Unusual-Material Stamps: Summary
Unique-material stamps are the ones that surprise you the moment you hold them — and I’ve shared many of them here.
This time the theme was materials, but I’d also like to introduce wooden stamps, unusually shaped stamps and more in the future.
I’ll keep adding to this article, so please come back and visit again!
Postio Marche sells stamps made from unique materials.
👉 Postio Marche — Unique-Material Stamps
Some of the stamps shown are from a private collection. Items available for purchase are those listed in the shop only.
This blog covers stamp designs and art from around the world. Follow us on social media for daily stamp art and gallery visits!
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